Pediatric speech therapy
We offer pediatric speech therapy services catering to children across all age groups, guiding them toward reaching their maximum potential. Speech therapy, also known as speech-language therapy, is a specialized field of healthcare aimed at helping individuals of all ages improve their communication and language skills. Language disorders impair a person’s ability to formulate, process, and express their thoughts and ideas out loud, or in written form. “Language” is an umbrella term that encompasses many specific skills including prelinguistic skills (e.g., joint attention, sharing interest, etc.), para-linguistic skills (e.g., gestures, signs, body language), listening, understanding, reading, and literacy, using words appropriately, producing age-appropriate phrases or sentences, engaging with peers socially, and using age-appropriate grammar. We guide families in helping children unlock his/her inner voice.
Little Tesla Speech Therapists provide services for kids who may experience difficulties with:
- Speech Sound Disorders
- Auditory Processing Disorder
- Selective Mutism
- Developmental Delays
- Communication challenges associated with conditions such as Autism, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, or hearing impairment
- Fluency Disorders/Stuttering
- Feeding and Swallowing Disorders
- Cognitive-communication disorders
- Childhood Apraxia of Speech
- Receptive and/or expressive language delay
- Speech and language impairments due to hearing loss
- Social Delays
- Articulation and Phonological Processes
Benefits of Pediatric Speech Therapy:
Speech therapy can yield several benefits for children, including:
- Improving communication so children will be able to express thoughts and feelings
- Developing conversational skills to improve interactions with others
- Expressing thoughts, ideas, and needs in a more understandable way
- Self-regulation and following rules for conversation
- Social appropriateness in various settings and situations
- Improved articulation so others can understand what they are saying
- Non-verbal communication skills such as facial expressions or body language
- Understanding the meaning of more words and how to use them
- Learning to use AAC to support comprehension of verbal and spoken directions.
- Learning to use AAC to support children with limited expressive communication.
Therapy
Our aim is to begin therapy promptly. During the initial treatment session following evaluation, we review goals and provide parents with a home exercise program aligned with these goals. We strive to establish realistic goals with you, taking into account your concerns and the practicalities of everyday life. Throughout therapy, we continuously assess your needs and adjust goals and therapy plans accordingly. Our therapy activities are designed to be enjoyable and fulfilling. We carefully select games and resources that align with your current interests. Children are encouraged to choose their preferred games, fostering a sense of control and independence that enhances motivation and participation.
Assessment
To determine the best therapy plan for each child, a thorough assessment is required. Assessment sessions usually take 60-90 minutes although sometimes additional sessions are necessary to complete assessment tools. Depending on the age and needs of the client, informal and/or formal (standardized) assessments may be required to gain a full picture of a person’s communication strengths and weaknesses relative to age. Games and activities are frequently used in sessions to motivate and reward and to allow for play/brain breaks as required. Phone calls to other health and educational professionals may also be necessary to complete the assessment. Several standardized assessments are used to look at each child’s skills and abilities. After each assessment is scored, a thorough written report will be sent to the pediatrician for approval. Once approval has been received from your pediatrician, an authorization request will be sent to your insurance company. Once approval has been received from the insurance, we will contact you to find a therapy time that works best to get your child started. If appropriate, referrals to other professionals may also be recommended.
Home Practice
Home practice is crucial for the success of our clients’ progress! Many of our programs yield the best outcomes when families actively participate, reinforcing therapy goals beyond the clinic setting. While we establish the groundwork during sessions, regular practice and skill application in everyday life are essential. For certain programs like the Lidcombe Program, parental involvement is paramount, as it involves teaching you how to conduct therapy at home. Nevertheless, we recognize the challenges of daily life, including work, siblings, homework, and other commitments, and we’ll collaborate with you to develop a manageable home practice plan. Often, home practice can seamlessly integrate into daily routines—for instance, practicing auditory memory during shopping trips or playing “I spy” to target speech sounds while walking to school. Your clinician will furnish you with appropriate guidance, ideas, handouts, visuals, and workbooks during each visit.
Bilingual Speech Therapists
At our facility, we have bilingual speech therapists who cater to children from Spanish-speaking families. Their presence ensures culturally and linguistically competent remediation tailored to each child’s needs.
Strong Foundations
At Little Tesla, our therapy approach is deeply rooted in the developmental philosophy. We believe in nurturing children’s skills within the context of their everyday activities, school tasks, and social-emotional development. By identifying weaknesses and gaps in foundational areas lower down in the developmental pyramid, we collaborate with children and families to bolster these crucial skills.
Guiding Principles
Strong Foundations
At Little Tesla, our therapy is strongly guided by our belief in the strengths of a developmental approach to therapy. We support children to develop their skills in their everyday activities, school tasks, and social and emotional development by identifying weaknesses and gaps in component areas lower down in the developmental pyramid and working with the children and families to strengthen these areas.
Joyful Connection
Parents, caretakers, and other family members are integral to our therapy sessions. Through coaching and education, we strive to support them to deepen their connection with their child. And much progress can be made within the context of these relationships.
Play-based Therapy
At Little Tesla Occupational Therapy play is an integral part of all our treatment approaches. Occupational Therapists are skilled at choosing activities that are a just-right fit for the optimal challenge to a child’s skills, and the very best therapy sessions are those in which the child doesn’t even realize that they are working hard!
In most cases assessment and therapy sessions take place in the clinic room with the therapist, child and parent (or caregiver) all present. Both parents are welcome and encouraged to attend so that everyone can understand the therapy process. Siblings are welcome too and can play in the waiting room.
Speech therapy can improve your child’s use and understanding of speech and language, as well as their feeding and swallowing skills.
Speech and language disorders can impair a child’s ability to learn and communicate. An inability to communicate can lead to frustration and behavioral difficulties. Additionally, speech and language disorders can impede social development and the formation of peer relationships. With the appropriate therapeutic services by a Speech-Language Pathologist, many speech and language disorders can be overcome, and/or adaptations can be implemented to foster improved communication.
Your child’s treatment plan will be based on his or her individual needs.
School-Based Speech Therapy Services
Little Tesla Pediatric Therapy provides educationally necessary SLP services either virtually or in person at the school.
For additional information, please Contact Us or call 321.732.3723
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