Let's Connect offers comprehensive speech and language evaluations for toddlers, preschoolers, and school-aged children. Evaluations consist of a combination of parent interviews, informal observation, and standardized testing. Afterwards, a written report is provided detailing results and therapy recommendations.
Screenings
Let's Connect provides speech and language screenings for daycares, preschools, and elementary schools. A screening is a “snapshot” of a child's communication skills that helps determine if a comprehensive evaluation is warranted.
Pre-Literacy Classes
Let's Connect offers preschool pre-literacy classes called Reading-Ready, which focus on developing and strengthening children's phonological awareness skills and prepare them for learning to read. Weekly group classes extend over six to eight weeks and range in complexity based on the level and experience of students enrolled.
Therapy
Let's Connect provides individualized and evidence-based therapy treatment for a collection of speech and language needs. Therapy plans with targeted goals and treatment schedules are determined following an initial evaluation. Therapy visits include one-on-one or group sessions and conclude with verbal or written parent debrief for carryover of skills at home.
Articulation
Articulation is the ability to make and combine speech sounds in order to produce words for speaking. If an individual is struggling or unable to produce sounds correctly, it can be difficult to understand him and may lead to frustration.
Language
Receptive language describes the ability to understand language. Comprehension involves listening and processing a message to gain information.
Receptive language skills include:
Attending
Following Directions
Processing Vocabulary
Interpreting the Speaker's Message
Understanding Questions
Problem Solving
Inferencing
Expressive language is the ability to convey wants, thoughts, and ideas. It encompasses both verbal and non-verbal communication and is our ability to share about our day, maintain a conversation, and have our daily needs met.
Expressive language skills include:
Speaking in Complete Sentences
Facial Expressions
Vocabulary and Semantics (word and sentence meaning)
Morphology and Syntax (grammar)
Telling a Story
Giving Directions
Asking and Answering Questions
Gesturing and Signing
Reading (and Pre-Reading)
Reading and pre-reading include, but are not limited to, phonological awareness, decoding, vocabulary, reading fluency, reading comprehension, and written language skills. Difficulties with reading and writing often coincide with spoken language disorders. The American Speech and Language Hearing Association (ASHA) states that “spoken language provides the foundation for the development of reading and writing. Spoken and written language have a reciprocal relationship, such that each builds on the other to result in general language and literacy competence.”
Social Skills (Pragmatics)
Social language is the language used in everyday conversations. This language has to be altered according to a variety of social situations. Individuals with pragmatic language challenges may say inappropriate things during a conversation, tell stories in a disorganized manner, or have difficulty varying their language. In addition, they may have difficulties with the following:
Topic Maintenance
Tone of Voice
Eye Contact
Volume Control
Interpreting Social Cues
Turn Taking
Stuttering (Fluency)
Stuttering describes a fluency disorder that generally begins in early childhood before the age of five and often compromises overall intelligibility. Stuttering may be characterized by sound prolongations, partial or whole word repetitions, physical qualities (such as eye blinks), interjections (such as "um"), or blocks (pauses without sound). With intervention and the use of strategies, instances of stuttering can be reduced and even prevented.