Transforming Medical Speech Therapy
Using client-centered approaches to empower your independence.
A private practice offering both in-person and online services.
Adult Medical Speech Therapy Services
Welcome to our Adult Medical Speech Therapy Services, where we specialize in providing comprehensive care for adults facing communication and swallowing disorders due to medical conditions. Our dedicated team of experienced speech-language pathologists (SLPs) is committed to helping you regain and enhance your speech, language, and swallowing abilities, enabling you to improve your quality of life and independence.
Our Services
We understand that medical conditions can significantly impact your ability to communicate and swallow effectively. Our services are designed to address these challenges through personalized therapy plans that cater to your unique needs.
We offer a wide range of therapies to support individuals dealing with various medical conditions:
Medical conditions
- Head and Neck Cancer and related swallowing disorders.
- Stroke.
- Traumatic Brain Injury.
- Parkinson’s and other long-term degenerative neurological disorders.
- Swallowing Disorders
- Vocal cord dysfunction disorders including vocal cord nodules, muscle tension dysphonia, vocal cord tremor, spasmodic dysphonia.
- Neurogenic Fluency Disorders.
Reasons for Speech Therapy
Aphasia/Stroke
Aphasia is an acquired language disorder that negatively affects a person’s communication ability. If you or someone you know has Aphasia, it is important to seek treatment. Many resources are available to help individuals with Aphasia improve their communication abilities. Although a diagnosis can be difficult, treatment options are available, and Aphasia does not have to be permanent. With the right support, people with Aphasia can enhance their communication skills and enjoy entire, happy lives.
Symptoms
- Difficulty finding the right words (anomia).
- Speaking in short phrases or fragment sentences.
- Difficulty in using appropriate grammar in sentences results in nonsense or jargon speech.
- Substituting one word for another or one sound for another.
- Difficulty understanding conversations.
- Writing sentences that need to be clarified.
Aphasia Therapy
- Target Audience: Adults who have experienced a stroke or brain injury
- Focus: Enhancing language skills, including speaking, Comprehension, Reading, and writing
Speech therapy can focus on improving particular language skills, learning compensatory communication strategies, relearning language, and practicing everyday communication.
We can help you and your loved one reconnect and communicate better by relearning language and speaking skills or introducing alternative communication methods.
Dysarthria
Dysarthria is a motor speech disorder with neurological origins that affects the muscles used in speech production, including the lips, tongue, vocal cords, and diaphragm. This condition impairs the ability to articulate words properly, leading to slurred or slow speech that can be difficult to understand.
Symptoms
- Slurred Speech: Words may sound unclear or mumbled.
- Slow Speech: Speech may be slower than usual.
- Rapid Speech: Some may babble, making speech difficult to understand.
- Monotone Speech: Lack of variation in pitch, loudness, or intonation.
- Difficulty Moving the Mouth or Tongue: Problems with coordination and movement of speech muscles.
- Breathiness or Hoarseness: Voice may sound breathy or hoarse.
- Nasal Speech: Speech may have a nasal quality due to improper closure of the velopharyngeal port.
- Altered taste: Changes in taste sensation
- Drooping Mouth: Drooling or difficulty smiling on one side.
- Loss of Facial Expressions: Difficulty making facial expressions.
Causes
● Neurological Disorders: Neurological disorders such as Tay-Sach, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and Huntington’s disease can cause motor speech disorder.
● Stroke: This can cause damage to the areas of the brain involved in speech production.
● Brain Injury: From trauma or surgery.
● Infections: Infections such as encephalitis or meningitis can cause symptoms of dysarthria.
● Tumors: Pathways that affect speech in the brain or along the nervous system.
● Muscle Diseases: Such as muscular dystrophy.
● Nerve damage: such as Bell’s Palsy.
Dysarthria and Slurred Speech Therapy
- Target Audience: Adults with speech disorders resulting from neurological conditions
- Focus: Improving clarity of speech, muscle strength, and coordination
Our goal in treating dysarthria is to enhance communication effectiveness and improve the individual’s quality of life.
Apraxia of Speech
Apraxia of speech (AOS) is another motor speech disorder in which a person has difficulty planning and coordinating the movements needed for speech. This condition is not due to muscle weakness or paralysis but rather a disruption in the brain’s ability to send proper signals to the speech muscles.
Symptoms
- Difficulty Producing Sounds: Trouble with initiating and forming sounds correctly.
- Inconsistent Errors: Speech errors are often inconsistent; a word might be pronounced correctly one time and incorrectly the next.
- Groping for Sounds: There is a visible struggle to form sounds, including repeated attempts and searching movements with the lips, tongue, and jaw.
- Slow Speech Rate: Speech may be slower than usual as the person tries to articulate words accurately.
- Distorted Sounds: Sounds may be distorted, substituted, or omitted.
- Improved Accuracy with Repetition: Repetition of sounds or words can sometimes improve accuracy.
- Difficulty with Longer Words and Sentences: Greater difficulty with complex words or longer sentences compared to shorter, simpler ones.
- Automatic Speech: Automatic or well-practiced phrases may be easier to say than new or less familiar ones.
Our Speech Therapy techniques are focused on improving the planning and sequencing of speech movements. Home Practice is an integral part of our therapy. We provide training and home exercises to reinforce therapy sessions.
Our primary goal in treating speech apraxia is to improve the individual’s ability to communicate effectively and to enhance their quality of life.
Cognitive Communication Disorders
Cognitive-communication disorders are communication difficulties resulting from problems with
cognition (thinking skills). These disorders affect a person’s ability to use language and
communicate effectively and can be caused by various conditions affecting the brain. Here are
some critical aspects of cognitive-communication disorders:
Causes
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI): Injury to the brain caused by an external force, such as a car accident or fall.
- Right Hemisphere Stroke:: Disrupts blood flow to the brain, leading to brain damage.
- Dementia: Progressive decline in cognitive function due to diseases like Alzheimer’s, Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA).
- Brain Tumors: The growth of abnormal cells in the brain can affect cognitive and communication abilities.
- Neurological Disorders: Conditions like Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis can impact cognition and communication.
Symptoms
- Difficulty with Attention: Struggling to focus, maintain, or shift attention.
- Memory Problems: Challenges with recalling information or events.
- Problem-Solving Difficulties: Trouble planning, organizing, or solving problems.
- Language difficulties: Problems finding words, constructing sentences, or understanding language.
- Social Communication Problems: Difficulty understanding social cues, following conversation rules, or interpreting tone and body language.
Cognitive-Communicative Therapy
- Target Audience: Individuals with cognitive impairments due to stroke, traumatic brain injury (TBI), dementia, or other neurological conditions
- Focus: Enhancing memory, attention, problem-solving, and executive functioning skills
Cognitive-communication disorders require a multidisciplinary approach for effective management, involving healthcare professionals, caregivers, and the individuals affected.
Our team provides targeted therapy to improve specific communication skills and cognitive functions, as well as cognitive rehabilitation to enhance cognitive abilities and compensate for deficits in accessing ADLs and quality of life. We also provide extensive training to caregivers and family members to support communication and cognitive strategy at home.
Dysphagia / Swallowing
Dysphagia is Difficulty swallowing that can lead to choking or aspiration, often due to neurological conditions or surgeries. This can involve problems with the oral, pharyngeal, or esophageal phases of swallowing. People with dysphagia may experience pain while swallowing, inability to swallow, or a sensation of food being stuck in the throat or chest.
Symptoms
Symptoms can vary depending on the underlying cause and severity:
- Pain while swallowing (odynophagia)
- Inability to swallow
- The sensation of food being stuck in the throat or chest
- Drooling and frequent throat-clearing
- Regurgitation of food or liquids
- Coughing or choking during or after eating
- Unexpected weight loss
- Hoarseness or voice changes
Swallowing Therapy (Dysphagia)
- Target Audience: Adults with swallowing disorders due to stroke, neurological diseases, head and neck cancer, or other medical conditions
- Focus: Assessing swallowing function, implementing exercises, and recommending dietary modifications to ensure safe and effective swallowing
Experiencing difficulty swallowing is often a sign of a swallowing disorder, which can stem from various causes. To provide an effective treatment, an accurate diagnosis is crucial. Timely intervention is essential, as these disorders can significantly impact your quality of life. Contact us to take action and address this issue promptly.
Voice Disorders
A voice disorder is a condition in which the pitch, loudness, or voice quality is abnormal, which can interfere with communication and negatively impact daily life. Vocal abuse, medical conditions, neurological issues, or psychological factors can cause these disorders. Common symptoms include hoarseness, breathiness, strained or weak voice, and difficulty projecting the voice. Treatment typically involves speech therapy, vocal exercises, and sometimes medical or surgical interventions to improve vocal function and prevent further damage.
Types of Voice Disorders
Functional Voice Disorders: Caused by improper or inefficient use of the vocal mechanism without structural abnormalities.
- Muscle Tension Dysphonia
- Vocal Fatigue
Organic Voice Disorders:
- Nodules, Polyps, and Cysts
- Laryngitis
- Reflux Laryngitis
- Papillomas
Neurological Voice Disorders:
- Vocal Cord Paralysis
- Spasmodic Dysphonia
- Parkinson’s Disease: Reduced vocal loudness and monotone voice due to motor control issues.
- Post-surgical vocal cord paralysis
- Tracheostomy.
Symptoms of Voice Disorder
● Hoarseness or roughness
● Breathiness
● Strained or strangled quality
● Weak or whispery voice
● Voice breaks or pitch changes
● Throat pain or discomfort
● Difficulty projecting the voice
● Loss of vocal range
Voice Therapy
- Target Audience: Individuals with voice disorders, including those with vocal cord paralysis, nodules, or other voice conditions.
- Focus: Strengthening vocal cords, improving voice quality, and teaching healthy vocal habits.
Our voice therapy program is tailored to each individual’s needs and can significantly improve voice quality and overall communication.
Our holistic approach to voice therapy considers the whole person instead of addressing the physical aspects of the voice disorder only. We consider the emotional, psychological, and environmental factors that contribute to or exacerbate the condition. This comprehensive method aims to optimize overall well-being and vocal health.
Stuttering / Fluency Disorder
Stuttering is a speech disorder marked by interruptions in the flow of speech, including repetitions, prolongations, and blocks. It can significantly impact an individual’s ability to communicate effectively, leading to social anxiety, embarrassment, and reduced self-esteem. The causes of stuttering are multifaceted, often involving genetic, neurological, and environmental factors. Grasping these complexities is essential for creating effective therapeutic strategies to help individuals overcome the challenges of stuttering.
Stuttering or speech disfluency can have a significant impact on one’s life, leading to social isolation, limited opportunities, and low self-esteem. However, there is hope.
Our holistic stuttering management program offers a powerful, integrated approach that addresses all aspects of an individual’s needs.
By combining speech therapy techniques, cognitive-behavioral strategies, emotional support, environmental adjustments, and consistent practice, our program aims to bring about profound improvements in fluency and overall well-being.
If you or someone you know is struggling with stuttering, consider exploring our holistic therapy approach to unlock the potential for fluent, confident communication and a brighter future.
If you are ready to:
- Manage and reduce your speech-related anxiety
- Boost your confidence
- Improve social interactions
- Improve quality of life
- Positive self-image
- Emotional resilience
Fluency Therapy
- Strategies to reduce stuttering frequency and promote smooth speech.
- Techniques to increase speech confidence and fluency in various settings.
If you need support to improve your speech because of stuttering, we’re here to help. Our expertise lies in offering assistance and therapy for people who stutter, focusing on improving their communication abilities.
We’ll work closely with you to develop a customized plan for your requirements and objectives.
We can help to take you to the next level to unlock your potential for powerful, confident communication and a brighter future.
Contact us now to learn more about our stuttering care services.
Get Started
Take the first step towards improving your communication and swallowing abilities with our expert team. Contact us today to schedule an assessment and begin your personalized therapy plan. Let us help you regain your independence and enhance your quality of life through our specialized adult medical speech therapy services.