Speech Sound Disorders

Treatment for language and literacy includes many different components, including the comprehension and/or use of a spoken (i.e., listening and speaking), written (i.e., reading and writing), and/or other communication symbol system (e.g., American Sign Language). Spoken and written language are composed of receptive (i.e., listening and reading) and expressive (i.e., speaking and writing) components. Our skilled clinicians will:

• to the extent possible, teach strategies for facilitating communication rather than teaching isolated behaviors
• provide intervention that is dynamic in nature and includes ongoing assessment of the child’s progress in relation to his or her goals, modifying them as necessary
• provide intervention that is individualized, based on the nature of a child’s deficits and individual learning style
• tailor treatment goals to promote a child’s knowledge, one step beyond the current level

The relationship between spoken and written language is well established. Children with spoken language problems frequently have difficulty learning to read and write. Additionally, children with reading and writing problems often have difficulty with spoken language, particularly as it relates to higher-order spoken language skills. Our clinicians are trained to target Phonological awareness, which underlies the ability to manipulate speech sounds (i.e., phonemes) in spoken words, and has been found to contribute notably to reading and writing development. When instruction in phonological awareness is paired with knowledge of letter names (i.e., graphemic awareness), then phonics, a core written language skill for reading and writing development, is being addressed.