What Does a Speech Pathologist Do?
Speech pathologists evaluate, diagnose, and treat a variety of communication challenges. Receptive language (understanding), expressive language (the way we communicate with others), articulation (how clearly we speak), literacy skills, and social skills are just some of the areas we treat.
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Speech pathology services may benefit your child if you have any of the following concerns:
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Your child has a hard time following directions and doesn't seem to understand what is being said.
Your child knows what they want to say, but no one can understand what they are saying.
Your child does not have words to communicate and becomes frustrated.
Your child has a challenging time following through with tasks.
Your child has a hard time connecting with others and in social situations.
Your child has challenges with using the correct words and saying coherent sentences.
What Will the First Session Look Like?
Following the scheduled free phone consultation which will entail a thorough discussion about your child’s strengths and challenges, an initial session will be conducted for further assessment and rapport building between the child and the therapist. The child’s level of functioning will be assessed through parent-interview, questionnaires, checklists, observation and a standardized evaluation. An example of a standardized evaluation that may provide better insight into a child’s skills would be a standardized language assessment, articulation assessment, problem solving assessment, vocabulary assessment, or a pragmatic language assessment.
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Following this evaluation process, it will be determined if ongoing services are warranted. If services are recommended, quantitative and qualitative goals and objectives will be discussed with the therapist and family. In addition, appropriate supports, work space, caregiver roles, and carryover activities will be discussed. A program will then be written, and discussed with the caregiver prior to regularly scheduled sessions.
What Will Happen During Speech Pathology Sessions?
Strong family involvement is encouraged in the therapeutic process. By active participation in the development of speech therapy goals, observation of sessions, and discussions about the process, caregivers are given the chance to learn strategies to implement in the child’s natural environment.
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In addition, the Learning Sea, LLC uses a variety of techniques and learning tools, all tailored to each child's unique needs:
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DIR/Floortime
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Influenced Techniques
PROMPT Therapy
Articulation Therapy
Social Thinking
Positive Reinforcement
Picture Communication
Sensory-based Activities
Traditional Language Therapy
Routine-based Language
Communication Milestones
All children develop in their own unique way. The Learning Sea LLC embraces each child's individuality and strives to discover the best path for your child to improve their communication skills
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Below are some communication milestones that are expected at certain ages:
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0-3 month olds use vowel sounds when crying.
4-6 month olds respond to their name when called.
6-9 month olds use 2 syllable combinations.
9-12 month olds use gestures for needs.
12-15 month olds follow single step directions, shake their heads "no", and imitate others.
15-18 month olds point, show things, gives to others, and have at least 15 true words.
18-21 month olds vocalize and use words during play. They also imitate 2-3 word phrases.
2 year-olds follow 2-step directions, have at least 50 different words, use pronouns, and sometimes use 3 word phrases.
3 year-olds answer yes/no questions, use plurals, and prepositions, use 3-word sentences, and can say their name and age.
4-5 year-olds speak in complete sentences (at least 5 words) and ask questions.
Pricing
Learning Sea, LLC is currently in the process of being registered with insurance companies and is only accepting private payments via cash, check or credit cards. Please use our "chat", "Contact", or "Get in Touch" feature for more information regarding speech pathology evaluations and treatment session prices.
Helping Children Reach Their Full Potential