PEDIATRIC SPEECH & lANGUAGE THERAPY
ARTICULATION | EXPRESSIVE & RECEPTIVE LANGUAGE | ORAL MOTOR | SOCIAL | FEEDING
Our fully certified Speech Therapists will evaluate your child and create a unique and customized plan of care that fits his/her communication needs. Whether your child is experiencing expressive and receptive challenges that cause difficulty with verbal communication, has articulation concerns, or is faced with feeding or oral motor challenges, we will work with you to help focus on your child’s individual needs.
What is Pediatric Speech and Language Therapy?
Speech-Language Pathologists, also called speech therapists, assess, diagnose, treat, and help disorders related to speech, language, cognitive-communication, voice, swallowing, and fluency.
Language development begins at birth. Some children develop language faster and some more slowly than others. By the age of five, most children have mastered basic elements of adult language.
Speech and language disorders can affect the way children talk, understand, analyze or process information. Speech disorders include the clarity, voice quality, and fluency of a child's spoken words. Language disorders include a child's ability to hold meaningful conversations, understand others, problem solve, read and comprehend, and express thoughts through spoken or written words. Some speech sounds may not become 100% intelligible until after the age of seven and our speech therapists can assist you with knowing what is considered age appropriate verses speech delayed.
We are also able to help with feeding and oral motor issues. We can assist in strengthening the muscles of the mouth, helping the child with the mechanics of chewing and swallowing, assist in behavior during meals and helping with sensory issues. Feeding related issues can lead to dehydration, poor nutrition, aspiration, and other childhood developmental concerns.
How do I know if my child has a communication delay?
If your child is not
*using 20 words by 20 months of age
*putting 2-3 words together by the age of 2
*initiating communication with others by age 2
*understood 75% of the time by unfamiliar listeners by the age of 3
*use sentences of three words or more to communicate by age 3
*talk in whole sentence using adult-like grammar by age 4
Our speech and language therapists can help with:
*Articulation
*Expressive Language
*Receptive Language
*Social/Pragmatic Language
*Feeding
*Oral Motor
PEDIATRIC OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY
FINE/VISUAL MOTOR | SELF REGULATION | SOCIAL SKILLS | SELF HELP | COGNITION & PERCEPTION | FEEDING
Our Occupational Therapists will evaluate and treat the needs of your child
to help him/her gain independence while improving fine motor skills &
sensory integration that children use to function and socialize.
What is Pediatric Occupational Therapy?
A child’s “occupation” is to play, participate in school, and
be independent with self-care activities.
Our pediatric occupational therapists provide interventions to children who are experiencing
difficulties functioning in one or more areas of their lives. Occupational therapy may include
facilitating the performance of coordinated motor skills and/or use of the hands, as well as
promoting skills for listening and following directions, self-regulation, social play, dressing, and
grooming. Some other areas of focus may include helping children improve problem-solving,
decision-making, perceptual skills, as well as memory, sequencing, and motor planning.
All of these skills are crucial for independent living and success across many environments.
Occupational therapists often use a play-based approach to facilitate the development of
functional skills. We help children develop the skills needed to
perform everyday tasks by using creative methods to motivate children.
Some areas our occupational therapists address include:
*Fine Motor Skills
*Visual Motor Skills
*Visual Perception
*Sensory Processing Integration
*Praxis/Motor Planning
*Muscle Tone and Postural control
*Bilateral Coordination
*Executive Functioning Skills
*Self-Regulation
*Feeding Skills
*Self-Help Skills
PEDIATRIC PHYSICAL THERAPY
GROSS MOTOR SKILLS | MOBILITY | BODY FUNCTION | DEVELOPMENTAL | ORTHOPEDIC | NEUROLOGICAL
Our Physical Therapists will evaluate and create a customized on-on-one plan of care to assist your child in improving his/her daily function to reach maximum potential for independence and mobility.
What is Pediatric Physical Therapy?
Pediatric physical therapists (PTs) work with children and their families to assist each child in reaching their maximum potential to function independently and to promote
active participation in home, school, and community environments.
Physical therapists have expertise in movement, motor development, and body function
(strength and endurance). They apply clinical reasoning during examination, evaluation,
diagnosis, and intervention for children, youth, and young adults.
Our physical therapists are dedicated to providing individualized care that helps children with developmental, neuromuscular and orthopedic conditions to restore and enhance their development and enable them to participate in desired age appropriate family, community and school-based activities. Our PTs promote development in a play-based approach that can help children increase their strength, balance, coordination and motor skills.
Our pediatric physical therapy programs can provide significant benefits for:
*Gross motor skill deficits
*Limitations of range of motion and strength
*Balance and coordination difficulties
*Assessment for orthotics and equipment
*Toe walking
*Genetic syndromes (Down syndrome, muscular dystrophy)
*Cerebral palsy
*Brain trauma/injuries
*Developmental delays
*Autism spectrum disorders
*Hypotonia
*Torticollis
*General orthopedic injuries
*Spina Bifida
Appointment openings
Daytime openings for OT and ST at
Dumfries and Woodbridge Clinics