Speech & Language
SPARK provides a full range of speech therapy services including assessment, caregiver coaching, consultation and treatment. We use an evidence-based approach to our evaluation practices and work together with families to set goals and achievable steps towards targets that are meaningful to your child and family. Our speech therapy team will investigate concerns related to your child’s receptive (understanding) and expressive language skills, articulation (how sounds are produced), hearing and related concerns, processing, and stuttering. Our speech therapy team also has a special interest in the use of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Whether you have a child who isn’t talking yet, a child who is struggling to say sounds, or a child who needs an alternative way to communicate (AAC), we are here to help with all of your speech therapy needs!
Speech
Speech refers to how your child produces sounds. Often “speech therapy” is thought of as support or practice for articulation or pronunciation. You may notice your child has a hard time producing one or more sounds. At SPARK, we can help by assessing your child’s speech skills and working with you and your child in the development of these skills. This could lead to your child being better understood by others and increasing their confidence.
Language
In speech therapy, language refers to how your child understands (receptive language) and uses language to communicate with others (expressive language). This could include understanding and following instructions, using sentences and grammar to communicate. At SPARK we can help determine if your child has difficulty understanding or using oral language.
Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)
Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) is used in speech therapy when your child is having difficulty talking or communicating in a traditional way. An AAC device or system may be “low tech” and use paper or pictures, or it could be “high tech” and use a device such as a tablet or voice output device. At SPARK we can help find the best AAC device or system to meet the needs of your child.
Hearing and Related Concerns
Some children with chronic hearing difficulties may struggle to hear and learn speech and language. Children with permanent hearing loss can benefit from speech therapy including Auditory Verbal Therapy (AVT) and skills to learn to listen and speak.
