Speech
Your child’s speech is made up of individual sounds they use to produce words, phrases, and sentences. The ability to clearly produce all sounds in English affects how well others can understand your child when they talk. Children acquire speech sounds at different ages in their development. For example, “P”, “B”, and “W” are all early developing sounds, while “S” and “R” are later developing sounds. A speech-language pathologist can help you determine whether your child’s speech errors are age-appropriate, or, if they can benefit from speech therapy to help improve their speech clarity and speaking confidence.
HELP MY CHILD…
- Remediate their lisp ( “S” and “Z”)
- Improve their articulation (e.g., “R”, “TH”) or any consonant sound in English
- Be better understood by teachers & peers
- Improve their production of English vowels
- Improve their speaking confidence
Language
Your child uses language to understand what others are saying, as well as to communicate their own thoughts, feelings, & needs. There are many reasons why a child may require language therapy, including children with autism, developmental delays, or acquired brain injury. Children who are “late talkers” (less than 50 words by 18 months or not combining words by 24 months) may also benefit from language therapy to help them express their needs, wants, & feelings and actively engage with the world around them.
HELP MY CHILD…
- Understand what I’m saying
- Follow directions
- Produce words, sentences, and conversation verbally
- Use Augmentative or Alternative Communication (AAC) such as an iPad or communication board
- Improve their Social Communication, such as eye-contact and turn-taking
- Improve their literacy skills
- Communicate clearly with others
- Express their wants, needs, & feelings with confidence
Voice
Voice disorders may be the result of a variety of diagnoses, including damage to your child’s vocal cords from vocal misuse or illness. Prior to voice therapy, an Ear-Nose-Throat Doctor will help you determine the specific cause of your child’s voice challenges. Children who use their voices for professional singing/acting may also require voice therapy to help maintain the health & function of their voice. TalkInc’s founder, Samantha Berardesca, is a Singing Voice Specialist with extensive background experience as a singer and vocal coach. This professional voice experience is used during voice therapy to help your child address their tone, pitch, or voice quality (e.g., eliminate/reduce harsh, hoarse, or breathy voice).
HELP MY CHILD WITH…
- Nodules, Polyps, or Cysts
- Muscle Tension Dysphonia
- Voice projection
- Singing Voice Rehabilitation
- Vocal fatigue
- Vocal cord paralysis
- Spasmodic dysphonia
- Puberphonia
- Voice quality or pitch modification
- Essential Voice Tremor
- Paradoxical vocal fold motion
- Functional Aphonia
- Not losing their voice
Resonance
When we talk, air passes through our mouth and nose. A resonance disorder occurs when there is a change in the way that air flows during the production of speech. This will affect how your child sounds – either hypernasal (too much air through the nose) or hyponasal (not enough air through the nose). The most common causes include cleft palate, childhood apraxia of speech, and/or neurological disorders. Speech therapy can help your child learn to use their tongue, lips and speech muscles correctly.
HELP MY CHILD…
- Improve their speech clarity
- Reduce hypernasality
- Reduce hyponasality
- Communicate with confidence
- Be better understood by others
Stuttering/ Cluttering
Stuttering refers to the smoothness of your child’s speech. Although many preschool-age children present with a sudden-onset of stuttering, a speech-language therapist can help you determine whether your child’s stutter is mild, moderate, or severe.
Cluttering refers to a rapid rate of speech, erratic rhythm, and poor grammar. These challenges make it difficult for your child to be clearly understood.
HELP MY CHILD…
- Improve their speaking confidence
- Reduce or eliminate speech sound prolongations (e.g., “ssssssspeech”)
- Reduce or eliminate speech sound repetitions (e.g., “s s s speech”)
- Reduce or eliminate speech ‘blocks’ (e.g., “—–speech”)
- Reduce or eliminate secondary behaviours (e.g., stomping feet, eye blinking, etc.)
- Control their speech in different situations
WHY START NOW?
Speech, Language, and Voice therapy can help your child express their wants, needs, and personality with the confidence they deserve! Therapy can help your child maximize their communication potential in a variety of ways – including expressing their ideas, engaging with family, interacting with teachers and peers, & actively learning and exploring the world around them. Strong communication skills are the foundation for connecting with others, building successful life skills, and thriving academically.
Green Screen Gallery
Check out our Green Screen Gallery – a collection of green screens that were designed to meet the unique needs of each of our clients! Each green screen activity was uniquely created to target a variety of goals for a variety of different ages. From toddlers who aren’t yet talking, to school-age children who have difficulty formulating language, to children with articulation needs – each green screen is an interactive experience designed to teach speech-language concepts and achieve communication goals. This gallery is just a sampling of the many ways TalkInc individualizes the therapy experience to meet the needs of each child.
