Articulation /Phonology
Articulation is how we move our mouths to make speech sounds, like the ‘k’
sound in ‘kite’ or the ‘l’ sound in ‘laugh’. Phonology is the set of rules that tell us
what and how these sounds can go together. Therapy in these areas include lots
of practicing of sounds, words, and phrases to improve how your child moves
different parts of their mouth to make clear speech sounds. Your therapist will
incorporate fun games and activities into this practice!
Expressive Language
Expressive language is how we use the words, signs, or other symbols to get our messages across to others. Therapy in this area includes practicing new and better ways for your child to express their wants, needs, thoughts, comments, questions, and yes, even protests. Your therapist will use lots of toys and activities to work on growing the ways your child uses these skills!
Receptive Language
Receptive Language is how we understand and respond to words, signs, or other messages from others. Therapy in this area includes working on listening and responding to directions, pointing to pictures or objects, understanding prepositions, and understanding many other concepts. Your therapist will use lots of toys and objects that fit your child’s age and development in order to work on improving their understanding of messages from others!
Pragmatics or Social Language
Pragmatics is how we use language socially in our everyday lives. It includes pre-language skills such as joint attention, pointing, pulling, playing, and gestures. It also includes language skills such as greetings and farewells, requesting, conversing, body language, and knowing how meet others’ expectations in communication. Therapy in this area includes practicing these skills in a real or pretend situation so that we can better use our language for social purposes. Your therapist will give lots of opportunities and activities to interact in different settings, with different types of people, and for different reasons.
Fluency
Fluency is how smoothly our speech flows together. For some people it almost always flows smoothly, and for others it can get bumpy at times. The bumps can happen with short sounds ‘t-t-t’, long sounds ‘lllllllll’, words ‘we-we-we’, or can have no sound at all. Therapy in this area includes practicing smooth speech as well as learning how to deal with bumpy speech in a healthy way. Your therapist will give you lots of chances to learn, listen, and practice your speech in a safe environment.
Alternative/Augmentative Communication
Augmentative and Alternative Communication, or as it is most often referred to, ‘AAC’, allows people to communicate through some other method than spoken or written word. It includes a wide range of methods, such as sign language, picture boards, PECs, programmable buttons, and speech generating devices. Therapy in this area focuses on finding the best method for your child to communicate when they need more options than speech alone. Your therapist will include lots of fun, motivating activities in therapy while they discover the best method for your child.
Cognition
Cognition is our ability to learn new information, hold attention to a task, remember, make clear decisions, and start and complete tasks on our own. Therapy in this area looks like practicing ways to improve these important jobs of our brain. It also looks like applying what we practice to situations that happen often in our lives. Your therapist will work to find the best ways to improve and apply these skills to your specific needs and goals.
Service Delivery Models:
Face-to-Face
Telehealth