Our Services
We provide services in the following areas:
Articulation/Phonology
Phonological Awareness
Motor Speech Disorders/Childhood Apraxia of Speech
Stuttering/Speech Fluency
Oral Receptive and Expressive Language
Auditory Processing
Early Reading Skills/Decoding
Reading Comprehension
Written Expression
Pragmatics/Social Communication
Screenings and Evaluations
Prior to any screening or evaluation, the speech-language pathologist interviews parents and caregivers; reviews recent reports from other medical, clinical, and educational professionals; engages the child or adolescent in play and conversation; and observes the child or adolescent interacting with caregivers and other family members.
SCREENINGS
Screenings take between 5 and 20 minutes and are used to determine whether further evaluation is warranted. WRSLP offers formal screenings in the following areas: hearing acuity, articulation and phonology, and oral receptive and expressive language. Voice, fluency, social communication, reading, and written expression screenings are conducted informally, or through observation. If a child does not pass a formal or informal screening test, the speech-language pathologist (a) speaks with the parents about options for further evaluation at WRSLP and/or (b) refers the family to other professionals (e.g., audiologist, neurologist, ENT physician, school district).
FORMAL EVALUATIONS
Formal evaluations can range in time from 30 minutes to several hours and are used to collect a large sample of communication behaviors in the areas of concern identified by the family, the child’s school, or the screening. Norm-based and criterion-referenced tests are used to collect most of this information. The speech-language pathologist also uses informal tools (e.g., caregiver interviews; recordings of the child engaged in spontaneous play and conversation; coaching and the child’s response to it). At the end of the evaluation, the speech-language pathologist integrates all of the formal and informal information and draws conclusions about the child’s level of functioning for each communication skill tested. If the child demonstrates a delay or disorder, the speech-language pathologist recommends treatment areas. In some cases, the speech-language pathologist will also suggest that the family seeks further evaluation from other professionals (e.g., occupational therapist, neuropsychologist).
Speech-Language Therapy
EARLY SPEECH AND LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT
Speech-language pathologists at WRSLP are passionate about helping toddlers and preschoolers improve their ability to:
communicate their needs, wants, ideas, and feelings;
understand what others say; and
engage in conversation and social play with parents, grandparents, siblings, and friends.
In our fun, family-centered environment, we help children discover the joy of listening and talking.
SCHOOL-AGE SERVICES
Speech-language pathologists at WRSLP provide school-age children and adolescents with therapy services in our Chardon office and in six independent schools in Lake, Geauga, and Trumbull counties. Students who have Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) through their local school districts but are not enrolled in public school (i.e., either attend an independent school or are schooled at home) are encouraged to apply for funding from the Ohio Department of Education’s Jon Peterson Special Needs (JPSN) scholarship. Some services for non-JPSN students are fully or partially covered by health insurance. For more information about school-age services and funding options, please contact us.
ACCENT MODIFICATION FOR ADULTS
Accents are a natural part of spoken languages and offer information about an individual’s background. When English is the second language, however, accents can make it difficult for others in the community to understand the speaker. If English is your second language and your accent is pronounced, your conversational partners might appear confused, often ask you to repeat yourself, or appear more focused on your accent than on what you are trying to tell them. For you, as the speaker, this can lead to feelings of frustration, and it can limit employment and social opportunities. The main goal of accent modification is to increase intelligibility of speech to familiar and unfamiliar listeners in the workplace and community while maintaining an appreciation for the client’s heritage. Services at WRSLP are customized to meet the needs and goals expressed by the client.
