Speech Pathology
Speech-language pathology, also known as speech therapy, focuses on the prevention, identification, evaluation, and treatment of speech, language, voice, feeding and swallowing disorders in children and adolescents.
Learning to speak is a major milestone for children. It is the cornerstone of human connection and the foundation for future learning. Often, when children struggle to communicate, the result is dysregulation and emotional outbursts, as it is frustrating when you are not understood. Helping little ones learn to articulate their thoughts and feelings is powerful and helps reduce stress for both the child and family.
Many factors can interfere with a child’s ability to communicate, including physical difficulties, hearing problems, language delays and cognitive challenges. Here at Canoe Therapy we have designed a thorough and effective speech-language pathology program that we are incredibly proud of.
Developing proper speech patterns in young children is much easier than trying to correct a problem down the road, which is why we focus on early intervention. Our team is adept, however, with working with speech challenges throughout any age of childhood. Our individualized treatment plans are focused on connecting with the child and assessing the issue and creating an engaging program aimed to help improve speech overall.
Our team of speech-language pathologists uses a total communication approach, which involves various means of interacting including pictures, sign language and speech practices.
This kind of approach enables your child to have more than one way to express their thoughts, feelings and frustration—thus limiting the amount of emotional outbursts that sometimes occur.
To read more about how our therapists help our children at Canoe Therapy, read Anna Mersov’s post about helping children to improve their narrative skills.
Indications of a speech-related pediatric concern can include difficulties or traits associated with:
- Fluency & Articulation
- Language
- Literacy
- Selective Mutism
- Aphasia
- Childhood Apraxia of Speech
- Stuttering
- Lisps