Speech Therapy

F.A.C.E.S.
Conditions
Red Flags
Male kid practicing speech
Speech-language therapy refers to the techniques, strategies, and interventions designed to improve or correct communication disorders.  Early intervention for speech and language disorders is essential to prevent further difficulties in school and family time. Our licensed speech-language pathologists can help children improve their communication abilities and therefore set the stage for academic achievement.

More than just words, there are many FACES...

This is more commonly known as stuttering.  There are many types of fluency errors such as repetition of sounds/words and prolongations.  Stuttering can also include secondary characteristics such as eye-blinking, foot stomping and clapping
Articulation refers to the ability to coordinate the movements of the mouth to correctly produce speech sounds.  There are many different types of errors.
Communication can be verbal and/or non-verbal.  It is how we understand and exchange ideas within our environment.
Difficulties with feeding can be caused by abnormalities or the inability to coordinate the movements necessary for feeding.  Feeding difficulties can also be attributed to how the child responds to food with their senses.
Social skills are the skills need to appropriately interact with others around you.  These skills include but are not limited to taking turns, eye contact, gestures, initiating and maintaining conversations.

What Conditions Can Benefit From Speech Therapy?

Kids might need speech-language therapy for a variety of reasons, including:
  • Articulation
  • Expressive and receptive language disorders
  • Hearing impairments
  • Cognitive or other developmental delays
  • Down syndrome
  • Weak oral muscles
  • Cleft lip/ palate
  • Excessive drooling
  • Aspiration and respiratory problems
  • Feeding and swallowing disorders
  • Motor planning problems
  • Autism spectrum disorders
  • Traumatic brain injury
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Tongue thrust
Adult teaching children speech

Red Flags

Fluency
Difficulty speaking in front of others, family history, onset later than preschool years, lasting more than 6-12 months for preschool children.
Articulation
Less than 80% of speech comprehensible by the age of 3, parents become an interpreter, child throws a fit when trying to tell you something, difficulty with spelling or phonics, difficulty speaking with other children.
Communication
Cannot follow directions or answer questions, cannot identify objects, no phrases or word connection, no words by 1, no two-word phrases by 2, <1,000 words by 3.
Eating
Aspiration (blue face, red eyes, gagging, coughing), acid reflux, poor weight gain, limited diet/picky eater, problems with taste, texture, and/or temperature.
Social Skills
Poor peer relations, solitary play, cannot play games, shy, peculiar, loner, no friends, aggressive.

Speech Therapy Survey

Complete the appropriate survey for your child to help guide you to your next step.
Speech Survey for 12-18 Month Olds

Survey for 12-18 Month Olds

Does Your Child…
1. Discriminate between many different sounds?(Required)
2. Use 10-20 words, including names?(Required)
3. Recognize and name pictures of familiar people?(Required)
4. Combine 2 words; "all gone", etc.?(Required)
5. Use words to make wants known; "up", "more"?(Required)
6. Use exclamations; "uh-oh", "oh-no!"?(Required)
7. Imitate words and sounds more precisely?(Required)
8. Point/gesture to call attention to something?(Required)
9. Point to body parts; eyes, nose, toes, etc.?(Required)
10. Bring an object from another room when asked?(Required)
11. Imitate housework; sweeping, setting table, etc.?(Required)
12. Follow simple commands?(Required)
13. Know and say the name of at least 5 things?(Required)
14. Attempt to hum/sing simple tunes?(Required)
15. Respond to and imitate your emotions?(Required)
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Speech Survey for 18-24 Month Olds

Survey for 18-24 Month Olds

Does Your Child…
1. Understand simple questions and commands?(Required)
2. Identify body parts?(Required)
3. Carry on conversation with self/dolls?(Required)
4. Ask "what's this/that?", "where's my _______?"?(Required)
5. Use 2 – 3 words phrase and questions?(Required)
6. Refer to him/her self by name?(Required)
7. Mimic the sounds of familiar things?(Required)
8. Name at least 3 pictures?(Required)
9. Have about 50 words in their vocabulary?(Required)
10. Ask for common food and drink by name?(Required)
11. Use pronouns, "mine", "she"?(Required)
12. Attend to activities for more than 5 minutes?(Required)
13. Increase their vocabulary every month?(Required)
14. Use nouns and verbs?(Required)
15. Follow simple directions without the help of gestures?(Required)
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Speech Survey for 2-3 Year Olds

Survey for 2 or 3 Year Olds

Does Your Child…
1. Match primary colors, name at least 1?(Required)
2. Identify and name major body parts?(Required)
3. Combine nouns and verbs?(Required)
4. Form short sentences?(Required)
5. Understand big and little?(Required)
6. Use 3-4 sentences?(Required)
7. Have a vocabulary of at least 200 words?(Required)
8. Like to hear the same story repeated?(Required)
9. Form some plurals?(Required)
10. Answer simple questions?(Required)
11. Produce consistently "p, m, h, n, w, b" sounds?(Required)
12. Draw a circle and a vertical line?(Required)
13. Express fatigue verbally?(Required)
14. Understands spatial concepts; in, out?(Required)
15. Strangers can understand 80% of his/her speech?(Required)
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Speech Survey for 3-4 Year Olds

Survey for 3 or 4 Year Olds

Does Your Child…
1. Express ideas and feelings?(Required)
2. Use "-ing" verbs?(Required)
3. Use 4 or more word sentences?(Required)
4. Recognize absurdities; "Is that a bird in your ear?"?(Required)
5. Say words without eliminating sounds ("mi-"vs."mine"?)(Required)
6. Understand a series of 2-3 directions?(Required)
7. Use imagination to create stories?(Required)
8. Describe the use of an object; fork, broom, etc.?(Required)
9. Understand sequence (1st, 2nd, 3rd)?(Required)
10. Group objects together; people, clothes, etc.?(Required)
11. Identify and name most colors?(Required)
12. Enjoy rhymes and tunes?(Required)
13. Use most sounds correctly? (excluding l, r, s, sh, ch, y, v, z, th)(Required)
14. Answer simple questions?(Required)
15. Speak clearly enough for strangers to understand?(Required)
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Speech Survey for 4-5 Year Olds

Survey for 4 or 5 Year Olds

Does Your Child…
1. Express spatial concepts; in, behind?(Required)
2. Understand complex questions?(Required)
3. Use some irregular past tenses; ran, fell?(Required)
4. Define words?(Required)
5. Use sentences with 8 or more words?(Required)
6. Answer "why" questions?(Required)
7. Recognize rhyming?(Required)
8. Describe "how to"; make a sandwich, grow flowers?(Required)
9. Count up to 10 objects?(Required)
10. Name shapes?(Required)
11. Better understand the concept of time?(Required)
12. Know his/her last name and age?(Required)
13. Understand tomorrow, yesterday, today?(Required)
14. Read (recognize) familiar words; like STOP on a sign?(Required)
15. Use the same grammar as the rest of the family?(Required)
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