GBS is proud to offer Speech Therapy at our West Long Branch Clinic. ST is a critical therapy for many individuals, often including those in the Autism community.
A speech-language pathologist, also known as a speech therapist or SLP, is a health professional who diagnoses and treats communication and swallowing disorders. They work with people of all ages, from babies to adults in clinics, schools, and hospitals. SLPs help individuals work through various barriers associated with speech, including the following:
Speech sounds—how we say sounds and put sounds together into words. Individuals with common conditions like phonological disorders, apraxia of speech, or dysarthria can benefit from therapy addressing speech sounds.
Language—how well we understand what we hear or read (receptive communication) and how we use words to tell others what we are thinking. Individuals with developmental disabilities or other diagnoses may struggle with language, and therefore benefit from speech therapy.
Social communication—how well we follow rules, like taking turns, how to talk to different people, or how close to stand to someone when talking. This is also called pragmatics. SLPs can also address this! Speech therapy isn’t just the physical act of speaking, but the application of it!
Voice—how our voices sound. We may sound hoarse, lose our voices easily or talk to loudly. SLPs help individuals find their voice and apply it effectively.
Fluency—also called stuttering, is how well speech flows. Someone who stutters may repeat sounds or entire words, use “um” or “uh,” or pause a lot when talking. Many young children will go through a period of time when they stutter, but most outgrow it. This is a very common condition that SLPs treat.
Speech Language Pathologists often use play based instruction to help treat speech and language disorders. Play based therapies are vital in keeping young learners engaged and receptive. SLPs may also use tools like flashcards to make repetition fun.
Most insurance plans cover speech therapy. To see if you are covered, please use contact us to inquire about your benefits. If you already receive ABA therapy, speech can likely be added at no additional cost.
SLPs work to prevent, assess, diagnose, and treat speech, language, social communication, cognitive communication, and feeding and swallowing disorders. While they cannot diagnose neurological disorders (SLPs refer out to pediatric neurologists for that) they can diagnose speech and language disorders, voice disorders, stuttering, speech sound disorders, language delays and disorders, and feeding and swallowing disorders.
Speech Language Pathologists can also advise if a child should utilize an Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) device. They can help determine if AAC use should be temporary or long term. The goal of an AAC device is always to establish effective, functional, communication, and can be phased out as verbal communication is established.