Speech + Language Services
Speech & Language Therapy
Supporting communication, confidence, and connection through personalized speech-language therapy for children and families.
What is a Speech and Language Pathologist (SLP)?
A Speech and Language Pathologist (SLP) evaluates, diagnoses, and treats disorders involving communication and biological systems involved with communication. The field of Speech and Language Pathology includes categories such as Ear and Hearing, Articulation, Aphasiology, and Phonemic Awareness. Speech utilizes many biological systems, and any damage or disorder will disrupt these natural systems.
There are many causes of speech and language disorders, so a Speech Language Pathologist has a comprehensive understanding of everything involving speech and language. Even the digestive tract affects your speech!
What to Expect at Your Initial Speech Therapy Assessment
Starting the journey to improved communication can feel overwhelming, but a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) makes the first step easy with a thorough initial assessment. This comprehensive evaluation is key to creating a successful, personalized treatment plan.
The Initial Appointment Structure
The duration of a typical assessment session is 60-90 minutes, and the format varies slightly for adults versus children:
- For Adults: You will meet one-on-one with your SLP for an in-depth discussion and the formal evaluation.
- For Children (Pediatric Speech Therapy): The SLP will often begin with a separate consultation with just the parent or guardian to gather a detailed case history. This is typically followed by a dedicated, engaging session with your child.
To make the most of your time and save on costs, we often provide a pre-assessment questionnaire. Completing this form helps us gather essential background information ahead of time, allowing us to focus the in-person session on the most critical diagnostic work.
Comprehensive Assessment Areas
Our speech assessments are designed to look at the full spectrum of your communication abilities. The SLP will use a combination of formal (standardized tests) and informal (observation, conversation) measures to evaluate the following core areas:
- Speech Sound Production: Evaluating articulation (how sounds are made) and phonology (the patterns of sounds).
- Voice Quality: Assessing characteristics like pitch, loudness, and quality of the voice.
- Fluency: Examining the rhythm and smoothness of speech, which is essential for diagnosing or ruling out stuttering (dysfluency).
- Language Skills: Looking at both receptive language (understanding of language) and expressive language (use of language).
Depending on the specific concern, the assessment may also delve into more specialized areas:
- Cognitive-Communication: Skills like problem-solving, memory, and executive functions as they relate to communication.
- Social Communication (Pragmatics): The use of language in social contexts and interactions.
- Literacy Skills: Evaluating reading and writing abilities, especially for school-age children.
This detailed, holistic approach ensures we accurately identify the root causes of any communication difficulty, leading directly to the most effective speech therapy goals for you or your child.
Pediatric Speech & Language Services
Our expert Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) specialize in diagnosing and treating a wide range of communication challenges in children. We’re here to help your child find their voice, communicate clearly, and connect with the world around them.
Core Speech & Language Skills
Articulation and Phonology: When a child has trouble making certain sounds.
Articulation Disorders involve errors with individual sounds (like a lisp).
Phonological Disorders involve overall patterns of sound errors (like consistently substituting one group of sounds for another).
Receptive and Expressive Language: Difficulties with the way your child understands and uses language.
Receptive Language is the ability to understand spoken or written messages.
Expressive Language is the ability to use words, sentences, and gestures to communicate ideas and questions.
Fluency (Stuttering/Stammering): Problems with the natural flow and rhythm of speech. This can involve repeating sounds, prolonging words, or blocks (getting stuck).
Voice Disorders: When a child’s voice sounds different. This includes being hoarse, breathy, too high, too low, or even losing their voice entirely.
Communication Related to Development & Function
- Autism Spectrum and Social Communication: We evaluate and treat social communication disorders, including Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This addresses how a child interacts, communicates, and navigates social situations.
- Cognitive Communication: Challenges with thinking skills that directly affect communication, such as memory, reasoning, and problem-solving.
- Motor-Speech Disorders: When a child has difficulty coordinating the muscles used for speaking.
- Dysarthria involves muscle weakness.
- Apraxia involves difficulty planning and coordinating the muscle movements needed for clear speech.
- Severe Communication Impairment: When a child’s ability to communicate verbally is significantly affected, often due to conditions like Down syndrome or Cerebral Palsy. We specialize in Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) methods to help them communicate.
Connections to Learning & Daily Life
Reading, Writing, and Comprehension (Literacy): Communication disorders don’t just affect talking; they can impact a child’s ability to read, write, and understand written schoolwork.
Feeding and Swallowing (Dysphagia): We evaluate and treat difficulties with eating, drinking, and swallowing. Our goal is to ensure your child can eat and drink safely without risk of food or liquids entering the lungs (aspiration).
Selective Mutism: An anxiety-based disorder where a child can talk in some settings (like at home) but consistently cannot speak in others (like at school or in public).
Speech Therapy and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Did you know that Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are now diagnosed in 1 out of every 44 children?
A Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) is a key part of the team that will help with diagnosis and treatment. Oftentimes children with ASD are non-verbal or minimally verbal and require the services of an SLP to help move them up the language mountain. Every child is different and therefore therapy will be tailored to suit their needs. Contact us today for more information!
The Role of a School-Based Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP)
School-based SLPs are vital partners in a student’s educational success. We provide comprehensive services across multiple domains, ensuring that communication challenges don’t become barriers to learning and social interaction.
7 Key Ways Our SLPs Support Students
We offer a multi-faceted approach to addressing speech, language, and communication challenges within the school setting:
Screening & Assessment:
We use group-administered or one-on-one screenings and formal assessments.
These evaluations guide intervention strategies and inform crucial school placement decisions.
Identification:
Our expertise allows us to accurately identify speech, language, and communication challenges that directly impact a student’s ability to learn and succeed in the classroom.
Collaboration:
We work closely with teachers and parents to contribute to educational goal setting, planning, and ensuring curriculum accessibility for all students.
Intervention:
We provide evidence-informed interventions, which include individual treatment, small and large group instruction, and consulting with other educators.
Modelling:
We participate in team teaching and model effective intervention activities for caregivers, teachers, and other support staff. This empowers the entire team to support the student.
Adaptations:
We recommend practical task adaptations to the learning environment or materials that help students successfully participate and meet their academic goals.
Prevention:
Our early and strategic interventions can prevent literacy difficulties and secondary behavior problems that often arise from unresolved communication struggles.
Sourced from Speech-Language & Audiology Canada
Get Started
Ready to start the journey to clearer communication? Schedule your initial speech assessment today!
