Expert Speech Sound Disorder Treatment & Therapy
Personalized, evidence-based care designed to help you or your child improve speech clarity and confidence.
Speech sound disorders and treatment affect individuals of all ages and varying severities! This type of therapy aims to assist those struggling with articulation, phonological processing, or speech clarity due to developmental delays, neurological conditions, or other speech sound disorders.
Speech sound therapy is all about helping you improve your articulation and how you produce sounds, as well as enhancing your intelligibility or how clearly you express your messages. These skills are really important in everyday life, and by working on them, you’ll notice a boost in both your quality of communication and your confidence!
At Verse, we’re proud to offer specialized therapists who use evidence-based treatments to craft personalized care plans just for you, helping you reach your communication goals. Plus, with both in-person and virtual options available, we make sure our services are convenient and accessible to everyone!
Explore Your Speech Sound Therapy Options
Speech therapy options are tailored to meet the unique needs of each individual and their families. These personalized therapies take into account a variety of factors, including the specific speech or language challenges faced, the individual's age, and their overall development. Additionally, family involvement is considered crucial, as support from family members can significantly enhance the effectiveness of the therapy. The goal is to foster effective communication skills in a supportive environment, adaptable to the preferences and strengths of each individual and their family unit.
Articulation Therapy
Articulation therapy targets the correct production and/or muscle movements of individual sounds while progressing through the speech hierarchy (sounds-words-phrases-sentences-paragraphs-in distraction and spontaneous conversation), aiming to improve overall speech clarity and intelligibility.
Phonological Therapy
Phonological therapy is a specialized intervention that focuses on identifying and addressing specific patterns of sound errors produced by individuals. This therapeutic approach aims to enhance the intelligibility of speech, thereby improving how well others can understand the individual. Additionally, phonological therapy is critical in developing essential phonological skills crucial in literacy, particularly reading!
Oral Motor Exercises
At times, your speech therapist may implement oral motor programs and exercises designed to enhance the strength and coordination of the muscles necessary for producing clear and intelligible speech. These programs typically focus on various orofacial structures, including the tongue, jaw, and lips, which play a crucial role in articulation and speech clarity.
Visual and Tactile Cues
Cueing is important as you or your child works through speech sound production. Our therapists are skilled at cueing via a telehealth platform, allowing you to receive audio, visual, and model support to help you produce the sound correctly.
Technology-Assisted Learning
Our telehealth platform allows our SLPs to utilize a wide range of therapeutic tools, allowing for an engaging and dynamic therapy experience. The convenience of virtual sessions facilitates accessibility and ensures that you remain motivated during your time with us. Additionally, our SLPs will encourage you to practice the skills you've learned in your sessions independently. Don't hesitate to ask your SLP about any home practice opportunities that can further enrich your therapeutic journey.
Speech sounds play a vital role in effectively communicating our thoughts, desires, and needs. Ensuring clarity and intelligibility in speech is essential for successful communication. If you’re interested in understanding how to improve or address any speech-related concerns, schedule a consultation to explore the right options tailored to your specific needs.
Understanding Speech Sound Disorders
The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) describes speech sound disorders as an umbrella term that refers to any difficulty or combination of difficulties with the perception, motor production, or phonological representation of speech sounds and segments—this includes phonotactic rules that govern permissible sequences of speech sounds in a language.
Articulation Disorders
Articulation disorders generally mean having a tough time with certain sounds. For example, instead of saying the word correctly, like "rabbit," someone with this type of disorder might say something like “wabbit."
Phonological Disorders
Phonological disorders manifest as patterns or predictable errors, such as producing front sounds at the back of the mouth (for example, instead of "dog," it might be pronounced "gog") or omitting the end sound of a word (e.g., "truck" may sound like "truh"). These errors can significantly impact speech intelligibility and may lead to further difficulties with literacy development.
Apraxia of Speech
Apraxia of Speech can be acquired or congenital, meaning one can be born with it. This condition occurs when an individual experiences difficulties with the motor planning and coordination required for producing clear and intelligible speech. Specifically, those affected may struggle to sequence the movements needed for speech sounds, which impacts their ability to communicate effectively and clearly.
Dysarthria
Dysarthria is a motor speech disorder characterized by weakness and/or lack of coordination of the muscles involved in speech production. This condition can lead to slurred, slow, or unclear speech, making it challenging for individuals to communicate effectively.
Fortunately, speech sound therapy offers effective solutions to build clarity and confidence in communication
Benefits of Speech Sound Therapy
Speech sound therapy can significantly improve your quality of life. The ability to communicate clearly and effectively is truly an amazing benefit! Additionally, it enhances speech intelligibility, allowing for better understanding in conversations. This improvement not only fosters personal relationships but also boosts confidence in social and professional endeavors.
Enhanced Speech Clarity
Speech therapy is designed to assist individuals in articulating their thoughts, wants, and needs clearly and efficiently. This therapeutic practice focuses on enhancing verbal communication skills, and helping individuals express themselves more effectively in both personal and professional settings. Through tailored exercises and techniques, speech therapy aims to improve pronunciation, diction, and overall speech quality, enabling individuals to communicate more successfully and confidently.
Strengthened Communication Skills
Participating in speech therapy will also allow you to improve your overall communication by enhancing articulation skills and decreasing or eliminating phonological issues that are causing low intelligibility.
Increased Confidence in Social Settings
Working with your speech therapist not only helps you improve your speech intelligibility but also significantly boosts your self-esteem. As you progress towards your goals, you will likely notice positive changes in how you view yourself and your abilities.
This therapeutic journey is beneficial not just for communication skills but also for confidence!
Why Choose Verse Therapy for Virtual Speech Sound Therapy?
At Verse, the therapists are available in all US time zones and have the availability to be flexible with scheduling. We work with your schedule, and you can participate in the comfort of your own home!
Convenience
At Verse, you have the availability to participate in your home, no more long commutes and busy waiting rooms!
Flexibility
Our therapists have a wide range of availability, allowing us to see you whenever it is convenient for you and your family.
Accessibility
With virtual speech therapy you have access to high-quality therapists, no matter where you live!
Personalized Care
Our speech therapists prioritize evidenced-based therapeutic practices while tailoring your speech therapy to your needs. You are always involved in our care, and we work with you to meet your personal goals.
What to Expect from Speech Sound Therapy
01Initial Consultation
At Verse, our speech-language pathologists (SLPs) take the time to review your history before developing an assessment plan. During your evaluation, you will discuss your past medical history and speech therapy goals. You will also participate in a variety of assessments (both formal and informal) to assess your speech sound abilities and concerns further. If time permits, your SLP will review the findings and discuss your speech therapy goals.
02Personalized Treatment Plan
Speech sound therapy treatment plans are meticulously crafted to align with your specific communication goals. They take into account the various areas assessed during your evaluation and are informed by the insightful observations made by your Speech-Language Pathologist. Each treatment plan is uniquely tailored to reflect the individual needs and aspirations of each person undergoing therapy. Importantly, you will always play an active role in developing and refining your personalized treatment plan, ensuring it effectively addresses your unique challenges and objectives.
03Ongoing Sessions
Once a schedule for your recurring sessions is established, your speech-language pathologist will monitor your progress. This involves documenting daily notes and collecting data to track improvements and areas that may require further attention. Through this process, the SLP can ensure that the therapy is effective and tailored to your evolving needs.
04Family and Caregiver Involvement
Feel free to chat with your speech therapist to learn ways to provide practice at home or for tips on improving communication with the individual participating in therapy to improve your speech sound production!
Meet Our Speech Sound Therapists
Erica Thomas
Erica is an experienced Speech-Language Pathologist with over 10 years of clinical expertise, treating patients from 6 months to 108 years old. She specializes in various speech and language disorders and holds LSVT certification for Parkinson's voice concerns.
Lisa Ceballo
Lisa is a seasoned speech-language pathologist with a decade of experience in diverse settings, serving individuals from children to the elderly. She holds an M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology, is licensed in California and Florida, and values holistic, evidence-based approaches.
Zhenyu Fu
Zhenyu is a passionate Speech-Language Pathologist dedicated to enhancing communication skills. He focuses on functional goals, family involvement, and specialties like fluency and gender-affirming voice therapy, aiming to empower clients and improve their quality of life.
FAQs About Speech Sound Therapy
Speech sound disorders can arise from various reasons, such as being born with them, learning them over time, or even developing them later on.
The timeline can vary quite a bit! Depending on factors such as, the severity of the situation, your motivation, and how much practice you put in, it could take anywhere from about three months to several years.
The technique employed in therapy will vary depending on the type of speech sound disorder you have (e.g., individuals with articulation concerns will spend time in speech therapy drilling sounds 50-100 times, but someone with phonological concerns would spend therapy learning the differences between sounds and possibly exercises such as minimal pairs (practicing words that differ by one sound)).
Absolutely! Speech therapy is an excellent resource for individuals looking to enhance their articulation and tackle phonological concerns. In a supportive and structured environment, speech therapists work closely with clients to identify specific challenges they may face in pronouncing words correctly and producing sounds accurately. Through tailored exercises and strategies, clients can develop clearer speech patterns and boost their confidence in communication.
Anyone and everyone is eligible to participate in speech sound therapy. Treatment for speech sound disorders can affect people in mild ways (for instance, after a dental procedure, their /s/ sound might be different). Alternatively, someone you care about may have had a stroke, resulting in slurred and hard-to-understand speech. Either way, we’re here for you and ready to provide support!
Treating a speech sound disorder can be intimidating and sensitive and may cause uncertainty. At Verse, we can assist you in eliminating your speech sound concerns. Schedule a complimentary intake consultation with one of our intake specialists to start on your journey today!