Services

Speech & Language Therapy

At Silver Linings, we provide speech therapy and evaluations for people who are at risk or show signs of a speech or language disorder.

Our experienced team of Huntsville-based speech-language pathologists can customize treatment plans to meet the individual needs of each patient. We are dedicated to helping our clients improve their communication skills by providing the most up-to-date therapy techniques available.

Speech and language therapy is a vital service for children and adults of all ages that helps improve language skills and communication. It can help those with communication challenges or disorders, such as autism, dyslexia, hearing loss, speech impediments, and other developmental delays. Speech-language pathologists use various techniques to assess a person's communication status and create an individualized treatment plan that focuses on improving their communication abilities. Speech therapy may involve activities such as role-playing, conversation practice, articulation drills, language exercises, articulation training, and more. With the help of a dedicated speech therapist specializing in speech impairments or speech disorders, people can learn to communicate more effectively in their everyday lives.

Pediatric Services

Adult Services

Screenings

Evaluations

Groups & Workshops

Speech Therapy Staff

Speech and Language Therapy in Huntsville, AL

A speech and language therapist can help adults with various communication needs. Through personalized programs, an experienced speech pathologist can help improve adult language skills, including speech therapy for:

  • Stuttering/cluttering
  • Articulation, voice, and accent modification
  • Understanding/expression of language
  • Feeding and Swallowing disorders

Additionally, therapy with a speech and language pathologist can also help with social aspects such as group conversation skills and public speaking. Speech-language therapy is beneficial for many adults to improve overall communication and quality of life.

Speech and Language Therapy for Children

Speech and language therapy can help children of all ages with a variety of communication needs. A speech-language pathologist (SLP) can evaluate and diagnose communication disorders and provide individualized services to improve speech and language abilities. From early developmental skills to more advanced literacy, our SLPs can assess the child's development and needs and create a plan that works best for their progress. Speech therapy helps children learn and develop essential skills needed for communication and academic success, including therapy for:

  • Speech sound disorders (difficulty producing certain words and sounds)
  • Language disorders (difficulty following directions or putting words into sentences)
  • Voice disorders (related to voice quality, rate, or loudness)
  • Fluency disorders (stuttering and cluttering)
  • Feeding and Swallowing disorders
  • Social language disorders (social skills training)
  • Phonological awareness (skills that underly reading skills, ex., sound identification)
  • Deficits related to traumatic brain injury and/or stroke
  • Cognitive skills (recall of information and sequencing of everyday tasks)

What Does an Evaluation Look Like?

Evaluating a person's speech disorder involves getting an in-depth understanding of their communication needs and difficulties. Speech therapists will typically start by analyzing the patient's history, medical records, physical examination, family background, and other factors. The therapist will choose an evaluation tool depending on the concerns of the patient and the patient's family. This could include:

  • swallowing evaluation with water and different food consistencies
  • cognitive screener that evaluates memory, language, and executive functioning skills
  • stuttering evaluation with picture descriptions or conversation samples
  • language development evaluation with naming tasks, following directions tasks, and reading and writing assessments
  • social language checklist to determine areas that are affecting the quality of life

Additionally, your therapist may use standardized measures and assessments to measure the severity of the disorder and track a patient's progress. By closely monitoring the individual's improvement over time, speech therapy can develop comprehensive treatment plans that provide long-term practical results.

How are Speech and Language Disorders Treated?

Speech and language disorders are often treated with a combination of therapy and counseling. Speech-language pathologists will assess the patient's communication abilities, develop an individualized treatment plan, and provide intensive instruction in areas such as articulation, grammar, vocabulary development, reading, writing, and social skills. Counseling may also be necessary to help a patient gain insight into their condition and practice techniques to improve communication both socially and in the workplace. With specialized intervention and support, people with speech or language disorders can reach their communication goals and learn to express themselves more meaningfully.

If you have not previously been exposed to common speech disorders, you may have difficulty determining if you or someone you love is at risk. Please see the following links for more detailed information on the various types of disorders that we offer treatment for in our Huntsville clinic.