Speech Language & Swallowing Program

Speech Language Disorders

Our Speech Language Pathologists use different, but complementary approaches to facilitate optimal functional communication:

• Maximize the patient's communication skills
• Compensate for remaining deficits

Patients who could benefit from Speech Language Therapy include those having difficulty with:

• Understanding spoken and written language
• Finding words to use (almost as if forgetting the language)
• Expressing information through writing
• Speech that is slurred, garbled, or difficult to understand
• Remembering verbal or written information
• Disorientation to person, place, time and/or situation
• Verbal reasoning for safety in daily living
• Sequencing tasks or information
• Thinking/language organizational skills needed for safety, managing finances, medications and other tasks associated with independent living.
• Changes in vocal quality- producing a voice that is hoarse, harsh, soft, breathy or strained.

Swallowing Disorders

Our Speech Pathologists provide evaluation and treatment of oral and/or pharyngeal swallowing deficits and difficulties. Patients who could benefit from our Swallowing Disorders Program include those having difficulty with:

• Swallowing different food or liquid
• Symptoms that may include coughing, choking or a feeling of food "sticking" in the throat.
• Drooling
• Chewing food
• Clearing food from mouth
• History of aspiration pneumonia
• Spitting out saliva, food or liquid

VitalStim Therapy for Swallowing

VitalStim Therapy sends small currents through the muscles in the throat to stimulate them. With repetitive therapy the Speech Language Pathologist is able to re-educate the muscles and patients are able to swallow normally again.