The Speech Therapists (a.k.a. Speech-Language Pathologists or SLPs) at Emerge-A Child’s Place offer services that go well beyond the ability to understand what a child is saying:
Articulation Assessment and Therapy: Articulation assessment and therapy involves identifying a child’s speech sound errors (e.g., lisping, substituting “w” for “r”) and treating those errors through auditory discrimination, drill, and multi-sensory practice. In addition to improving verbal communication, articulation can impact reading and writing skills.
Language Assessment and Therapy: Some children experience difficulty with their understanding of and production of spoken language (vocabulary, syntax/grammar, descriptive language, etc.) Children with a language disorder may have trouble following directions, expressing themselves in speech or writing, or understanding non-literal language.
Pragmatic Language Assessment and Therapy: SLPs assess a child’s ability to use language correctly in various social scenarios. This includes: making appropriate eye contact, recognizing and using body language for social cueing, choosing topics which are appropriate, and maintaining or shifting topics appropriately.
Feeding Assessment and Therapy: SLPs are trained to assess feeding disorders, including medical and behavioral issues. The SLP can implement a therapy program to be carried out in the clinic and at home to expand a child’s food repertoire. At Emerge, several of our therapists are trained in the S.O.S. (Sequential Oral Sensory) Approach to Feeding.
Fluency Disorder Assessment and Therapy: Fluency disorders, commonly known as “stuttering”, include an excessive amount of repetitions, prolongations, interjections, or revisions in a child’s speech.
Reading/Writing Assessment and Therapy: Research shows us that oral language and speech are strongly correlated with reading skills. SLPs can evaluate disorders in reading (phonological processing, rate, accuracy, and comprehension) and writing (spelling, use of descriptive language) and provide therapy, which targets these skills from a multi-sensory perspective. We use several Lindamood-Bell programs at Emerge, including LiPS ® and Visualizing and Verbalizing®.
Auditory Processing Assessment and Therapy: Children with auditory processing disorders experience deficits in their ability to distinguish and discriminate speech sounds. After a screening, the SLP may refer the child to an audiologist for a full auditory processing test battery before beginning therapy.
Voice Assessment and Therapy: Children with voice disorders may have a hoarse voice, a hypernasal voice, or a hyponasal voice. SLPs can teach a child how to use his/her voice in a more productive way. An SLP may also refer a child to an ENT to rule out any harmful growths that may affect vocal quality.