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Speech production is the process by which various sounds are strung together to produce words. When a child cannot produce, or distorts a sound, it negatively impacts them being understood which can lead to frustration. Interested in learning at what age a child is expected to develop a certain speech sound?

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At OWLS Therapy, our therapists are trained to use a variety of techniques to remediate such errors and increase your child’s ability to be understood.

PROMPT® is a technique used to help target speech production errors for children with apraxia and speech sound disorders. It is an approach that uses tactile cues to the face to aid a client in the correct position of their articulators (jaw, tongue, lips) to correctly produce a targeted word, phrase or sentence. The technique develops motor control and the proper oral muscular movements. PROMPT® therapy helps clients eliminate unnecessary muscle movements, such as jaw sliding and inadequate lip rounding, which impede speech clarity. This type of therapy is appropriate for a wide range of clients with communication disorders especially those with motor speech disorders such as childhood apraxia of speech. However, patients with aphasia, dysarthria, pervasive development disorders, cerebral palsy, acquired brain injuries, non-verbal children and children on the autism spectrum have benefitted from PROMPT® therapy.

K-SLP is a treatment approach for children with childhood apraxia of speech (CAS), speech sound disorders, and expressive language challenges (such as children diagnosed with Autism). The K-SLP focuses on the child’s speech-motor skills by shaping the consonants, vowels and syllable shapes that they are capable of producing and turning those shapes into higher levels of speech-motor coordination such as those needed for words, phrases, and sentences.  

This is a method used to evaluate and treat weaknesses in the oral facial areas. The Beckman Oral Motor program involves a series of exercises that strengthen the lips, jaw, cheeks, tongue, and soft palate to help develop appropriate feeding and articulation skills.  Since the movements are not age-specific, but rather functional, this program works for all ages and a variety of diagnoses.  Additionally, the program does not require the child to have a certain degree of cognitive ability (i.e., ability to follow directions) making it accessible to all.  

This therapy targets a child’s ability to correctly produce the sounds for spoken language. Our team uses multisensory cues and the most up-to-date research to guide our treatment of articulation disorders. We create treatment plans based on the child’s and family’s individual needs.

Phonological disorders affect the child’s production and/or representation of speech sounds. Children with phonological disorders often have significantly decreased intelligibility, common patterns of speech errors, and unusual articulation errors. Our team has a variety of experience diagnosing and treating phonological disorders. There are several different approaches to target phonological disorders, including:  

    • Cycles Approach: The Cycles Approach is designed for highly unintelligible children with sound omissions, sound substitutions, and some restricted use of consonants. Backed by extensive research, this approach cycles through the various phonological processes a child has. Rather than working on one phonological process until mastery, the Cycles Approach targets each process for a set amount of time. Treatment then moves, or cycles, to the next phonological process.   
    • Minimal Pairs Approach: The Minimal Pairs Approach uses contrasting differences between speech sounds to help improve a child’s sound system. This approach is best for children with one or a select few of phonological processes and has a body of research supporting its effectiveness.  
    • Complexity Approach: The Complexity Approach focuses on teaching later developing and more complicated sounds to a child. This approach suggests that by targeting more complex sounds, it can help trigger changes in both more and less complex speech and language skills. Research has shown this approach is highly effective, as it can aid in  major, system-wide changes for children.

Language therapy covers a variety of needs that a child may have. Language therapy can target receptive language, expressive language, auditory processing disorders, and/or communication difficulties due to autism, social pragmatic language difficulties, and executive functioning. Receptive and Expressive Language Disorders are disorders that impact a child’s ability to understand what is being said to them, their ability to adequately express themselves, or both. Children may find it hard to come up with the right words or form grammatical sentences when speaking or writing. They may also have difficulties with following directions, answering questions, or understanding what they are reading.

DIRFloortime stands for Developmental, Individual-differences, Relationship–based model (pronounced saying each letter: D.I.R.)

The D.I.R. program is commonly used with children with educational, social-emotional, mental health, and/or developmental challenges.  It has become widely used with children who have received a diagnosis of Autism.  The program is designed to follow the child’s natural emotional interests while simultaneously challenging the child’s social, emotional, and intellectual abilities.  DIRFloortime is tailored to the individual child’s unique challenges and strengths while emphasizing the important role that parents and family members play in a child’s development.   

It Takes Two to Talk is designed for parents of young children (birth to 5 years of age) who have been identified as having a language delay. Also used by speech language pathologists,  practical strategies are used to help children learn language naturally throughout their day.  The program focuses on recognizing the child’s stage and style of communication, identifying what motivates the child to interact with others, and adjusts daily routines to help the child build confidence in communicating. Through the use of play and books, the understanding and use of new words is developed. 

APD is also known as Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD), is a disorder which impacts a child’s ability to process spoken language. There is a disconnect between what the ear hears and how the brain interprets the information. Intervention is important as the ramifications of APD can severely impact a child’s academic and educational performance.

  • Communication Disorders related to Autism — Autism is a speech and language disorder with a spectrum of characteristics with a range of severities. Autistic children have difficulties with social language skills and may also have difficulties with receptive language, expressive language, and speech production skills. These difficulties may also be accompanied with other symptoms such as repetitive behaviors, self-stimulating behaviors, rigidity to schedules, sensory issues, and anxiety disorders. In addition, Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) may be utilized, as research has shown the benefit for children with language and/or speech production difficulties.
  • Executive Functioning/Higher Order Thinking Skills are a set of processes which include attentional control, inhibitory control, working memory, cognitive flexibility, reasoning, problem solving, and planning. Children with difficulties in these areas often have trouble completing and turning in assignments on time, being able to use inference and prediction skills during reading, making friends, and solving multi-step problems.

Children learn and process language in two different ways- through analytic language development and gestalt language development. A gestalt language processor learns language through “chunks”, or gestalts, which is a language that represents a meaning. NLA is an approach used to guide children who are gestalt language processors through levels of language. This approach moves from echolalia speech to spontaneously generated language. 

Fluency or Stuttering Therapy helps children learn and utilize strategies to help increase fluency during conversation. 

A fluency disorder, commonly known as stuttering, begins in early childhood (typically before the age of 5) and is often a life-long disorder. However, with the implementation of strategies, a child can prevent instances of stuttering and increase fluent speech. Instances of stuttering are typically characterized by sound prolongations, whole and partial syllable repetitions, whole and partial word repetitions, and blocks (where no sound comes out). Additionally, physical characteristics such as eye blinks and facial grimaces may be present.

Voice/Resonance Therapy helps children use their voice in a correct, healthy manner. Therapy is designed to help children adjust their volume, pitch and/or quality of their voice. Voice disorders are conditions that involve abnormal pitch (too high, too low), loudness (too loud, too quiet), or quality (breathy, hoarse, raspy) of the sound produced for spoken language. Children may need to learn how to use their voice in an appropriate manner as to not damage the larynx or vocal folds which can result in the need for medical treatment. Resonance Therapy is typically required for children with cleft palates as the presence of a cleft palate often results in nasal omissions (air escaping out of the nose at inappropriate times) which results in a nasal quality to speech. Resonance disorders may also be present in children with apraxia of speech due to difficulties with motor planning.

Social (Pragmatic) Communication Disorders encompasses problems with social interaction, social understanding, and pragmatics (using language appropriate to the situation).

Social Thinking® is a program developed to help children who struggle with social language skills increase their social competency across settings. OWLS Therapy speech-language pathologists are trained in this program to help children navigate the social nuances that children face in their daily lives. From staying on topic to turn-taking to understanding sarcasm, children can present with a vast range of needs and we are here to help.    

Feeding Therapy encompasses the range of needs a child may have when it comes to the oral intake of nutrition. This can range from developing the muscular strength needed to safely feed orally to desensitization of various textures to increase a child’s palette. 

The SOS approach is a trans-disciplinary program that addresses the complexities of feeding by looking at the whole child: organ systems, muscles, development, sensory processing, oral motor skills, cognition, and environment.  It is a program for both assessing and treating children with feeding difficulties as well as weight/growth problems.  

The SOFFI method (Supporting Oral Feeding in Fragile Infants) is a multidisciplinary approach designed to identify feeding readiness and provide intervention strategies to the caregiver based on the infant’s abilities from birth through the first six months. The approach is focused on both breast and bottle feedings. 

The TOTS training includes the E3 Model of Care® for tethered oral tissues. This model involves evidence-based research, pre- and post-assessment activities, and hands-on application of techniques. Through this training, providers are able to identify tethered oral tissues and provide treatment as it impacts speech and feeding needs. 

Feed the Peds training offers a comprehensive approach to pediatric feeding disorders. This approach is used to confidently approach, assess and treat children from early development to later childhood with feeding and swallowing difficulties. 

Melanie Potock’s “Your Feeding ToolKit” uses customized treatment plans to assist problematic eaters. This approach assesses the psychology, sensory system, motor skills, behavior, and family dynamics linked to eating and trying new foods. SLPs trained in this course are able to help problem solve common roadblocks in eating and provide empowerment to build progress by following a hierarchy of steps to success. “Your Feeding Toolkit” keeps feeding fun and builds positive behaviors and relationships around mealtime!

OPT is a technique which is part of the Talk Tools® program. It works to increase a child’s muscle movement to aid in oral feeding. Various tools (horns, straws, bite blocks) are incorporated to aid in muscular training. This program has been shown effective in children with Down’s Syndrome, children with articulation errors, children who drool, and children with sensory issues which impacts their food preferences. 

Dyslexia and Writing Services are available for children who have difficulties learning to read and/or spell. Dyslexia is a learning disability that is characterized by a child’s difficulties in learning to read despite normal intelligence. Symptoms include difficulties in sounding out words, reading words fluently, spelling, reading comprehension, and writing. OWLS Therapy uses a variety of programs to best match your child’s individual needs. 

The Lindamood-Bell® programs of LiPS®, Seeing Stars®, and Visualizing/Verbalizing® are used to target decoding (sounding out of words), spelling, and reading comprehension.

LiPS® teaches children the oral- motor movements associated with each sound. Children then learn to identify, label, and sequence the sounds to develop the skills needed to read and write. This program helps children experiencing difficulties in recognizing the difference between phonemes, blending sounds, and spelling.

The Seeing Stars® program aids in the development of symbol imagery. Symbol imagery is the ability to visualize the letters contained in a word. This program helps children experiencing difficulties in memorizing sight words, sounding out words, spelling, phonemic awareness, and reading fluency.

The Visualizing and Verbalizing® Program targets a child’s ability to formulate words into pictures to aid in language and reading comprehension. This program helps children who have difficulties with reading and listening comprehension, critical thinking and problem solving skills, following directions, memory, oral language expression, writing, grasping humor, and interpreting social situations.

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