Services
Speech and Language Therapy
Speech-language pathologists, or SLPs, work with children and adults who have concerns or problems with talking, understanding, thinking, and swallowing. For children, concerns typically arise related to delayed development or an accident/illness. With adults, concerns usually arise with aging, an accident or a medical condition that impairs their ability to do what they used to be able to. A referral is needed from a medical provider prior to beginning speech and language therapy services so often a visit to your doctor is the first step in starting therapy.
Why should I choose Stewart Memorial?
The speech-language pathologists (SLPs) at SMCH are committed to providing specialized care that is tailored to your individual needs. Our speech-language pathologists continuously build on their professional skills to ensure they can meet patient needs for the highest level of care. Our speech-language pathologists have received advanced training and certifications in the following:
- Aging cognition management
- Aging voice therapy
- Deep Pharyngeal Neuromuscular Swallowing (DPNS) treatment
- Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing
- McNeil Dysphagia (swallowing) treatment
- Parkinson’s voice therapy
What should I expect at my appointment?
Please arrive 10 minutes early for your first appointment to complete intake paperwork. Most sessions are 40 minutes of one-on-one time with your therapist, though session lengths may vary depending on your needs.
During your initial visit, you’ll provide information about your concerns, affected activities, and medical history. Your therapist will then assess your abilities and daily life factors to create a personalized treatment plan aimed at achieving your goals.
Speech & Language Therapy Services
- Alternative communication device assessment and training
- Cognitive therapy for changes or declines
- Dementia therapy and training for caregivers
- Language use and understanding difficulty
- Parkinson’s therapy for voice loudness, speech clarity and swallowing
- Pediatric therapy for speech clarity, feeding, language use and developmental delays and disorders
- Speech clarity
- Swallowing difficulty
- Voice hoarseness, reduced loudness or lack of voice related to voice disorders or aging
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Frequently asked questions:
Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) evaluate and treat a wide range of communication and swallowing disorders across the lifespan. This includes:
- Speech production – helping individuals who have difficulty making sounds clearly (articulation) or coordinating the movements needed for speech (such as apraxia or dysarthria).
- Language – supporting understanding (receptive language) and expression (expressive language), including vocabulary, sentence structure, and following directions.
- Cognition – addressing skills like memory, attention, problem-solving, and organization, often affected by conditions such as stroke, brain injury, or neurological disease.
- Voice – evaluating and treating voice problems such as hoarseness, vocal strain, or changes in pitch or volume.
- Fluency (stuttering) – helping individuals improve speech flow and develop strategies to communicate more comfortably and confidently.
- Social communication – building skills for interacting with others, such as turn-taking, understanding social cues, and maintaining conversations.
- Feeding and swallowing (dysphagia) – identifying and treating difficulties with safely chewing and swallowing food or liquids, which may include exercises, strategies, and diet modifications.
Dysphagia means difficulty swallowing food or liquids safely. Therapy helps improve swallowing and reduce the risk of choking or aspiration.
Yes, speech therapy supports anyone who has difficulty communicating, thinking, swallowing at any stage of life.
- Children: SLPs help with speech development, language delays, stuttering, social communication, and feeding/swallowing issues.
- Adults: SLPs treat communication, cognitive (memory/thinking), voice, and swallowing problems—often related to conditions like stroke, brain injury, Parkinson’s disease, or aging.
Master of Arts, Certificate of Clinical Competence -Speech Language Pathology. A set of credentials that describe a speech-language pathologist’s education and certification.