Speech-Language Pathology (SLP)/Speech Therapy Evaluation and Treatment

Also known as: speech-language therapy, SLP.

What is speech therapy?

Speech therapy is an intervention that targets improving a child’s ability to understand and express language. The therapy is conducted by a medical professional known as a speech-language pathologist.

What happens during the treatment?

Speech-language therapy encompasses the following areas:

Articulation
Fluency
Voice
Receptive/Expressive Language
Play
Oral-Motor.

A formal assessment is conducted to determine the areas of deficit and goal plans are created.

Is any special preparation needed?

A prescription from a medical provider (i.e., pediatrician, sub-specialist) is required to initiate scheduling the evaluation.

What are the risk factors?

There are no risk factors related to speech therapy.

Reviewed by: Jamie Tarshis

This page was last updated on: May 13, 2022 09:42 AM

Pediatric Rehabilitation Services

The Rehabilitation Services at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital serve the therapeutic needs of infants, children and adolescents.

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Communication and Feeding Difficulties: Does My Child Have Autism Spectrum Disorder?

April 14, 2021 – Why is my child not communicating? Why are mealtimes such a battle? These are some of the questions that speech-language therapists are asked when first meeting families seeking therapy for a young child. Sometimes, it is not just a lack of “speech” or difficulties eating that are the focus of our evaluation. Sometimes we are the first to tell parents or caregivers that the child has what we call “red flags for autism.”

Learn more about

Voice Disorders

Voice disorders are a broad category of medical conditions congenital and acquired; acute or chronic that affect the loudness, pitch, quality or resonance of a child's voice. Would you like to learn about more ways to get involved at Nicklaus Children's?*

Feeding Disorders or Difficulties

The terms feeding disorders or feeding difficulties are frequently used to refer to infants and children who have problems with eating enough and/or an appropriate variety of foods. Would you like to learn about more ways to get involved at Nicklaus Children's?*

Articulation Impairment

Any incorrect production of sound due to an abnormality of one or more parts of speech production is called an articulation disorder Would you like to learn about more ways to get involved at Nicklaus Children's?*

Phonological Process Disorders

A phonological process disorder is a form of speech disorder in which there is difficulty organizing the patterns of sounds in the brain which results in an inability to correctly form the sounds of words. Would you like to learn about more ways to get involved at Nicklaus Children's?*

Tracking Rehabilitative Advancement through Accountable Care (TRAAC)

TRAAC (Tracking Rehabilitative Advancement through Accountable Care) is the service delivery model of care for rehabilitation at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital. Would you like to learn about more ways to get involved at Nicklaus Children's?*

Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)

Communication systems, strategies and tools that replace or supplement natural speech are known as augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Would you like to learn about more ways to get involved at Nicklaus Children's?*