What does a speech-language pathologist do?

A speech-language pathologist is a licensed health care professional who diagnoses, evaluates, and treats disorders of speech, voice, swallowing, and/or language.

When would I use the services of a speech-language pathologist?

Speech-language pathologists treat communication problems in infants, children, adolescents and adults. You might use the services of a speech-language pathologist for a child if ...

• you have difficulty understanding what the child is trying to say;

• you think the child is speaking differently from children of the same age;

• the child has difficulty telling you what he or she wants; or

• the child has difficulty understanding what people are saying.

What can I expect to happen during a session with a speech-language pathologist?

If a speech-language evaluation indicates that speech or language therapy is needed, the speech-language pathologist will design a program of activities to improve the targeted areas of speech, language, or delay. The therapy may focus on the ability to better comprehend language and to use language in a way others can understand.

What credentials do speech-language pathologists need?

Washington state speech-language pathologists (SLPs) should have completed a minimum of a Master's degree in speech-language pathology. This includes courses in basic communication processes, audiology, scientific areas of speech-language pathology and language, as well as a supervised practice of at least 300 hours. In addition, Washington state SLPs must be licensed by the state, be members of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), and have satisfactorily completed at least nine months of paid supervised experience.

What is ASHA?

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) is the professional, scientific, and credentialing association for more than 109,000 audiologists, speech-language pathologists, and speech, language, and hearing scientists.

For more info, please see the ASHA home page.

What does CCC mean?

Certificate of Clinical Competence.

What insurance do you take?

Currently we have a contract with Premera Blue Cross, Regence Blue Sheild and Aetna. If your child has insurance with one of these carriers, then we will bill them directly. Should you wish to use a different insurance company, you can pay CSL by cash or check and seek reimbursement from you carrier. CSL will provide you with paperwork your carrier may request. Please see our billing information for our full policy.

What is your yearly schedule?

Our clinic closes several times per year during typical school holidays. You will be notified of these closures before hand.

Will I be able to observe therapy?

All parents can observe at least part of a therapy session. Typically younger children are better served with the parents in the room during therapy, while older children often perform better without their parents. Talk to your speech language pathologist about what would be best for your family.

What is Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)?

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), also known as Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDDs), cause severe and pervasive impairment in thinking, feeling, language, and the ability to relate to others. These disorders are usually first diagnosed in early childhood and range from a severe form, called autistic disorder, through pervasive development disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), to a much milder form, Asperger syndrome. They also include two rare disorders, Rett syndrome and childhood disintegrative disorder.

Parents are usually the first to notice unusual behaviors in their child. In some cases, the baby seemed "different" from birth, unresponsive to people or focusing intently on one item for long periods of time. The first signs of an autism spectrum disorder can also appear in children who had been developing normally. When an affectionate, babbling toddler suddenly becomes silent, withdrawn, self-abusive, or indifferent to social overtures, something is wrong.

There is no single best treatment package for all children with ASD. Decisions about the best treatment, or combination of treatments, should be made by the parents with the assistance of a trusted expert diagnostic team.

My child already receives ABA therapy, how is speech therapy different?

Applied Behavior Analysis is primarily used to reduce problem behaviors and increase desired behaviors. Behavior Analysts are interested in examining the effects of antecedents (what happens before behaviors) and consequences (what happens after behaviors). Applied behavior analysis is also associated with instructional interventions such as discrete trials instruction, Precision Teaching, Direct Instruction, and Personalized Systems of Instruction. Speech-language therapy at CSL focuses much more on naturalistic use of language. Since most of the people who talk to your child will not be trained in ABA, we believe it is vital to teach children functional methods of using their communication skills in everyday situations.

See our resources section for more information on Autism Spectrum Disorder.

What is Apraxia?

Apraxia of speech, also known as verbal apraxia or dyspraxia, is a speech disorder in which a person has trouble saying what he or she wants to say correctly and consistently. It is not due to weakness or paralysis of the speech muscles (the muscles of the face, tongue, and lips). The severity of apraxia of speech can range from mild to severe.

Developmental apraxia of speech (DAS) occurs in children and is present from birth. It appears to affect more boys than girls. This speech disorder goes by several other names, including developmental verbal apraxia, developmental verbal dyspraxia, articulatory apraxia, and childhood apraxia of speech. DAS is different from what is known as a developmental delay of speech, in which a child follows the "typical" path of speech development but does so more slowly than normal.

The cause or causes of DAS are not yet known. Some scientists believe that DAS is a disorder related to a child's overall language development. Others believe it is a neurological disorder that affects the brain's ability to send the proper signals to move the muscles involved in speech. However, brain imaging and other studies have not found evidence of specific brain lesions or differences in brain structure in children with DAS. Children with DAS often have family members who have a history of communication disorders or learning disabilities. This observation and recent research findings suggest that genetic factors may play a role in the disorder.

See our resources section for more information on Apraxia.

What is PROMPT?

PROMPT, is a multidimensional, multi-sensory therapeutic system that is holistic and dynamic. PROMPT has often been recognized singularly for its use of tactile- kinesthetic articulatory PROMPTs (cues) on the jaw, face and under the chin, that help to develop or restructure speech production output. In reality, PROMPT is about the dynamic way a child is viewed and treated. Depending on the nature of the delay or disorder this perspective may derive from normal child acquisition models of development or from models that stress maximizing the child's potential in spite of disordered or damaged systems.

What does PROMPT mean?

PROMPT for Restructuring Oral Muscular Phonetic Targets