What is a speech pathologist?
Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are university trained practitioners that prevent, assess, diagnose, and treat speech, language, social communication, cognitive-communication, and swallowing disorders in children and adults.
How many visits will I need?
The number of treatments will vary depending on the problem and individual. After a thorough assessment, the speech therapist will discuss their treatment plan for the rehabilitation process.
How do I know if my Health Insurance covers speech therapy services?
We recommend that you check with your health insurance provider to determine if speech therapy services are covered under your plan. Please confirm with your insurance the requirements they have.
Do I have to be referred by a doctor?
No, speech therapists can assess and treat without a referral. However, some health insurers require a doctor's referral before they authorize fees.
How do I make an appointment?
You can get in touch by phone (416) 666-9198 ) or use the form under the Contact Us page.
Where does the therapy take place?
We provide in-home and at-school speech and language therapy which offers convenience and comfort for our clients and their families.
No. If you think your child has a problem, call right away. Early identification and intervention in speech and language disorders proves to be more effective in helping your child to communicate.
Some children do grow out of speech and language delays, but many won’t, so do not wait and see. The earlier the problem is discovered and treated, the better the outcome for your child.
Many children repeat words or phrases as they learn to talk or when they are excited or tired. This can happen for short periods of time and then disappear. However, if you notice that this is happening frequently and for more than a few months - call us.
If you have any concerns about your child’s speech and language development and are wondering whether your child has difficulty hearing, you should arrange to have your child’s hearing assessed. Hearing problems can have a significant impact on the development of your child’s communication development.
No. Sign language is a type of Augmentative Communication. Signs can actually help a child to talk. Studies have actually demonstrated that children as young as 9 months have developed a large sign vocabulary, much earlier than their spoken vocabulary, and that these same children spoke earlier than same aged children.
The added bonus is that during your child’s learning of word pronunciation (which can sometimes take months for this connection to occur) they have a way to communicate with you that is not as physically challenging, thereby reducing everyone’s frustration!
No. Learning more than one language can be good for a child’s overall language and learning abilities in school. A child raised with more than one language will possibly:
- Develop a larger vocabulary
- Have a better understanding of how words sound and rhyme. This will help them when learning to write and spell
- Have access to more than one culture
- Research shows children who are strongly proficient in their first language will become strongly proficient in English. They will also do better in reading.
Some children present with what is known as a lisp.
Children learn to produce different sounds at different times. The ‘S’ and ‘Z’ sounds are often only mastered by the time a child is 7 or 8 years old. The presence of a lisp does not typically affect how well a child’s speech is understood though it does make his speech sound different from other children at school.
If your child is demonstrating a lisp – model a clear and exaggerated ‘S’ sound by clenching your front teeth and making a BIG smile. Emphasize the spreading of your lips. When your child says “thun” for sun, it’s best if you repeat the word stressing the ‘S’ sound (“SSSSun”). You can remind your child to keep his tongue in his mouth by saying “Oops! I saw your tongue. Stay in your house Mr. Tongue!” Also encourage your child to keep his tongue tip anchored behind his lower front teeth by saying “Let’s pretend Mr. Tongue is standing at the bottom window” (your teeth are like windows!)
Most of all make it FUN!!!
Ask us a Question
Feel free to ask any speech therapy related questions over the phone, or get send your question via this form below. Your message will be dispatched directly to our staff who will answer as soon as they can.