ADHD

Speech and language therapy can be invaluable as an adjunct part of treating attention deficit hyperactive disorder in children as well as adults. Often children with ADHD have learning disabilities that affect speech and language development.

At Cornerstone, we develop an individualized treatment plan to include strategies for improving focus and attention to task and ultimately improving academic performance. Treatment for ADHD may include use of Interactive Metronome (IM) as deemed necessary and appropriate per the patient’s evaluation.

Augmentative Alternative Communication Systems

Technology is available today to assist in verbally communicating when means of verbal communication is limited or absent.

At Cornerstone, we are able to assist patients in choosing which device would be most beneficial, such as Dynavox, Ipad, etc. Technology that provides picture images matched with auditory output has proven to be a lifeline for those with impaired expressive communication abilities.

Fluency

Speech fluency refers to the smoothness or flow in which sounds, syllables, words, and phrases join together. Disorders of fluency primarily include stuttering and/or cluttering.

At Cornerstone, the goal of therapy is to bring the patient to awareness of his or her deficits and teach pacing of speech along with exercises for clear articulation. A home program is critical to the success of treatment for fluency disorders and is created to meet the specific needs of the individual patient.

Play Therapy

At Cornerstone Speech and Language, play therapy is the method used with preschool and young school aged children for assessing and treating speech and language disorders. Play therapy is defined as the employment of play activities with the intent of promoting language and learning skills through use of memorable targets appropriate for a specific child’s age. This method of speech therapy supports learning and retention via a comfortable, natural environment, active involvement, creativity, and flexibility. Play therapy can be both intrinsically and extrinsically motivated and incorporates watching, listening, exploring, and expressing language. The speech therapist at Cornerstone is able to assess deficit areas and our patients respond well to therapy, as verbal interaction takes place while in a natural play setting.

Aphasia

Aphasia is an impairment of language, affecting ability to speak, write, or understand language, both verbal and written. Aphasia is due to injury to the brain, often a stroke, but may also arise from head trauma, from brain tumors, or from infections.

At Cornerstone, the goal of speech and language therapy is to improve the person’s ability to communicate by restoring as much language as possible, teaching how to compensate for lost language skills, and finding other methods of communicating. Most patients make significant progress in recovery of language skills with consistent intervention.

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Patients diagnosed along the autism spectrum disorder can have major problems with both verbal and nonverbal communication as well as with social interaction.

At Cornerstone, we can assess and then address the wide range of communication problems commonly associated with the different degrees of autism.

Hearing Impaired

Speech therapy is critical in the development of listening and speech skills necessary for functioning in a hearing community.

At Cornerstone, we use American sign language, gestures, speech reading, and picture symbols (high and low tech) to facilitate comprehension of speech in both children and adults with hearing impairments.

Receptive and Expressive Language

A child with developmental language deficits can present with either a receptive (difficulty understanding), an expressive (difficulty expressing) language disorder, or a mixed receptive-expressive language disorder). Children may also present as functionally nonverbal, indicating that they communicate with very little or complete absence of verbalizations or functional speech. Early evaluation and subsequent speech therapy sessions on a regular basis help in yielding the most effective outcome.

Adults can also experience deficits in receptive and/or expressive language, often as a result of neurological damage such as a stroke, and can greatly benefit from speech therapy to relearn comprehension and production of language skill.

At Cornerstone, we address limited language skills or presence of nonverbal status with a highly interactive approach. A play therapy model is often used with children, allowing for a variety of interactive opportunities to increase comprehension and expression of language, either verbally or through use of an augmentative device as necessary.

Articulation/Phonology/Apraxia

Articulation therapy involves the assessment and correction of sound deviations, usually motor-based.

Phonological therapy targets a group of sounds with similar error patterns in an effort to help the child internalize phonological rules and generalize these rules to other sounds within the pattern.

Apraxia is a motor speech disorder that makes it hard for children to speak. A child with apraxia knows what he or she wants to say, but is unable to appropriately move muscles of the mouth to produce the desired message.

At Cornerstone, we understand that assessing and treating articulation, phonology, and motor speech disorders in young children before poor speech habits become habitual is critical to healthy development of speech and language.  

Cognitive Communication Disorders

Cognitive communication disorders result from an underlying cognitive deficit rather than from a primary language or speech deficit. These disorders often present as impaired functioning in one or more of the following areas:

  • Attention            
  • Memory
  • Perception
  • Insight and Judgment
  • Organization
  • Orientation
  • Language
  • Processing Speed
  • Problem Solving
  • Reasoning
  • Executive Functioning
  • Metacognition

Children and adults with cognitive communication disorders often have trouble participating in conversations, exhibit difficulty comprehending what is spoken and/or difficulty responding in a timely fashion. These individuals often have difficulty conveying their thoughts efficiently and effectively. Furthermore, difficulty reasoning and making decisions while communicating are common as is difficulty remembering conversations and experiences. The patient may lack “filters” necessary for appropriate social behavior and language, often resulting in unintentional disregard for another’s feelings. He or she may experience difficulty understanding basic modes of communication such as verbal instructions, movies, television, radio, and internet presentations, and some may experience difficulty with reading and writing, often resulting in school or vocational limitations.

At Cornerstone, the goal of treatment for cognitive communication disorders includes a combination of techniques to improve mental functioning, compensatory techniques for deficit areas, and educating the patient and family about the disorder and the best treatment options for each unique situation.

Interactive Metronome Therapy

Interactive Metronome* (IM) is a therapeutic assessment and training program based on the scientific premise that the brain has “neuroplastic” potential, allowing for positive change in the areas of attention, focus, concentration, motor planning, and sequencing. IM provides a structured, goal-oriented program that challenges the individual to synchronize a range of physical movements to a precise computer-generated beat. The goal is to attempt to match the rhythmic beat with the repetitive motor movements. IM works by integrating sight, sound, and physical movement, resulting in improved motor control and coordination, enhanced balance and gait, and improved language and cognition. Both children and adults can benefit from participating in the IM Program.

At Cornerstone, we often incorporate IM as part of therapy for school aged children and adults when focus, attention, and/or general cognitive abilities need addressing. In the general population, the IM program has been shown to enhance sports performance, improve academic performance, and improve overall brain fitness. Clinical studies have demonstrated exciting results when used with individuals diagnosed with a wide variety of physical and neurological conditions including:

  • ADHD
  • Apraxia/Dyspraxia
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder
  • Brain Injury
  • Auditory Processing disorder
  • Cerebral Palsy
  • Dyslexia
  • Sensory Processing Disorder
  • Stuttering
  • Language-Learning Disabled
  • Multiple Sclerosis
  • Parkinson’s Disease
  • Stroke
  • Spinal Cord Injury

Swallowing

Pediatric dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing, is a condition which can occur in one or more of the four phases of swallowing, risking aspiration of food or liquid into the trachea. Adult dysphagia is often a result of neurological damage, neurological disorders, or obstruction, such as a tumor or treatment for a tumor.

The goal of speech therapy is to improve the safety and efficiency of swallow by determining the phase or phases which are affected and implementing specific exercises to address such. At Cornerstone, we work closely with the parents or caregiver as different food textures and liquid consistencies are introduced and gradually adjusted to meet the needs of each specific patient.

Voice

A voice disorder can result from a number of different activities and medical conditions, including abuse or misuse of voice, smoking, nodules, cancer, radiation, stroke, and neurological disorders.

At Cornerstone, we can help an individual learn how to retrain and use the vocal cords and vocal tract so as to allow for healing of damage and improve voice effectiveness as well as to decrease injury potential. Sandi is LSVT-LOUD certified, which is a proven voice technique primarily designed to improve the quality and volume of voice in Parkinson’s disease related voice disorders, as this particular neurological disease can result in a voice disorder with weakened volume and poor breath support.