Speech-language evaluations and intervention are provided for adults with a variety of communication needs. Typical disorder areas are featured on this page.
Assessment and Intervention Services
Augmented and Alternative Communication (ACC)
The difficulty:Individual is non-verbal or speech is very limited or difficult to understand. Non-speech communication methods are needed for effective communication.
This may result from: A variety of communication deficits. Those individuals may benefit from using alternative and augmentative communication systems.
Therapy emphasis:Developing successful communication through a variety or modes, while enhancing verbal skills to the highest level possible.
Aphasia
The difficulty:Using language to communicate. Limitations in gesturing, speaking, understanding, reading and writing.
This may result from: Stroke, brain injury, or other neurological disorders.
Therapy emphasis: Improving overall communication skills and compensating for long term difficulties. TheLet's Talk Againgroup offers therapy for stroke survivors.
Cognitive/Linguistic Deficits
The difficulty:Impaired communication due to altered thinking abilities. May include decreased attention and concentration, memory, organization, problem solving and abstract reasoning skills.
This may result from:
Stroke
Brain injury
Alzheimer’s disease
Multi-infarct dementia
Other neurological disorders
Therapy emphasis: Improve thinking, reasoning, planning and memory skills related to communication. Teach strategies to compensate for long term deficits.
Dementia/Alzheimer's Disease
The difficulty:Difficulty with memory functions affecting independent living skills. Therapy would emphasize developing techniques to maintain functional memory skills.
Therapy emphasis: Improve thinking, reasoning, planning and memory skills related to communication. Teach strategies to compensate for long term deficits.
Language-Based Learning Disabilities
The difficulty:Long term challenges with speaking, understanding information, reading and writing which may affect job performance and daily social interactions. Typical onset in childhood.
This may result from:
Central Auditory Processing Disorder
Genetic syndromes
Language impairment
Learning disability
Unknown cause
Therapy emphasis: Develop language and communication skills and strategies to promote success in education, employment and social settings.
Speech Sound or Articulation Disorders
The difficulty:Speech sounds are unclear and hard for others to understand.
This may result from:
Apraxia of speech
Cerebral palsy
Cleft palate
Delay in acquiring age appropriate speech sounds
Genetic syndrome
Hearing impairment
Oral motor delays/impairment
Phonological impairment
Second language learner
Unknown origin
Therapy emphasis: Facilitating clear speech development for effective communication.
Motor Speech Disorders
The difficulty:Speech is difficult to understand.
This may result from:
ALS
HIV/AIDS
Multiple Sclerosis
Parkinson’s disease
Stroke
Other degenerative neurological conditions
Therapy emphasis: Improving or maintaining clarity of speech. Augmentative communication systems can be implemented as needed.
Stuttering or Fluency Disorders/Cluttering
Stuttering difficulty:Frequent disruptions in speech, such as repetitions of words or parts of words, prolongations of sounds, or complete blockages of sounds. Speech may be accompanied by physical tension or struggle.
Cluttering difficulty: Rapid and/or irregular speaking rate, excessive disfluencies, and often other symptoms such as language or phonological errors and attention deficits.
This may result from: Genetically-influenced conditions that involve different neurological development in childhood. It is also possible to acquire stuttering or cluttering (e.g. after a brain injury, stroke, or reaction to medication).
Therapy emphasis: Teaching the individual to communicate effectively and efficiently any time, any place and to anybody.
