OUR SERVICES
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AREAS OF PRACTICE
Developmental Language Delay/Disorder
A child with a language disorder may have difficulties with their ability to communicate due to poor understanding of what others say to them, or, their lacking vocabulary may result in reliance on simple and immature sentences for their age. On the other hand, children may have perfect articulation, exceptional vocabularies, and be able to express themselves using long and grammatically-complex sentences; yet their communication skills are limited by a lack of social awareness. This is shown through frequent off topic statements, repetitive language, and a reduced ability to repair breakdowns in conversation.
Speech Sound Delay/Disorder
As children develop, they learn new speech sounds. Different speech sounds are acquired at a different developmental age. A child with a speech sound disorder (SSD) may only learn a limited range of speech sounds for their age resulting in speech that is hard to understand because the pronunciation is not accurate.
Stuttering
When there is an interruption in the natural flow of speech, it is called a fluency disorder (Stuttering). Stuttering can include repetition of sounds (typically the sounds at the beginning of words), long, drawn out sounds, or moments when a child is trying to speak but the mouth gets stuck in one position and no sound is coming out at all. It is typical for toddlers to have a mild stutter occasionally as it is part of typical speech development. However, if a child is stuttering for more than six months, or the stuttering is severe enough that its preventing the child from getting their message across, they should seek assistance from a Speech-Language Pathologist.
Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS)
To speak, the brain must send messages to the mouth in order to tell the muscles how or when to move. If a child has apraxia of speech, there is a disruption between their brain sending the messages and their mouth muscles receiving them. This results in an inability to accurately move the muscles needed for speech so speech is unclear. CAS is not something that can be outgrown as it is not a developmental disorder, but with intervention, children can improve their speech to be clearer.
Voice
Voice problems are difficulties with vibrating your vocal chords to create sound. Voice difficulties originate in the larynx (“voice box”) and are typically associated with symptoms of hoarseness, raspiness, what may seem like a “weak and breathy” voice, and various asthma-like symptoms.
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder that affects communication and behavior. ASD encompasses a wide variety of characteristics and each case of ASD is unique. Difficulties can include difficulty with communication and interaction with other people, restricted interests and repetitive behaviors. Signs of ASD typically are typically visible by 2 years of age and can include lack of eye contact, limited speech, repeating words/phrases over and over and getting upset over minor changes.
Selective Mutism
Selective Mutism is an anxiety disorder characterized by a child’s inability to speak in certain social settings. Some may be unable to speak to anyone in a social setting, others may be able to speak to a select few or perhaps whisper. Less severely affected children may look relaxed and carefree, and are able to socialize with one or a few children but are unable to speak and effectively communicate to teachers or most/all peers.
Language-based Learning Disabilities (reading, spelling, writing)
Language-based learning disability (LBLD) is a range of difficulties related to the understanding and use of spoken and written language. LBLD is a common cause of academic struggles and can range from students who experience minor difficulties that could be addressed in class to students who need specialized, individualized attention. A child may have difficulty sounding out words for reading or spelling, but no difficulty with speaking or understanding what is being said to them. Another may struggle with all three of those things.
Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
ADHD makes it hard to pay attention and control behaviours. It potentially impacts anything that requires planning and coordination, from sleep and eating habits to how someone speaks and listens in conversation. Children with ADHD process speech and language differently and are at increased risk for significant speech and language delays. Because of distractibility and related ADHD symptoms, they are more likely to have difficulty learning speech sounds and language.
Genetic Syndromes/Conditions
Some genetic conditions such as down syndrome can create difficulties for children with speech and feeding. This is due to physical differences in their mouth including a smaller jaw, larger tongue and weaker muscle strength. Hearing difficulties are also common in children with down syndrome which can impact the ability to learn speech and language skills.
Hearing Impairment
Hearing is critical to speech and language development, communication, and learning. Children with listening difficulties due to a hearing loss or auditory processing problems are at risk for speech and language delays. Hearing loss can cause a delay in the development of communication skills further resulting in problems with learning. The earlier a hearing loss occurs in a child’s life, the more serious effects on the child’s development. Similarly, the earlier the problem is identified and intervention begun, the less serious the ultimate impact. It is important to have your child’s hearing assessed at an early age to avoid these difficulties.
Cleft Lip and Palate
Cleft lip and cleft palate are birth defects that occur when a baby’s lip or mouth do not form properly during pregnancy. A cleft lip happens if the tissue that makes up the lip does not join completely before birth. This results in an opening in the upper lip. A cleft palate happens if the tissues that make up the roof of the mouth do not join together completely during pregnancy. Children with cleft lip and/or cleft palate often have problems with feeding and speaking clearly.
Traumatic Brain Injury
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is caused when there is sudden damage done to the brain. Events including falls, sports related injuries, car accidents or items entering the brain may result in a TBI. The effects of TBI vary, depending on the area of the brain injured as well as the severity of the injury.
Alternative Augmentative Communication (AAC)
AAC includes all of the ways we share our ideas and feelings without talking including using facial expressions, gestures and writing. Children with severe speech or language problems may need AAC to help them communicate. Some may use it all of the time. Others may say some words but use AAC for longer sentences or with people they don’t know well. AAC can help in school and when talking with friends and family. A common misconception is that AAC is used to replace speech, however that is not the case. In fact, AAC is used in many situations to supplement learning speech and may only be used temporarily as a child acquires the ability to use speech to communicate.
THERAPY GROUPS
SOCIAL THINKERS
Groups: Ages 4-5 / Ages 6-7 / Ages 10-12
Learning to cooperate and collaborate is crucial for social and academic success. Social play is an important part of early development and can play promote problem solving, social skills, advanced language, narrative skills, joint planning, creativity, and imagination. Social Thinkers is a social skills group that helps children explore social relationships with peers while learning important skills such as self-awareness, self-management, relationship skills, and responsible decision making.
Covered Topics:
Engaging with peers / Making eye contact / Having conversations with friends / Understanding others’ thoughts and feelings / Being flexible / Staying calm and regulating behaviour / Cooperating with others / Taking others’ perspectives / Sharing ideas / Working with peers toward a common goal / Negotiating / Problem Solving
PEERS® FOR TEENS & ADOLESCENTS
GROUPS: Ages 10-13 / AGes 14-18
PEERS® for teens and adolescents is a 16-week evidence based social skills intervention for motivated teens in middle school and high school who are interested in learning new ways of making and keeping friends. This internationally acclaimed program, used in over 35 countries, was originally developed at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) by Dr. Elizabeth Laugeson. During each group session, teens are taught important social skills and given the opportunity to practice these skills in session. Parents attend separate sessions at the same time and are taught how to assist their teens in making and keeping friends by helping to expand their teen’s social network and providing feedback through coaching during weekly homework assignments. Parent training will be provided and parent participation is mandatory.
Covered Topics:
Use appropriate conversational skills / Find common interests by trading information / Choose appropriate peers / Enter and exit a conversation / Use humour appropriately / Use electronic communication / Be a good host during get-togethers / Be a good sport / Handle rumours and gossips / Handle arguments and disagreements / Handle rejection, teasing, bullying and cyberbullying
RESPONSIBLE ME
GROUPS: Ages 5-6 / Ages 6-7
Children with executive dysfunction often have difficulties paying attention, organizing and planning ahead, initiating and staying focused on tasks, regulating emotions, and self-monitoring their behaviour. These challenges can impact children both socially and academically. Responsible Me is an executive functioning group that teaches children how to manage their thoughts, actions, and emotions in order to complete tasks successfully, to plan and organize their time, and to monitor and manage their own behaviour.
Covered Topics:
Improving self-regulation and inhibition / Controlling impulses and emotions / Completing tasks in a timely manner / Transitioning smoothly between activities / Managing time / Planning Ahead / Thinking in an organized way / Preparing and organizing materials in a smart way / Evaluating self-performance and making changes as necessary / Monitoring and adjusting pace during tasks
GRAMMAR GURUS
GROUP: Ages 7-8
Many children with language delays struggle to express themselves clearly and coherently. Communicating in a way that others can easily understand is crucial for social and academic success. Grammar Gurus is an expressive language and writing group that helps children improve their grammar skills, organize their ideas, and communicate more effectively.
Covered Topics:
Using complete sentences and correct word order when speaking and writing / Expanding sentences to be more detailed and informative / Using complex sentence structures / Constructing paragraphs / Using correct punctuation / Planning and revising written work
READY FOR READING
GROUP: Ages 5-6
Children who have speech and language delays are at a higher risk for experiencing difficulties learning to read and spell. These children may confuse letter names and sounds, read slowly and inaccurately, and have difficulties comprehending written material. Reading for Reading is a literacy group that provides a “boost” for children in Kindergarten and Grade 1 who are struggling with early reading skills. Ready for Reading helps children develop foundational literacy skills that are crucial for success in language arts and other academic areas.
Covered Topics:
Early Phonic Skills (e.g., letter-sound associations) / Reading simple one-syllable words and sentences / Phonological awareness (e.g., rhyming, blending) / Learning about story structure / Answering story comprehension questions
STORY SUPERSTARS
Groups: Ages 4-5 / Ages 6-7
Narrative skill is known to be one of the most important predictors of success in academic areas such as reading comprehension and writing composition. Students who do not have an adequate oral language foundation often have significant challenges meeting academic expectations. Story Superstars is designed to promote foundational oral language skills that are critical for success in school.
Covered Topics:
Listening comprehension / Reading comprehension / Answering questions about stories / Oral narrative retelling / Generating personal narratives / Generating fictional narratives / Problem solving / Social and emotional reasoning
SPEECH BUDDIES
GROUP: Ages 4-6
Clear speech is important for academic success and social-emotional functioning. Children who speak clearly have more confidence at school when giving oral presentations, reading aloud, participating in group projects, and expressing ideas and opinions in the classroom. Speech Buddies is an articulation group that helps children improve their speech skills so they can communicate more effectively at home and at school.
Covered Topics:
Correct pronunciation of target speech sounds / Increased self-awareness and monitoring of articulation during conversation / Clear and effective communication with peers