Speech Therapy:
At SensAble Kids, speech therapy works with children of all ages to help them with the skills required to communicate across all settings of their lives. Whether it is communicating needs to a caregiver, an idea to a peer during play, or to respond to a teacher during a class discussion at school, our speech therapists address skills to ensure that children are successfully communicating throughout their daily routine.
Our speech therapists understand that regulation, engagement, and relatedness are the foundations for interacting and communicating. We address speech and language disorders involving non-verbal and verbal communication, including expressive and receptive speech delays, language processing, articulation, and fluency. As children grow, we address the social use of language and play skills. In addition to speech and language disorders, our speech therapists also address feeding and oral motor disorders/concerns.
Within the context of a relationship-based approach, our speech therapists utilize play and activities that are meaningful to the child during treatment sessions. Additionally, the therapist collaborates with other disciplines involved to ensure a comprehensive approach to address underlying deficit areas that may be contributing to the child’s challenges with speech and language, oral motor, and/or feeding.
Red Flags:
How do I know if my child should be evaluated by a Speech Therapist?
Under 18 Months
- No big smiles or other warm, joyful expressions by 6 months
- No back-and-forth sharing of sounds, smiles, and/or other facial expressions by 9 months or thereafter
- No babbling by 12 months
- Does not respond to his/her name by 12 months
- No sharing/reciprocal interactions, such as pointing, giving, reaching to be picked up, or waving by 12 months
- Difficulty with bottle or breast feeding
- Difficulty transitioning from bottle or breast to purees and solids
- No pointing at objects of interest by 14 months (pointing to a dog, airplane, etc..)
- Does not understand simple common words, such as “mama” or “milk”
- Difficulty progressing from pureed foods to solid foods
- Choking/gagging during mealtimes
- Is not using any words by 16 months
- Little to no imitation skills, such as clapping or stomping feet
- Difficulty transitioning from bottle to sippy cup or straw
By 18 Months
- Does not use at least 8-10 meaningful words
- Does not follow simple commands, such as “come here”, “stop” or “no”
- Does not follow your pointing with his/her gaze
- Is not playing pretend with items (talking on toy phone, feeding a doll)
- Does not play in proximity to other children
By Age Two
- No two-word meaningful phrases (without imitating or repeating) by 24 months
- Does not follow simple two step commands, such as “get the ball and give it to daddy”
- Speech is not at least 50% understandable
- Cannot point to pictures of items in books when asked
By Age Three
- Is not using three and four word sentences
- Speech is not at least 75% or more understandable
- Child is leaving the beginnings or ends off of most words
- Cannot accurately answer yes/no questions
- Cannot answer simple “wh” questions, such as “who is that?”
- Does not play with other children
- Is experiencing stuttering behavior for more than 6 months
By Age Four to Five
- Is not 90-100% understandable to strangers despite age appropriate articulation errors (may not be able to say /r, sh, ch, l, or th yet)
- Is not consistently using 4+ word, complex sentences
- Is not asking a variety of questions to gain information (who, what, where, why and when)
- Is having difficulty with grammar or pronoun use
- Cannot tell a simple story on topic
- Cannot follow simple two step directions
- Has difficulty answering simple who, what, where and why questions
- Is not yet able to name a few letters, numbers, and rhyming words
Red Flags at Any Age
- ANY loss of speech or babbling or social skills at ANY age
- Never gestures or imitates
- Does not appear to understand speech, or appears to be unable to hear
- Never develops words beyond repeating others over and over
Frequently Asked Questions:
01. What should my child wear for therapy?
Your child should dress in comfortable clothing that will allow ease of movement. We occasionally do messy play activities, so clothing should be something your child can get messy (i.e. painting, shaving cream, crafts, etc.)
02. What does a treatment session look like?
At SensAble Kids, we utilize a relationship-based approach and believe that forming trust and establishing relationships with our clients and their families are the foundation for the therapeutic process. Treatment sessions may occur in a large or small gym space with mats, swings, and climbing equipment. Part of the session may also include going into a smaller room for fine and visual motor activities. Therapeutic treatment activities are play/skill-based and are dependent on the child’s individual goals and may include, but are not limited to gross and fine motor sensorimotor activities, fine motor coordination tasks, handwriting, and messy play activities.
03. Are parents allowed to/expected to attend treatment sessions?
Parents are encouraged to join treatment sessions with their children. Attending sessions are a wonderful opportunity for learning about what (and why) your child is doing during treatment sessions and how to carry over this treatment at home. Attending sessions is also an excellent way to learn and practice therapeutic techniques to enhance movement patterns, motor planning, sensory processing, and regulation.
04. How long are treatment sessions?
Treatment sessions are typically 60 minutes- 50 minutes of direct treatment, 10 minutes of transition time/discussing the session and/or reviewing the home program with parents. Longer or shorter sessions may be recommended based on the needs of your child.
05. Will my insurance cover treatment?
Our office will verify insurance and review details with you prior to your child receiving services. We are in network for Blue Cross Blue Shield, but will submit to/work with any insurance company as an out of network provider. We are happy to answer any questions you may have about your insurance policy and help you navigate the insurance process.
06. How long will my child be in therapy?
The length of treatment varies for each child. We discuss discharge planning from the beginning and are constantly reassessing goals and monitoring progress throughout the treatment process. Goals are established through collaboration of the family and the therapist. The length of therapy is determined by goal achievement and functional status of the child’s participation in their routine and daily occupations as reported by the child, parents, teachers, etc. Carry-over of home programs and parent involvement do positively impact progress and may shorten the duration of treatment.
07. Will my child receive “homework”?
Children and their parents will receive home programs to encourage carry-over of treatment at home, support participation in the child’s routine and daily occupations, and carry over techniques that support regulation and interaction with family, peers, and caregivers. Therapists work with the family to ensure the programs are supportive and a good fit for the family/child’s routine.
08. Is it possible for my therapist to do a school visit?
Yes! Therapists often do school visits and will collaborate with teachers and school staff to support your child’s ability to function and access their full potential at school in both learning and social situations. Therapists can also attend IEP meetings to support the family and child as requested.
09. Does SensAble Kids provide screenings to see if my child needs an evaluation?
Yes! We provide screenings in school, daycare and clinic settings to help you determine whether your child would benefit from a comprehensive evaluation.
Inquiry
Please complete the form(s) below to request a consultation, appointment or to reach out to SensAble Kids. Please note, we will contact you to setup and schedule your consultation or appointment, within 24 hours.