Children’s Services
Our speech-language pathologist are highly trained in the assessment and treatment of speech-language disorders
This includes areas such as Apraxia, dysarthria, articulation impairments, language delays, cognitive impairments, literacy delays, use of augmentative communication, and deficits in social skills.
Speech & Language
Our speech-language pathologist are highly trained in the assessment and treatment of speech-language disorders. This includes areas such as Apraxia, dysarthria, articulation impairments, language delays, cognitive impairments, literacy delays, use of augmentative communication, and deficits in social skills.
We utilize advanced, modern, and researched based therapy techniques such as PROMPT, Beckman Oral Motor Exercises, Oral Placement Therapy, and Hanen to help your child meet their speech-language goals. Your child will be viewed holistically to identify underlying deficits that need to be addressed in order to progress their speech-language development.
What is PROMPT?
Prompts for Restructuring Oral Muscular Phonetic Targets (PROMPT) is a tactile-kinesthetic therapy approach that uses touch cues to a patient’s articulators (jaw, tongue, lips) to manually guide them through a target word, phrase or sentence. This technique is highly effective in developing motor control and the development of proper oral muscular movements, while eliminating unnecessary muscular movements, such as jaw sliding and inadequate lip rounding.
What is Oral Placement Therapy?
Oral Placement Therapy (OPT) coined by Sara Rosenfeld-Johnson (2009) uses touch, movement, and tools (which include hands) to help a client attain actual speech sound production. These techniques are used when “look, listen, and do as I say” methods do not work. OPT is used to improve articulator awareness, placement (dissociation, grading, and direction of movement), stability, and muscle memory; all of these are necessary for the development of speech clarity.
What are Oral Motor Exercises?
Our speech-language pathologists are highly educated on oral motor functioning and implementation of exercises in therapy. This includes Beckman Oral Motor Exercises. Our speech-language pathologist has been certified in the USA to provide this treatment option. These exercises were developed by Debra Beckman in 1975 to assist movement to activate muscle contraction and to provide movement against resistance to build strength. The focus of these interventions is to increase functional response to pressure and movement, range, strength, variety and control of movements for the lips, cheeks, jaw, and tongue.
Feeding & Swallowing
We are experts at working with children who present with feeding and swallowing disorders. This includes:
- gastrostomy (G-Tube) or nasogastric (NG-tube) tube dependence
- Inadequate swallow strength and coordination
- gagging, coughing, & choking
- “picky”/”fussy” eaters
- Oral aversions
- Infant suck swallow breath pattern
- Oral motor deficits such as poor chewing and tongue coordination
- Excessive drooling
Here at Elite Speech Therapy Services, we utilize an effective state of the art treatment modality, Vital Stim Plus. Children with deficits in the areas of feeding, swallowing, and oral motor functioning will be encouraged to participate in the Elite Swallow Rehabilitation Program.
VITAL STIM PLUS
Vital Stim therapy uses small electrical currents to stimulate the muscles responsible for swallowing allowing for re-education of the muscles. This treatment modality will be provided by our highly trained speech-language pathologist certified to provide this type of therapy.
