Speech Therapy at Magruder

Speech therapy is beneficial for children and adults with communication disorders, hearing impairments or those who have difficulty swallowing.

PEDIATRICS

Speech-Language Pathologists (SLP) work with children to help them communicate effectively by helping to improve their speech skills (such as articulation and stuttering), and expressive and receptive language skills (ability to produce words and combine them to make phrases and sentences to communicate their wants, needs, and ideas, as well as understanding and processing of information they receive).

At the initial evaluation, the SLP will complete a standardized test and then will determine the best course of action for your child based on test results. If therapy is recommended, the SLP will create a plan of care with short-term and long-term goals to address your child’s speech and language difficulties.

Here is a list of pediatric disorders Magruder Speech Therapy can help with:

• Articulation and Phonologic Disorders (forming speech sounds)
• Augmentative Communication needs (using gestures, writing, drawing and pointing to aid communication)
• Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)
• Bell’s Palsy- an unexplained episode of facial muscle weakness or paralysis
• Developmental Delays
• Feeding and Swallowing Disorders such as chewing, eating from a spoon, drinking from a cup, or being able to move food or liquid from the mouth or throat
• Learning Disabilities such as Dyslexia, ADHD etc.
• Pragmatics Disorder (eye contact, turn taking etc.)
• Receptive and Expressive Language Disorders/Delays
• Speech Delays
• Stuttering and Fluency Disorders
• Voice Disorders

ADULTS

Adult speech therapy can help improve a person’s speech, language, cognition, memory, and swallowing difficulties. Whether your difficulties have persisted for a while or have just started, speech therapy can help.

Here is a list of adult disorders that Magruder Speech Therapy can help with:

• Alternative/Augmentative Communication (using gestures, writing, drawing and pointing to aid communication)
• Apraxia which is a neurological disorder where a person is unable to perform movements despite understanding what needs to be done
• Ataxia which is a lack of muscle control/coordination of movement such as walking or picking up objects
• Bell’s Palsy an unexplained episode of facial muscle weakness or paralysis
• Cognitive Communication Disorders
• Dementia/Memory Difficulties
• Dysarthria where the muscles used to create speech are weakened or damaged
• Feeding/Swallowing Disorders such as chewing, eating from a spoon, drinking from a cup, or being able to move food or liquid from the mouth or throat
• Fluency/Stuttering
• Oral Motor Disorders
• Parkinson’s Disease
• Pragmatic Language
• Stroke Therapy
• Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI)
• Voice Disorders

Speech Therapy is trained and certified to treat a variety of adult and pediatric disorders with treatments such as:

• VitalStim non-invasive therapy to help swallowing through the use of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES).
• LSVT LOUD LSVT LOUD is a program designed for Parkinson’s patients who have a quiet and/or hoarse vocal quality
• Language & Articulation activities playing and talking to stimulate language development
• Feeding & Swallowing therapy
• Breathing exercises
• Mouth exercises to strengthen muscles in and around the mouth
• Swallowing exercises
• Problem solving, memory activities, conversation exercises

Brianna Missler, M.A., CCC-SLP sees patients at Magruder Hospital and can be reached at 419-732-4033.