Language Therapy

Language consists of socially shared rules that may include word meaning, word endings (plurals, past tense, adverbs), sentence formation, and symbols. Language disorders can be considered expressive, receptive, or both. When a person has trouble understanding others (receptive language), or sharing thoughts, ideas, and feelings completely (expressive language), then he or she may have a language disorder and may be in need of language therapy. Many receptive and expressive disorders can be diagnosed and treated by a language therapists.

These include:

Receptive Language Disorder

A diminished ability to understand incoming information. A child with Receptive Language Disorder struggles to understand what is said to them, making listening and learning difficult. An individual may have difficulty understanding directions, age appropriate concepts, and the written/spoken rules of language. 

Expressive Language Disorder

A diminished ability to express wants, needs or ideas verbally. Children with Expressive Language Disorder might have a limited vocabulary and struggle to produce complex sentences. An individual may replace verbal communication with sign language, picture symbols, or augmentative communication. 

Auditory Processing Disorder

A disorder that affects how the brain processes spoken language. This makes it difficult to process verbal instructions, even to filter out background noise.

Pragmatic/Social Language Disorder

A diminished ability to respond appropriately to social situations with others in an age appropriate manner. Characteristics may include poor eye contact, poor topic initiation and maintenance, decreased awareness of personal space.  This disorder can limit a child’s ability to communicate effectively.

Augmentative Communication

The use of an alternative way to communicate, like pictures for example. This type of therapy could include the use of a communication device. 

Feeding Therapy

Targets the act of eating, which includes choosing to eat, bring food to the mouth and manipulating the food to swallow it. This therapy addresses aversions to foods and textures.

Swallowing Therapy

Targets the act of swallowing. Swallowing therapy could involve working on motor or sensory problems, which include sucking/suctioning, and chewing/swallowing. Swallowing problems can be in the oral (mouth), pharyngeal (throat) or esophageal (stomach pipe) phase.

Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy

Targets oral and/or facial muscles. Therapy involves increasing the person’s ability to “tell” their muscles where to go and what to do for ideal posture when at rest, and during swallowing. Tongue thrust, digit/thumb sucking and tongue-tie all fall under the orofacial myofunctional umbrella.