Pediatric Services
Speech Sound Delays/Disorders
Speech (also called articulation) is the production of the individual sounds that make up words.
Does your child mispronounce words? Is your child hard to understand? It is typical for children to say sounds incorrectly (e.g., “wabbit” for “rabbit”) or leave sounds out of words (e.g., “pider” for “spider”) when they are young, but if these problems persist as they get older, they may need speech therapy. A Speech-Language Pathologist can help determine whether your child is developing their speech skills age appropriately or if they would benefit from extra help.
Expressive & Receptive Language Delays/Disorders
Language refers to the words that make up our message and how we use them to share ideas and understand others. Expressive language is a person’s use of language to convey their message to others. Receptive language is a person’s ability to understand what others are saying.
Does your child have difficulty getting their point across when speaking? Does your child use the words “thing” or “that” rather than saying the actual word? Does he/she say single words rather than combining words into complete sentences? Is it difficult for him/her to follow directions? Does your child make grammatical errors while speaking? Or perhaps your child is not yet speaking his/her first words?
Speech-Language Pathologists can determine if a child is exhibiting delays in their expressive and/or receptive language skills, and what areas of language need to be targeted in therapy. Language therapy goals may include increasing utterance length (combining words together to form longer phrases/sentences), expanding vocabulary, correct grammar usage, understanding basic concepts (on/off, in/out, over/under, behind/in front, etc.), following directions, telling sequential stories, and many more.
Fluency Disorders
(Stuttering)
Fluency refers to the continuity, smoothness, rhythm, rate, and effort of speech. When these aspects of speech production are disrupted, it is called a fluency disorder. The most common type of fluency disorder is stuttering, which involves an interruption of the flow of speech due to sound/syllable/word/phrase repetitions, sound prolongations, silent blocks, interjections, and revisions.
Does your child seem to get “stuck” on sounds or words while speaking? Does your child repeat words or sounds multiple times when trying to convey their message? Does your child appear frustrated and tense when their words do not come out easily? Does your child speak with an excessively fast and/or irregular rate? Does your child “jumble” syllables or words together while speaking?
Speech-Language Pathologists are uniquely qualified to target fluency disorders. Treatment is highly individualized and may include teaching strategies to improve fluency, addressing any negative reactions/anxiety related to speaking, and increasing awareness and control over the speech mechanism.
Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders (OMDs)
An Orofacial Myofunctional Disorder occurs when oral and facial muscles do not function properly at rest and during swallowing. Oral rest posture refers to the location of your tongue, teeth, lips, and jaw when you are not speaking or eating. The term “tongue thrust” or “reverse swallow” is used to describe an OMD in which an individual’s tongue pushes against or between the teeth while swallowing and in rest posture. Poor oral rest posture often impacts speech clarity. It may also have impacts on dental development, or limit the success of orthodontic treatments.
Does your child’s tongue protrude between their teeth while speaking, swallowing, or at rest? Do they have imprecise articulation or mumbled speech? Are they a messy eater? Does your child have a history of chewing or sucking habits past 3 years of age?
Speech-Language Pathologists have intensive knowledge of orofacial muscles and how they impact speech and swallowing. Treatment of OMDs involves re-training the muscles of the face and mouth to achieve correct oral rest posture and eliminate tongue thrust. At Wild Rose Speech Therapy, we utilize the ORPP (Orofacial Rest Posture Program) to treat OMDs.