What is....

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Speech therapy is an intervention service that focuses on improving a child's speech and abilities to understand and express language, including nonverbal language. Speech therapists, or speech and language pathologists (SLPs), are the professionals who provide these services. Speech therapy includes two components: 

1) Coordinating the mouth to produce sounds to form words and sentences (to address articulation, fluency, and voice volume regulation)

2) Understanding and expressing language (to address the use of language through written, pictorial, body, and sign forms, and the use of language through alternative communication systems such as social media, computers, and iPads)

Occupational therapy practitioners are health professionals who help children  become successful in achieving developmental milestones necessary to engage in daily activities such as play, learning/academic, coordination, sensory integration and coordination. Occupational therapist look at the child from a holistic approach to determine areas of limitations such as motor and cognitive skills. OT's assist children in developing confidence, self-esteem and general well-being. 

Talk to your primary care physician or pediatrician first, and communicate your concerns. He will then provide a referral with the information of a pathologist office. The child must first undergo a speech-language evaluation, which can be billed through insurance or paid for privately. An evaluation is separate from a diagnosis (which you may or may not have already received) and illustrates where your child’s strengths and weaknesses lie, and allows us to develop specific goals in regards to their treatment plan.

Many parents come to Small Step Pediatric Therapy on referral from a primary care physician or pediatrician, in which case they may come to us with a medical diagnosis, such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), though a diagnosis is not a prerequisite to therapy. For children who come to us without a diagnosis, an Speech-Language Pathologist will determine if a speech-language diagnosis exists by conducting a speech-language evaluation.

You will receive a comprehensive written report detailing your child’s performance on administered formal and informal testing.  It will contain performance scores (if applicable), detailed descriptive summary of performance strengths and weaknesses, impressions, recommendations, and referral for additional professional consultations (if needed).