Lauren Ross
Speech Therapists and Audiologists
Speech-language Therapy and Audiology is…
The Speech-language therapists at Hope Studio are qualified to treat infants, toddlers, children and adolescents with a variety of conditions that affect oral motor development, feeding, speech production, and the ability to express thoughts, needs and wants, the understanding of language and aspects of academic learning. Communication is a broad concept that encompasses all means by which we send and receive information and is a complex higher cognitive process.
A Speech, Language and Auditory Processing assessment will evaluate the extent of difficulties in following areas:
- Achievement of early speech, language or communication milestones.
- Oral sensory motor skills such as the structure, functioning and range of movement, speed and strength of the oral musculature which influence saliva control, speech sound production and swallowing and feeding.
- Phonological (sound system), reading and spelling skills which includes the development of letter-sound associations, sight word recognition, the ability to break up words into their smaller syllables and sound building blocks and blend them back together, manipulating sounds for rhyming and alliteration as well as spelling rules and extracting meaning from written text.
- The development of speech sound production skills and the organizing of the phonological (speech sound) system such as when a child replaces certain sounds for example ‘tat’ for ‘cat’ or ‘lellow’ for ‘yellow’.
- Formulating spoken and written language, such as sentence construction, grammar, word retrieval skills, vocabulary development.
- Understanding spoken and written language, including taking meaning from the expressed language of others, vocabulary and extracting meaning from text.
- Auditory processing skills which include the various skills used to break down and attach meaning to what is heard.
- Resonance such as sounds produced nasally or voice difficulties such as breathy or hoarse voice.
- Fluency development and breakdowns in the flow of speech such as stuttering or cluttering.
- Established medical conditions from birth such as Cleft lip and/or palate or genetic conditions which may affect the way a child produces sounds, expresses or understands language, affects reading and writing development.
- Neurological conditions caused by trauma at or after birth such as Cerebral Palsy.
- Pervasive developmental disorders such as Autism spectrum disorders.
- Auditory rehabilitation following diagnosis of hearing impairment, hearing aid fitting or cochlear implantation, which can include the implementation of various communication systems, development of speech and language skills.
- Developing and implementing an Alternative or Augmentative Communication system (AAC) if speech alone is not sufficient for efficient communication. AAC which may include no technology (i.e. signing systems), low technology (i.e. communication boards, books or picture symbol exchange) or high technology systems (i.e. computer/tablet or speech output devices).
The process of Speech- language therapy may involve the following:
- Obtaining a detailed case history to determine related conditions or causes and to determine the beginning and progression of difficulties.
- Assessing the extent and nature of the communication challenges within various environments such as in the home, classroom or social situations.
- Developing an intervention plan tailored to the child and family to address the affected areas of development.
- Direct therapy sessions including targeted activities to address the affected areas of communication.
- Parent, caregiver or teacher consultation and education about the nature of the communication difficulties.
- Home, classroom or social support including home program exercises, home/school visits and implementation of strategies to compensate for areas of difficulty and assist with carry-over of skills out of the therapy environment.
- Collaboration with and referral to allied professionals included in the multidisciplinary team to attend to medical, attentional, cognitive, sensory and physical aspects of development.
The development of speech and language in the early years:
Humans are typically born pre-wired for communication and communication extends far past spoken words. Due to our social nature, difficulties with producing or understanding spoken language can have a significant impact on many other areas of a child’s life and can cause social, emotional or academic difficulties later in life. During the childhood years, the brain develops significantly and communication skills develop best in a world that is rich with sounds, sights, and consistent exposure to the speech and language of others. If this process is interrupted causing delayed skill development it can cause significant frustration for a child, affecting the way in which they interact with their surroundings, as well as for their parents and families. Identifying and treating any speech and language issues can help to prevent or lessen the impact on later academic skills and behaviour.
Check your child’s communication development in the early years with this checklist: click here
If you are concerned about your child’s speech and language, auditory processing or phonological awareness skills development, book your child today for an assessment.
