Speech & Language Therapy
Successful communication is the main goal our Pediatric Speech and Language Pathologists work to achieve. Speech and Language Therapists have a solid educational background in development, education, anatomy and physiology, and neuroscience, and can differentiate the underlying causes of communication difficulties, in order to develop successful treatment programs. Our Pediatric Speech Therapists are extensively trained to diagnose and work with children who have communication difficulties. A limitation in communication skills can be the result of an expressive or receptive language delay, articulation or oral motor difficulties, under developed problem-solving and reasoning skills, and/or struggles in social skills. Developmental delays, sensory processing difficulties, neurological disorders, genetic abnormalities, or cognitive limitations can be the cause for a child needing Speech or Language services.
Our Orlando pediatric speech therapists help children develop their communication skills in a fun, play-based treatment environment. We strive to assist your child in finding his or her voice, and we never forget that a kid is a kid, by ensuring our sessions are completed in a play-based, safe, and inviting atmosphere. Our ultimate goal is for your child to communicate effectively and confidently in all environments (home, school, and socially).
- Speech/Language Disorder
- Receptive/Expressive Language Disorder
- Auditory Processing Disorder
- Language Processing Disorder
- Articulation/ Phonological Disorder
- Social Communication/ Pragmatic Disorder
- Fluency/Stuttering
- Oral-Motor/Feeding Concerns
- Dysphagia
- Autism
- Apraxia
- Hearing Impairments
- Augmentative and Alternative Communication
- Sign Language
Here is a checklist you can reference to see if your child may benefit from a Pediatric Speech and Language Therapy Evaluation.
Pediatric Speech and Language Therapy List of Concerns to Address
Evaluation
Our initial speech & language therapy evaluation takes approximately 1 hour to complete and is filled with standardized, developmental testing to target all areas of concerns that you have. We also have assessments that can address social skills, oral motor/feeding difficulties and articulation. Parents are an integral part of the evaluation process and usually accompany their child into the speech room, help them feel comfortable, and collaborate with the therapist as testing is completed. Our testing environment is structured, yet pleasant and encouraging, so that each child can feel comfortable, in order to show off their best skills. The evaluator will make recommendations at the end of the evaluation to help guide the family and let them know if speech or language therapy sessions are warranted. Once we complete an evaluation on your child, we build a treatment plan with specific measurable goals to help us all monitor gains throughout the treatment process.
Sessions
Speech Therapy sessions are 1-on-1 and take place in our Lake Mary clinic and in local daycares and schools near us. Our speech therapy clinic is designed to be kid-friendly with lots of toys, games, and space to move, jump, or wiggle. We want children to have fun and forget that they are in therapy. This is a refreshing change from a standard medical office, and small treatment rooms that only provide one place for sitting.
Achieving Outcomes
Our therapists use data to measure the rate of progress made on each child’s speech therapy goals. Performance is noted after each session. Therapists refer back to the evaluation whenever goals are achieved, to modify them, add new goals or discharge them. Re-evaluations are completed as needed to measure the child’s progress since beginning services, and to determine what is left to achieve prior to discharge. Parents are included in this process, and feel good when they can see the gains firsthand, and the before and after scores, side by side in our re-evaluation reports.
Frequently Asked Questions
Most therapy treatment plans recommend 1-2 sessions per week, with 1-hour sessions being the most common. Younger children may be recommended to attend 30 or 45-minute sessions, based on their overall endurance. Our speech therapists teach the parents and the child how to carry over therapeutic activities and exercises at home, in a way that is natural, so extra time is not needed to sit down and work on goals, after everyone’s had a long day. Home-based activity recommendations complement our in-clinic treatment and lead to faster gains.
Public school speech and language therapy services are designed to help children meet the expectations set for them in their classroom. Speech therapists in the school system are limited to working on goals set within their IEP (individualized education plan). Private speech therapists are not bound to state-wide rules that have been set up due to state funding limitations, and they can treat more areas within their profession, and help children reach their highest potential. All of our private speech and language therapy sessions are completed in a one-on-one environment, even when we provide our treatment at daycares or private schools. School-based speech sessions often involve small group lessons or support for a student, while they are learning in the classroom. We highly involve parents, teachers and caregivers in our treatment process, which increases the speed and total therapeutic gains for the child.
We generally treat children 0-18 years old. Our therapists are trained to work with children of all ages. Our most common age range is children ages 3-10 years old. Our treatment spaces are designed with activities that meet each child’s maturity and age level.
We have spacious rooms that we use to set up fun, play-based interventions in order to gain each child’s interest and participation, while targeting their therapy goals. We work at a table with carefully chosen play-based activities and developmentally appropriate themes. We switch between activities to prevent frustration and keep the child’s interest and allow for movement when needed to help with greater attention/focus learning. We also provide suggestions to the family in each session, so that carry over of activities can be completed at home for maximal therapeutic gains. We are able to see your child in our clinic and in nearby daycares and private schools. We bring our toys and tools to your child’s session, when providing treatment outside of our office.
No. We assess a child’s skills and make recommendations for therapy, in order to speed up the normal developmental process when a child’s skills are falling behind. We provide detailed reports to show strengths and weaknesses for each child, with goals to help fill in the gaps where each child struggles. A primary care physician, developmental pediatrician, pediatric neurologist, or pediatric neuropsychologist may use our testing information along with their own tests to rule certain developmental conditions in or out. You can provide our testing results to your child’s physician to help them have the most information about your child, when trying to figure out if your child has a medical condition that contributes to his or her struggles.