Speech and Language

Most children make some mistakes as they learn to say new words. A speech sound disorder occurs when mistakes continue past a certain age. Speech sound disorders include problems with articulation (making sounds) and phonological processes (sound patterns). Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) is an example of a motor speech disorder.

Some young children have problems with understanding, also called receptive language. They may have trouble with understanding what gestures mean, following directions,  answering questions, identifying objects and pictures and understanding vocabulary. Some young children have difficulty expressing themselves with words, also called expressive language. They may have trouble asking questions, naming objects, using gestures, putting words together into sentences, using correct grammar and knowing how to start a conversation and keep it going.

Feeding and Swallowing

Feeding therapy is more than just “teaching a child to eat.” We work closely with clients and families to determine the cause of the child’s difficulties and develop very specific therapies to make the entire process of eating easier and more enjoyable.If your child’s feeding is characterized by any of the following , he may benefit from a feeding evaluation and therapy.

• Difficulty chewing and swallowing food
• Avoiding eat certain food textures
• Sensitive to food textures, temperatures and/or flavors
• Refuses or rarely tries new foods
• Negative mealtime behaviors (infant cries, arches, pulls away from food; child refuses to eat, tantrums at mealtimes
• Infant demonstrating signs of difficulty during bottle or breastfeeding
• Feeding time taking longer than 30 minutes
• Known to be a “picky eater”

Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy

Examples of Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders include one or a combination of the following:

• Thumb and finger sucking habits
• A routine habit of resting with the lips apart
• A forward resting posture of the tongue between or against the teeth
• Tongue Thrust
• Tongue-tie – A restricted lingual frenum may result in dental, speech, and skeletal changes

Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders are often related to, or can contribute to a variety of medical and dental disorders. These disorders can include:

• Malocclusion (improper alignment of the teeth)
• Periodontal disorders
• Orthodontic relapse
• Changes associated with abnormal jaw growth and position