At Silver Linings, we provide speech therapy and evaluations for adults of any age with a variety of difficulties: word finding, executive function deficits, feeding and swallowing difficulties, voice issues, post-stroke deficits, brain injury deficits, and alternative communication needs.
If you have not previously been exposed to speech disorders, then you may have difficulty determining if you are at risk. Please see the following links for more detailed information on the various types of disorders that we offer treatment for in our clinic.
Augmentative and alternative communication is considered other modes of communication than verbal output, often supplied through the use of visuals and verbal feedback. AAC speech-generating devices can be low-tech, considered visual boards, posters, notebooks, pictures, and facial expressions.
Aphasia is an acquired neurogenic language disorder that can occur after a left hemisphere stroke or brain injury. Aphasia impacts all modalities of language: expression, comprehension, reading, and writing. The dominant symptom of aphasia is a difficulty with word finding, but people presenting with aphasia will also have deficits across all modalities, the severity of these deficits depends on the type of aphasia present.
Apraxia of speech is a motor speech disorder that targets the motor center in the brain. Apraxia manifests as an incoordination of the oral motor structures to make specific sounds.
Auditory processing disorder (APD) is a condition that affects the way the brain processes sound and background noise. Auditory processing difficulties can present as issues with following directions without visuals, recalling information when visuals are not provided, and understanding and hearing words correctly.
Central Auditory Processing Disorder Therapy (CAPDOTS) is a program for supporting and improving auditory processing difficulties. This program utilizes dichotic listening exercises to mature the peripheral auditory system, reduce ear advantages, reduce damage to the auditory nerve, improve auditory memory, and improve divided auditory attention.
Cognitive Communicative disorders can impact memory, attention, and executive functioning skills such as initiation, planning, time management, self-monitoring, cognitive flexibility, etc. These can occur following a stroke, brain injury, brain tumor, degenerative and progressive diseases, or other types of brain damage. Cognitive treatment focuses on compensatory strategies as well as activities to increase your success for daily tasks.
Dysarthria is defined by abnormalities in strength, speed, range, steadiness, tone, or accuracy of movements required for the five subsystems of speech (breathing, phonation, resonation, articulation, and prosody).
Dysphagia is a swallowing disorder that can present in an individual at any age. Some signs and symptoms that may indicate you are suffering from dysphagia include, but are not limited to: coughing during or after meals, feeling like something is stuck in your throat, your voice sounding wet after eating or drinking, being unable to clear food, food or drink spilling out your lips.
Adults may have difficulties with their fluency of speech, which presents as stuttering or cluttering. Fluency issues often start in childhood, but adults may acquire difficulties following injury or disorder that affects their speech. Treatment for fluency disorders in adults consist of implementing and practicing compensatory strategies. Treatment for fluency disorders will also have a large counseling component.
Language is described as our form, content, and use of words to express ourselves to others. This is considered separate from our production of speech sounds. A client may have deficits in language development without showing deficits in speech sounds.
The Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT)- LOUD is an intensive 4-week-long program for patients with Parkinson’s disease and other neurological conditions. This treatment focuses on increasing a patient’s vocal loudness. The goal of this program is to recalibrate the voice so that you are speaking with a normal loudness in different settings and events. For more information, please contact us!
Adults may experience strokes or traumatic brain injuries that can affect their speech, language, voice, and a variety of other things. If you are noticing difficulties or issues with speaking, feeding, comprehending, expressing, completing daily tasks, or more following an injury or stroke, please contact us!
A social communication disorder (SCD) is an impairment in the ability to interact and communicate appropriately with others.
Voice difficulties often present as an issue with loudness, voice quality, or rate of speech. This may sound like: a scratchy voice, breathy, strained, raspy, hoarse,inappropriately high or low, garbled or squeaking. Speech Language Pathologists are also able to work with transgender patients to achieve their desired vocal qualities.
Workshops are meant to support clients and their families. These are a great way to learn more about how to support friends and family outside of therapy rooms and clinic walls.