Overview
Speech-language therapy helps children and teens achieve a better quality of life by improving their everyday communication skills. They can also treat children with feeding or swallowing problems.
M Health Fairview Pediatrics speech-language pathologists build compassionate, supportive relationships with young people and their families. They can evaluate possible speech or swallowing difficulties and will partner with your family to design an individualized therapy plan that fits your child’s needs and goals.
When kids reach their speech, language, and feeding goals they feel more confident, assured, and capable in their social interactions, both inside and outside of the home.
Our approach
Our goal is to make a positive and lasting impact on children and teens who are experiencing communication difficulties or feeding and swallowing challenges. As pediatric speech-language pathologists, we are committed to finding solutions to a wide range of challenges for our young patients, so they can live their best lives.
Speech-language pathology services at M Health Fairview are located throughout the Twin Cities metro area, so you can find a clinic that is convenient for you and your family. Our highly trained experts create a warm, encouraging environment to help your child practice new language skills, learn to enjoy communicating, or overcome feeding and swallowing difficulties.
Our team specializes in assessing, diagnosing, and treating young patients with speech, language, and feeding difficulties that may originate from neurodevelopmental conditions, developmental delays, muscular disorders, or traumatic injury. Since each child or teen is unique, we will create a treatment program customized to their specific needs, which includes a home therapy regimen to complete in conjunction with therapy visits at an outpatient clinic.
If you're a parent, you may be wondering what to expect when your child or adolescent starts speech-language therapy. At the first visit, the speech-language pathologist will conduct an evaluation of your child or teen’s speech, language, reading, or feeding abilities. They’ll talk to you about their current and past medical history and your concerns about their ability to communicate or eat. The therapist may observe your child as they eat and drink, their interactions with you, and they may conduct standardized tests. Once the evaluation is complete, you may receive a diagnosis and recommendation for speech-language therapy, which could include the following methods:
- Child and family-centered care with parent involvement
- Play-based communication activities with modeling and prompting of language at age-appropriate levels
- Skilled support and hands-on techniques to guide the child to learn new skills or regain skills
- Instruction for children and parents on techniques and recommendations for home practice
- Instruction on strategies to improve oral motor strength and coordination. Recommend changes to diet, including food texture and liquid thickness, or feeding equipment to decrease the risk of aspiration. Teach how to use electronic devices and sign language as alternative communication methods
- Instruction to improve executive function abilities, including short-term memory, working memory, problem solving/goal setting skills, reasoning skills, prioritization skills, and attention to tasks
If your child or teen is having difficulty communicating with others – whether the problem results from speech, language, cognition, or voice – we can help them improve their skills and enjoy social interactions.