Neurodiversity-Affirming
Speech & Language Services
for
Children and Adults
Receptive and Expressive Language Delays & Disorders
A receptive language delay or disorder affects the listener’s ability to understand language (gestural, spoken, or written). It affects a person’s ability to follow directions, answer questions, recall story details, and comprehend grammar rules, among others.
An expressive language delay or disorder presents as difficulty with verbal output, including expressing wants and needs, using age-appropriate vocabulary and sentence structure, and engaging in storytelling.
If a mixed receptive-expressive language delay or disorder is present, there is difficulty in both the understanding and expression of language.
Gestalt Language Processing
Language is acquired naturally whether you’re an Analytic Language Processor (ALP) or a Gestalt Language Processor (GLP). The differences are many and the strategies used for ALPs do not work for GLPs, who need therapists with specialized training in order to help them move through the 6 stages of language acquisition specific to GLPs. If your child has been in traditional language therapy using ALP strategies for months or years without much progress, they may be a GLP. We can help!
Speech Sound Disorders
An articulation disorder is the inability to produce individual speech sounds beyond the time the sound is expected to develop.
A phonological disorder is represented by predictable, rule-based errors that affect more than one sound (i.e., stopping, fronting, gliding, etc.).
Fluency Disorders
Also known as “stuttering” or “stammering,” this kind of speech disorder affects the normal flow of speech. It is often characterized by the repetition of single sounds, syllables, whole words, phrases, or sentences.
Play & Social Skills
Attending to and participating in independent and peer play.
Sensory Differences & Regulation
We all have a unique sensory profile with sensitivities and preferences. Sometimes, however, these sensitivities affect our daily interactions and behavior because they can be highly dysregulating to our sensory system. By understanding each client’s sensory needs and how to proactively regulate them, we facilitate access to their language and higher academic skills. Our expertise in this area allows for a child-led and play-based therapy s that inevitably leads to connections and long-term relationship building.
Cognitive-Linguistic Disorders
In addition to receptive and/or expressive language impairments, impairments in attention, memory (short term, long term, and/or working), reasoning and problem solving, organization and planning, insight and awareness, and visual spatial skills may be present as a result of neurological damage (often stroke or brain injury). These skills affect a person’s ability to be independent and function in day-to-day life.
Adult Dysphagia
A swallowing disorder that causes difficulty swallowing liquids, solids, or both. Difficulties can occur in the oral phase (mouth), pharyngeal phase (throat), esophageal phase (the tube that goes from the back of your that to your stomach), or in combination.
Common causes of dysphasia include: stroke, brain injury, Parkinson’s Disease, ALS/Lou Gehrig’s disease, Alzheimer’s, mouth or neck surgery, or head & neck cancer, to name a few.
Dysarthria
Slurred or slow speech that can be difficulty to understand due to weak muscles and/or a reduced ability to control them.