Programs

Speech Pathology Associates provides assessment and therapy services to all individuals with communication disorders. In addition, we offer programs that reflect our specific areas of expertise.

SPEECH PATHOLOGY ASSOCIATES, INC.

AUTISM

All of our clinicians are experienced in and dedicated to the assessment and treatment of the speech and language disorders exhibited by children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Children are enrolled in individual therapy, toddler language groups, and/or social-cognitive groups depending on their specific needs as determined by the treating therapist. In addition, we work closely with the child’s school, physician, and other service providers to help each child reach their ultimate goal of effective communication.

Speech Pathology Associates is currently providing evaluations/recommendations for treatment at For OC Kids Neurodevelopmental Center at the University of California, Irvine.

GROUP PROGRAMS

TODDLER LANGUAGE GROUP: Ages 2 years-3 years, 5 months

The purpose of our Toddler Language Group is to facilitate the development and generalization of speech, language, social-pragmatic and play skills within the context of a naturalistic peer-driven environment. Our goal within Toddler Language Group is to create a fun, energetic, and nurturing environment in which young children can explore and develop their communicative competence with both adults and peers. With over ten years experience of running Toddler Language Groups, we have found that young children learn and retain information best when they are having fun! After all, it is through play that children learn language. With this in mind, it is our goal to create an environment that allows for plenty of play time that is filled with opportunities to laugh, share, take turns, move around, sing, read stories and practice, practice, PRACTICE developmentally appropriate language skills.

We currently run two Toddler Language Groups a week; each lasting two hours. The last ten minutes of each group are spent discussing each child’s individual progress and suggested home practice ideas with parents and/or caregivers. Children participate in either one or both sessions, depending on the specific needs of each individual child. Two licensed speech pathologists and an aide facilitate each group session and there are typically four to six children in a group.

All Toddler Language Group sessions are based on a theme that extends for two to four weeks. Examples of themes covered throughout the year include: Weather, Bugs, The Beach, Nursery Rhymes, and Transportation. Each group session is broken down into five parts which include: Directed Play, Circle Time, Craft Time, Snack Time, and Gross Motor Play which involves a Good-Bye routine.

SOCIAL-COGNITIVE GROUPS (SOCIAL SKILLS GROUPS): Ages 3 years, 5 months—18 years

Our Social-Cognitive groups, also known as Social Skills Groups at SPA, are designed to help school-age children develop and generalize social-pragmatic language and play skills into naturalistic, peer-driven environments. Social-Cognitive Groups at SPA are intentionally kept small and typically consist of two to five children. Maintaining a small group size allows participating children ample opportunity to learn through observation, focus on specific skill areas that are difficult and practice those skills with peers in a safe, supportive and encouraging environment. The groups also allow children to receive specific feedback regarding successful and unsuccessful communicative attempts and build self-confidence.

All Social-Cognitive Groups at SPA meet once weekly for sixty minutes. Most groups run in eight week modules, with a two week break between modules with the exception of preschool and kindergarten groups which run on a consecutive weekly basis with no breaks. Each group is lead by a licensed speech-language pathologist familiar with the treatment of children with social-pragmatic and language disorders.

Topics addressed within Social-Cognitive Groups include:

New Social-Cognitive Groups are created throughout the year based on availability of compatible peers (by age, language and cognitive level). Specific goals and objectives are identified for each child during a sixty-minute social skills screening that takes place prior to enrollment. Screenings are completed to assist in developing compatible groups that will function best for mutual learning between all children involved.

STUTTERING

Debbie Livesey, Leora Shaffer, and Christi Owen are our dysfluency experts and have worked together to develop treatment approaches based on the following philosophy:

Speech Pathology Associates understands that stuttering is a multi-faceted disorder affecting not only speech itself, but also the ability to communicate effectively and confidently across situations and environments. For this reason, our approach to therapy is a holistic one that incorporates fluency enhancing techniques with strategies to eliminate situational fears and avoidance behaviors that can undermine successful communication.

We offer treatment for individuals of all ages who stutter. For younger children, treatment can involve implementation of a home program to promote greater fluency, a more direct approach that targets fluent speech production, or a combination of the two. For adolescents and adults, treatment entails an integrated approach combining fluency shaping and stuttering modification techniques. Most importantly, the course of any treatment program will be individualized and tailored to meet the communication needs of the person who stutters and his or her family.

Goals for treatment will be based on these specific communication needs, established through a thorough initial evaluation process. Success in fluency treatment can be defined by a number of factors including increased speech fluency, an increased feeling of control in speaking situations, and the ability to use fluency management strategies independently and effectively when necessary. A strong commitment to the program is essential to successful treatment and maintenance of these skills.

CLEFT PALATE

Barbara Moore has been affiliated with the Cleft/Craniofacial Panel at Children’s Hospital of Orange County for 25 years. Barbara along with Michelle Wahlquist, Mary Warden, and Lisa Burger attend monthly Team meetings where they provide diagnosis and treatment recommendations for children born with cleft palate and related craniofacial disorders. In addition, they participate in CHOC’s nasoendoscopy clinic where they further assess children being considered for secondary surgical management of the palate. Based on the recommendations of the Team, SPA provides the child with individual speech therapy focusing on the correction of faulty articulation patterns and reduction of associated hypernasality.

SPA