Speech Sound Disorders & Stuttering
An accurate diagnosis of the nature of a speech sound disorder or stuttering condition will determine the most effective and efficient therapeutic approach. One size DOES NOT fit all when it comes to treatments/supports for speech sound disorders and stuttering, but treatment should always contribute to greater satisfaction with communication!
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Articulation disorders are errors (e.g., distortions and substitutions) in production of individual speech sounds and refers to how specific sounds are produced with the mouth. Substitutions and distortions might sound like “wace-cah” for “racecar”. Examples of other distortions include frontal and lateral lisps. Most children can say almost all speech sounds correctly by the age of 5.
Treatment for articulation disorders should include use of multisensorial cues and principles of motor learning. The pre-literacy development skills of phonological/phonemic awareness may also need support.
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Phonological disorders are predictable, language-rule-based pattern errors that affect more than one sound. These are most commonly substitutions or omissions. An example is “stopping” where the forward airflow of a sound gets replaced with an airflow stopping sound; “son” becomes “ton”. As the number of patterns in error increase, the understandability of the individual decreases. Familiar listeners (caregivers) usually understand 100% of a child’s speech by 4 years-old, but unfamiliar listeners (strangers) on average understand 50% of what a 4 year-old says in the absence of contextual input—this percentage decreases when phonological pattern errors are present.
Treatment for phonological disorders is tailored to the patterns in error and to client factors. Some examples of phonological treatments are: minimal pairs, cycles, and multiple oppositions. Multisensorial cuing and principals of motor learning are also warranted in treating these speech sound disorders. The pre-literacy development skills of phonological/phonemic awareness may also need support.
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CAS is a rare motor speech disorder in which the neurological system has breakdowns in planning and coordinating the muscle movements to say sounds, syllables and words despite the individual knowing exactly what they want to say. Children with CAS can be extremely difficult to understand. This condition can only be diagnosed by a speech-language pathologist.
Treatment for CAS is highly reliant on principals of motor learning and multisensorial cuing. Some research supported treatment methods are Dynamic Temporal and Tactile Cueing (DTTC) and Rapid Syllable Transition Training (ReST).
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Dysarthria is a motor speech disorder in which there is neuromuscular weakness, paralysis or incoordination of the muscles needed to produce speech. This may cause slurred/imprecise speech, breathy vocal quality, difficulty with pitch and loudness etc. The treatment focus for these individuals is learning strategies to improve understandability and may include the use of assistive technology.
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Stuttering is characterized by temporary disruption in the forward flow of speech. People who stutter may experience repetitions (Ha-ha-happy), prolongations (Ffffffunny), or blocks (an absence of sound), or some combination of these disfluencies. Individuals can have varying attitudes toward and emotions about the effect that stuttering has on their communication.
Services
In-person speech therapy office in Fairwood, Washington. Online therapy provided to Washington and Oregon.
Evaluation, Report & Treatment Plan $170
A speech sound disorder evaluation may include standardized and non-standardized assessments of articulation and/or phonology, an oral mechanism evaluation, and if Childhood Apraxia of Speech or dysarthria is suspected, a motor speech assessment.
A stuttering evaluation may include standardized and non-standardized assessments of fluency and an assessment of attitudes/feelings.
For evaluations taking place online, the client must have access to a device supporting Zoom, reliable internet connection and a quiet environment.
30/45/60 Minute Therapy Session $70/$105/$140
Individualized therapy sessions with an emphasis on high achievement rate of client centered targets, in-person or utilizing Zoom telecommunications.
For online therapy, the client must have access to a device supporting Zoom, reliable internet connection and a quiet environment.