Speech For Success

Children and adults with severe speech or language problems may need to find other ways to communicate besides talking. There are many types of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) they can use. At Speech For Success, we determine if an AAC device is appropriate and offer training and guidance for device use and carry over at home and school. We work closely with Tobii dynavox to assist with evaluations for appropriate device program and size, then modify the device to meet the needs of each individual client.

Oral Placement Therapy (OPT) is a specialized training in speech therapy offered by Talk Tools, which utilizes a combination of: (1) auditory stimulation, (2) visual stimulation and (3) tactile stimulation to the mouth to improve speech clarity. The most important different with OPT is that It is a tactile-proprioceptive teaching technique which accompanies traditional therapy. Traditional therapy is primarily auditory and visual. Individuals with motor and/or sensory impairments benefit from tactile and proprioceptive components because speech is a tactile-proprioceptive act. OPT is used to improve articulator awareness, placement (dissociation, grading, and direction of movement), stability, and muscle memory; all of these are necessary for the development of speech sounds and clarity.

Several of our Speech Therapists are trained to work with Children, teenagers, and adults who may suffer from Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders (OMDs) . OMD’s may interfere with how the muscles of the face and mouth are used for eating, talking, and breathing. Common causes of OMD’s might be tongue or lip ties. It is common for people who have an OMD may also have problems with talking, swallowing, and breathing through their nose. Some of our SLPs have specialized training to provide Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy and work closely with a team of Dentists, ENT’s and nutritionists for best quality of care.

Articulation and phonology refer to the way sound is produced. A child with an articulation disorder has problems forming speech sounds properly. A child with a phonological disorder can produce the sounds correctly, but may use them in the wrong place. Our clinicians use the Cycles Approach to help target phonological disorders with parent training for carry over at home. An example of a phonological disorder might be this: “A sound in the word may be reversed within a word to the front (also known as Fronting). An example of this would be “Tat” instead of “cat” sound or completely misunderstanding how to pronounce the “c” sound in a word.”

Feeding therapy focuses on helping a child learn how to eat and/or expand the variety of appropriate foods in their repertoire. Our therapists will first evaluate your child's feeding skills including chewing, drinking, and ability to self-feed, positioning as well as food preferences and sensory and motor abilities. The goals and treatment plan will be based upon the results of the evaluation.