Frequently Asked Questions:
What is speech-language pathology?
Speech-language pathology is a health profession aimed at helping individuals develop effective communication skills. Professionals in this field are educated and trained to evaluate and treat children and adults with speech, language and swallowing problems.
What is a speech?
Â Speech is the verbal means of communicating. Speech consists of the following:
Â Articulation: How speech sounds are made (e.g., children must learn how to produce the “r” sound in order to say “rabbit” instead of “wabbit”).
Voice: Use of the vocal folds and breathing to produce sound (e.g., the voice can be abused from overuse or misuse and can lead to hoarseness or loss of voice).
Fluency: The rhythm of speech (e.g., hesitations or stuttering can affect fluency).
What is language?
Language is made up of socially shared rules that include the following:
- What words mean (e.g., “star” can refer to a bright object in the night sky or a celebrity)
- How to make new words (e.g., friend, friendly, unfriendly)
- How to put words together (e.g., “Peg walked to the new store” rather than “Peg walk store new”)
- What word combinations are best in what situations (“Would you mind moving your foot?” could quickly change to “Get off my foot, please!” if the first request did not produce results)
What is Social Language (Pragmatics)?
Â At MSSTherapy, we also take pride in creating social groups to assist others in their ability to use language in social contexts. Incorporating verbal and nonverbal communication, pragmatic skills are the essence of communication. Each culture has its own pragmatic use of language including turn taking, attention to task, greetings, idioms, jokes, slang, affect, and tone of voice.
What is a speech-language evaluation?
Â A speech-language evaluation at MSSTherapy is performed by a certified and licensed speech-language pathologist to gain insight into a child’s developing speech language and communication skills or an adult’s communication abilities. A speech-language pathologist will obtain a variety of scores from the tests utilized in the evaluation. These scores (standard scores, age equivalents and percentile ranks), as well as information from other types of tests, help the speech-language pathologist determine if a child/adult has delayed or disordered language.
What tests are used in a speech-language evaluation?
Formal/standardized test can be administered to evaluate a child’s comprehension of language, expressive language, articulation and receptive and expressive vocabulary skills. A battery of tests can be administered to evaluate an adultâ€™s communication and cognitive abilities. Informal tests may include an oral-motor examination, language samples, some structural play interactions, caregiver questionnaires and checklists that will help provide additional information to supplement the formal tests administered.
Why is a speech-language evaluation beneficial?
The recommendation from a speech-language assessment may address:
- Social skills, social language and social interaction treatment goals
- Provide educational recommendations (i.e., class size, level of structure, etc.)
- Ideas for activities at home that will help facilitate language/communication/play/social skills
- Linguistic, oral-motor, gesture and related communication treatment goals
- Alternative communication methods such as pictures, sign language and other AAC
What if my insurance is not accepted?
MSSTherapy can also act as an out-of-network provider. We can provide the service and you can pay via cash, certified funds, or credit card and we will provide you with a receipt. You can then submit this information to your insurance for reimbursement. You may also consult with your accountant to determine if services can be a deduction or of benefit to you when you file.