Language Therapy
HOLISTIC, FUN & EFFECTIVE
What do SLPs work on in language therapy?
THE 5 DOMAINS OF LANGUAGE
DOMAIN 1: PHONOLOGY
Helping children build the ability distinguish and use appropriate speech sound patterns when speaking, listening, reading and writing.
DOMAIN 2: MORPHOLOGY
Helping children understand and use grammatical markers and word structures in speaking, listening, reading and writing.
DOMAIN 3: SYNTAX
Teaching children how to use/understand appropriate word order in sentences.
DOMAIN 4: SEMANTICS
Helping children know the meaning of words and word combinations. This can be described as the vocabulary of language.
DOMAIN 5: PRAGMATICS
Supporting children’s understanding of social expectations around conversational exchanges and understanding other’s “points of view”.
THE COMMUNICATION HIERARCHY
Therapy may involve working on key foundational skills that support later-developing communication skills. These skills include early interaction and attention skills that pave the way for social communication, the ability to express oneself, and the ability to understand language in context.
HAVE A QUESTION?
What is AAC?
Augmentative/Alternative Communication (AAC) involves all the ways people communicate besides talking. AAC may be used for a short or long period of time, whenever verbal speech is not available or not preferred. There are many types of AAC including:
Low-tech/No tech options such as:
gestures and facial expressions,
writing,
drawing,
spelling words by pointing to letters, and
pointing to photos, pictures, or written words.
High-tech options such as:
using an app on an iPad or tablet to communicate
using a computer with a “voice," sometimes called a “speech-generating device”.
Language therapy with AAC may involve finding the right AAC system for your child and/or helping your child learn how to use their AAC system to communicate.
HAVE A QUESTION?
What can I expect in language therapy?
ASSESSMENT
A comprehensive assessment of language is completed based on your child’s age, stage of development, and general family concerns. How a language assessment is structured is highly individual, and usually begins by having a conversation with your child and reviewing important background information. Assessment measures may include observations, formal testing, and parent reports/surveys. Goals are developed based on assessment findings, targeting areas of language that will have the greatest impact on a child’s communication skills.
TREATMENT
Language therapy will look significantly different depending on the age of your child and which skills are targeted in treatment. Intervention may use a combination of play-based, drilled-based, and literacy based approaches to fully engage a child and provide maximal opportunities to practice language skills. Often there is a parent-coaching component to support generalization of skills at home. Sessions typically take place on a weekly basis and home practice is completed between sessions.
