Services

1. Free Speech-Language Screenings

   Call to schedule a free screening if you are unsure about pursuing a full assessment. Screenings are brief measures that help to identify whether there may or may not be a problem.

2. Assessment

   Assessment in speech-language pathology identifies your current level of speech and language development from which goals and starting point for therapy are determined. Assessment involves a combination of formal and informal evaluations, including the most current standardized tests, an oral mechanism examination (to note the structure and function of the mouth), parent/caregiver interviews, and observation.

3. Therapy

   Therapy sessions are booked by appointment and set for 30 minute, 45 minute and hourly time slots. Sessions usually take place in the About Talk speech clinic Newmarket, the client’s home/school, or other agreed upon location. Personal folders are provided for home practice exercises.

4. Online Speech Therapy

   Online speech therapy is speech language pathology services delivered in real-time at a distance through telecommunication. By using a computer with a high speed internet connection and a video web camera, you and your speech-language pathologist can interact face-to-face over the internet, regardless of where you live.

Communication areas served

(Sources: caslpa.ca and asha.org)

1. Articulation

   An articulation delay/disorder is characterized as difficulty correctly producing one or more sounds. This may occur as a result of delayed development, poor muscle control, cleft lip/palate, hearing impairment, or learning disabilities. Articulation errors include substitutions of sounds (e.g. wabbit for rabbit), omissions (eg. kip for skip) and distortions (e.g. shlip for sip).

2. Phonological Processes

   A phonological process delay/disorder involves errors of many sounds that form patterns. For example, substituting all sounds made in the back of the mouth like “k” and “g” for those in the front of the mouth like “t” and “d” (e.g., saying “tup” for “cup” or “das” for “gas”). Another example is the simplification of words starting with two consonants, such as “poon” for “spoon”. While it is common for young children to simplify adult forms of speech, it is not expected as a child gets older.

3. Oral-Motor Speech

   Apraxia is a speech programming disorder, not due to muscle weakness or paralysis, which makes words and sentences sound jumbled or meaningless. A person will have difficulty coordinating the muscle movements necessary to say sounds, syllables, and words correctly and consistently. Apraxia can be developmental or acquired.

   Dysarthria is a group of speech disorders resulting from paralysis, weakness, or lack of coordination of the muscles required for speech in the mouth, face and respiratory system following a stroke or other brain injury. Speech typically sounds slurred.

4. Phonological Awareness

   A phonological awareness delay refers to difficulty with the ability to manipulate sounds, syllables, and words. Skills such as rhyming, and the ability to segment, blend, delete, and add sounds/syllables are affected. Phonological awareness skills are important in order to develop good reading and writing skills.

5. Language

   Receptive language disorders refer to problems in understanding and responding to questions, following instructions and directions, understanding vocabulary, problem solving, and understanding abstract language.

   Expressive language disorders can include difficulty in expressing thoughts/ideas, participating in classroom discussions, grammar usage (tenses, subject-verb agreement, pronouns), making up or retelling stories, or inability to use language in a socially appropriate way.

6. Stuttering/Fluency

   Fluency disorders or stuttering is a disruption in the normal flow or rhythm of speech. Characteristics of stuttering may include repetitions of sounds, syllables, words or phrases; hesitations; prolongations and interjections. Stuttering is a social-emotional problem as well as a speech problem.

7. Voice/Resonance

   Voice disorders include inappropriate pitch, loudness, quality or total loss of voice. Voice problems may result from damage to the vocal cords because of surgery, disease or yelling (vocal abuse), or from such conditions as cleft palate, cerebral palsy or hearing impairment.

   Resonance is the quality of the voice that is determined by the balance of sound vibration in the oral, nasal, and pharyngeal cavities during speech. A resonance disorder can occur if there is obstruction in one of the cavities, causing hyponasality or cul-de-sac resonance, or if there is velopharyngeal dysfunction (VPD), causing hypernasality and/or nasal emission.

   Accent Reduction (a.k.a. Accent Modification, Accent Neutralization)
   Accent reduction is a systematic approach to reducing a regional or foreign accent. You will be asked to read words, sentences, and paragraphs. Your speech will also be evaluated in conversation. After all of this information has been collected, the speech-language pathologist will determine what can be done to modify your accent and improve your overall communication. A set of goals based on your individual needs will be developed. Training sessions may be individual or in small groups. If you feel that your accent is making it difficult for you to communicate effectively at work or in other social settings, you may want to consider training to improve how clearly you speak English.

If you don’t see your area of concern listed, please contact us for more information.