Pediatric Speech/Language Therapy

Speech-Language Pathologists are available to help identify any developmental delays and provide appropriate therapeutic interventions.

Background
It is helpful to understand the difference between speech and language in order to effectively understand and describe your child's challenges and explore available options.

If your have concerns about your child's speech or language development, a consultation with a therapist is advised. The consultation begins with a comprehensive assessment of your child's current speech and language functioning.

Assessment
Depending upon your child's challenges and educational needs, a speech and language assessment may include one or more of the following:

• Standardized testing to examine speech, receptive and expressive language levels, pragmatic/social communication skills and critical thinking/verbal reasoning abilities. These tests are performed in order to determine where your child is in relation to same age peers.
• Non-standardized data collection and evaluation, including but not limited to observations and interactions in play, language/speech examples, narrative samples, writing samples and other information.
• Evaluation of how language may be affecting school performance based on portfolio assessments and descriptive information obtained from teachers or other professionals working with your child.
• An oral-motor evaluation to examine physiological and sensory deviations that may be impacting on speech/language abilities.

Following the direct contact time we have with your child, a comprehensive report is written which includes test scores, a description of your child's speech/language strengths and weaknesses and a suggested intervention plan. After your review of these written materials we are available to meet with you to discuss our findings and to help clarify goals for your child's speech, language and educational progress.

Intervention
With the assessment completed, the therapist will determine if therapy is necessary. An intervention plan may include scheduled weekly therapy for a time period appropriate to your child's needs as well as the following:

• Communication with parents following the session to keep you informed about the current areas of focus.
• The initiation of a home program to encourage carry-over between sessions. Parents are given suggestions or specific lessons to support the ongoing therapy.
• Communication with educators and other professionals who are working with your child.
• The development of methods with which to measure progress.

Consultation
As part of a child's assessment or intervention plan the speech and language pathologists can coordinate their services with the school based team.

• We can consult by phone or attend meetings with educators and other professionals working with your child.
• We can perform classroom observations to enhance the child's treatment program.
• We can participate as a member of the IEP team.

For More Information about Pediatric Speech/Language Therapy

• Contact Jeremie Hafitz at 973-276-9040 extension 4, or

• Aileen Collucci, at 973-276-9040 extension 2,
  e-mail acollucci@therapeuticoptions.net.