Here at Acceleration we provide skilled speech pathology services to adults across the life span including young adulthood to the elderly population. Communication and swallowing disorders can affect adults following a neurologic event including strokes or traumatic brain injuries. They can also result from degenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). Our speech language pathologist targets communication and swallowing with a person-centered approach targeting functional skills to build and maintain independence through the aging process.
If you feel you may benefit from speech therapy, we offer a free 15 minute screen with our therapist to determine if a comprehensive evaluation is warranted to further identify areas of concern.
Common adult communication/swallowing disorders treated by our speech language pathologist include:
- Apraxia of speech following stroke or traumatic brain injury
- Aphasia (language disturbances) following a stroke or traumatic brain injury.
- Social skill and language impairments resulting from autism
- Fluency disorders (“stuttering”)
- Cognitive-communication disorders (memory, attention, thought planning/organization, judgment)
- Dysphagia (swallowing disorder)
- Voice disorders related to Parkinson’s Disease
Common therapy targets include, but are not limited to, voice rehabilitation for Parkinson’s patients, word finding abilities, increased memory and concentration skills, increased speech fluency, and swallowing abilities for a regular texture diet. Our speech language pathologist is a Speak Out! Provider certified through the Parkinson’s Voice Project.
What to expect
Evaluation
Our first step is an initial evaluation where you attend with any important caregivers/family members and our speech pathologist conducts an interview, administers formal assessments as appropriate, and educates your family regarding the most appropriate course of action. Therapy goals are then created based on your needs. Initial evaluations typically take 30-45 minutes with our speech language pathologist. Please plan to arrive 15-20 minutes early for your intake paperwork.
Treatment
Following our initial evaluation and the creation of goals, patients are typically seen one to two times per week depending on the needs of each individual. A typical therapy session is between 30 – 35 minutes long and includes structured tasks based on evidence-based intervention strategies. Loved ones/family are encouraged to participate to support your rehabilitation.
Home Program
Each patient is provided with weekly homework to target in the home program. These can include structured worksheet tasks or functional activities to target independently. The home program is an integral part of your success, speech therapy aims to build skills in the therapy room and if these skills are not practiced in function environments the benefit of therapy reduces significantly. The best thing to increase your opportunities for success is practice, practice, practice!