Speech & Language Pathology

Speech & Language Pathologists at Helping Hand assist children in developing language and communication skills, as well as swallowing skills. Our clinicians work closely with families and clinicians in other disciplines to gain a whole child perspective and to determine the service needs for each client. Receptive and expressive language, articulation and oral motor skills are just some of the areas in which Speech & Language Pathologists help children improve communication skills and become more functional.

Speech & Language Pathology services for children may include treatment for:

• Receptive Language – what the child is able to understand
• Expressive Language – what the child is able to say to others using gestures, words and/or sign language
• Articulation & Phonology – what speech sounds the child can make and how intelligible the child is
• Oral Structures and Oral Motor Skills – the child’s capability for speech and feeding
• Voice – the quality and appropriate volume and pitch of the child’s voice
• Fluency – the child’s pace and flow of speech

Speech & Language Pathologists treat speech delays and communicative disorders. A speech delay might be present when a child is not meeting typical developmental milestones in speech. A communicative disorder is a perceived deviation from typical speech, language or hearing that interferes with communication. We often recommend a hearing evaluation to make sure that a child’s speech difficutlies are not caused by hearing damage or loss.

We offer comprehensive evaluations if you are concerned that your child might have a speech delay or a communicative disorder.

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