Speech Therapy

What is a Speech-Language Pathologist

and how will it help your child?

Speech-language pathologists are trained to evaluate speech and language problems as well as articulation, voice and fluency concerns and feeding issues. They plan and carry out programs to correct or modify the disorder or to develop other means of communicating. A speech-language pathologist also counsels individuals and families in managing the communication problem.

Speech-language pathologist are members of the health care team and work closely with your primary care physician and specialists to diagnose and correct the nature of the problem. Talking to your child's therapist about his/her struggles and successes will help him/her develop specialized learning goals to meet your child's specific speech-language needs.

How can I help my child with his/her speech?

1. Be a good listener. Let your child speak what he/she is feeling or wanting.

2. Don't speak for your child unless it is absolutely necessary. It is important that he/she learns to express his/her own needs/wants with words.

3. Create organized play. A child's play is work that fosters creativity, dialogue and thought processes necessary to develop age-level communication skills. Sorting, gathering, labeling and talking about objects are work and a healthy part of language development.

4. Read to your child. Reading age appropriate story books develops cognitive thinking skills and creates dialogue. Ask questions about the book and pictures to teach comprehension skills and creative learning.

How do I get speech-language therapy services for my child?

To obtain services through our offices please visit with your primary care physician. Have your doctor's office send their request to us via fax: 405-455-5988. Our office staff will process the requests for you. If you have further questions, please contact our local office for more information.