Treatment Areas

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This refers to a delay in language development. Children may struggle to develop vocabulary, use grammatical structures, or understand language as expected for their age. A language disorder may impact both receptive language (understanding) and expressive language (speaking).

Stuttering is a speech disorder characterized by interruptions in the flow of speech, such as repetitions of sounds, syllables, or words (e.g., "b-b-b-ball") or prolonged sounds (e.g., "sssss-sun"). It often affects the rhythm and fluency of speech, leading to difficulty in smooth communication

Apraxia is a motor speech disorder in which the brain has difficulty planning and coordinating the movements needed for speech. In childhood apraxia of speech (CAS), children may have difficulty making precise movements of their mouth and tongue for producing speech sounds, despite having normal muscle strength.

Phonological disorders involve patterns of speech sound errors, where a child may have trouble understanding or producing the rules for sound patterns in speech. For example, a child might omit sounds from words (e.g., saying "poon" instead of "spoon") or replace one sound with another.

This occurs when a person has difficulty pronouncing sounds correctly. Common issues include mispronunciations such as saying "wabbit" for "rabbit" or "thun" for "sun." These disorders are most often noticed in childhood, but they can persist into adulthood if untreated.

Feeding disorders refer to difficulties in the process of eating, swallowing, or ingesting food, which can impact a child's ability to get adequate nutrition and develop healthy eating habits. These disorders may include issues such as gagging, choking, refusing certain foods, or struggling with chewing and swallowing, often linked to oral-motor difficulties, sensory sensitivities, or neurological conditions. Children with feeding disorders may have trouble accepting a wide range of foods, leading to poor weight gain or nutritional deficiencies.

Now often referred to as Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), SLI is a condition where a child has difficulty acquiring language despite having normal hearing, intelligence, and social interaction. These children may have trouble with grammar, vocabulary, or understanding language, but their difficulties are not related to any other medical or developmental issue.

Autism Spectrum Disorder includes a range of challenges, including difficulties with communication, social interaction, and restricted/repetitive behaviors. In terms of speech and language, individuals with ASD may struggle with both expressive language (speaking) and receptive language (understanding), as well as social communication skills like taking turns in conversation or understanding non-verbal cues.

This disorder involves difficulties with social communication, including interpreting and using verbal and non-verbal cues in social settings. Children with this disorder may struggle with understanding sarcasm, tone of voice, turn-taking in conversation, or maintaining appropriate eye contact.

Selective mutism is a psychological condition where a person, usually a child, is unable to speak in certain social situations (e.g., at school or with strangers) despite speaking comfortably in other settings (e.g., at home with family). This is often tied to anxiety.

Aphasia is a language disorder typically caused by brain damage (often from a stroke or traumatic brain injury). It affects the ability to speak, understand speech, read, or write. The severity and specific symptoms vary depending on the type of aphasia (e.g., Broca's aphasia, Wernicke’s aphasia).