Speech-Language Pathology Services

Difficulty with paying attention, remembering information, planning, and problem solving that makes approaching daily problems a struggle. This could be the result of a concussion/brain injury, stroke, or other traumatic to the brain.

Weakness or structural changes to the mouth and/or throat can affect the way individuals chew and swallow. Challenges in this area can put people at high risk of aspiration (when food/liquid goes “down the wrong pipe”), which can result in pneumonia.

An acquired language disorder (often from a stroke) that can make it challenging or almost impossible to communicate one’s thoughts. Often, these individuals know what they want to say, but just can’t say it.

For some individuals, communication is best accessed not through their voice/mouth, but through the use of an external device. This device (often a tablet-based system) allows an individual to communicate without speaking. Some individuals who benefit from a system like this are those with autism, developmental disorders, neurodegenerative conditions, or structural differences that makes speech impossible.

The ability to speak clearly may be affected for a number of reasons. Developmental speech-sound disorders (i.e. articulation disorders) affect many young children and their ability to be understood clearly. Other children may present with Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS), which is a motor planning disorder that affects intelligibility. As people get older, weakness that is caused by a stroke or brain injury may result in slurred or “garbled” speech (dysarthria).

When children have a substantially limited food/drink repertoire that affects their ability to gain weight, eat meals with their family, and enjoy mealtimes. This may be a result of a number of factors, including sensory integration challenges, oral motor deficits, and food sensitivities.