What is speech and language therapy?
Speech and language therapy is a specialized service dedicated to treating various challenges that impact your child’s ability to communicate effectively.
What specialized services do we provide?
Early Childhood Wellness Place offers evaluation and individualized or group therapy services the following:
ARTICULATION
Difficulties producing sounds in syllables, words, and in conversation
- Does your child have difficulty saying sounds correctly?
- Do you have a difficult time understanding what your child is saying because of their speech production?
FLUENCY (Stuttering)
- Is the flow of your child’s speech interrupted by abnormal stopping, repetitions (“d-d-d-dog”), or prolonged sounds and syllables (“ssssstop”)?
LANGUAGE
Receptive or Expressive
- Receptive language: difficulties understanding and processing language
- Does your child understand what is going on?
- Are they able to follow directions?
- Expressive language: difficulties expressing themselves
- Does your child have a limited vocabulary? Do they often rely on common words/phrases?
- Does your child have a difficult time expressing their thoughts and feelings?
- Does your child have difficulty speaking coherently? Do they often leave out (or misuse) pronouns, verbs, etc.?
PLAY SKILLS
Difficulties engaging in play activities (specifically for kids between 0-3 years old)
- Does your child entertain him/herself with toys and activities? Are they actively engaged in the toy?
- Does your child enjoy playing with family and/or friends?
- Does your child prefer to play with the same toy or do the same activity over and over again?
SOCIAL SKILLS*
Difficulties using language in a socially-appropriate way
- Does your child have difficulties communicating with family and peers? Do the struggle participating in play or in conversation?
*Please refer to our Social Skills Group for more information on our services provided for children with concerns regarding social skills.*
READING, WRITING, AND LEARNING
Difficulties in both early and school-based literacy development
- Does your child have a difficult time sounding out words, identifying sight words, or reading grade-appropriate material?
- Does your child struggle expressing themselves in writing?
- Are you concerned with your child’s ability to acquire new knowledge?
ECWP offers Speech-Language services for additional populations including:
- Children with developmental delays/disorders
- Common examples include Autism (ASD) and Down Syndrome
- Children with cleft lip and/or palate
- Children with hearing loss*
- Children requiring AAC* (Alternative and Augmentative Communication)
*Therapies Only (Diagnostic services must be conducted in an outside facility. Please consult SLP for recommendations.)
How do I know if my child is delayed in their speech and language development?
Please refer to the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association’s reference charts for communication milestones
(https://www.asha.org/public/speech/development/chart.htm)
Who provides these services?
Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs), often informally referred to as Speech Therapists, are professionals who specialize in communication across the lifespan. SLPs are skilled clinicians who are educated in the development and disorders of human communication. As per professional standard, ECWP employs SLPs with a (minimum) Master’s Degree and state certification/licensure in the field of Speech Language Pathology. The SLPs at ECWP specialize in the pediatric population, with knowledge and experience in the following speech and language disorders as they pertain to children from infancy through adolescence.
