Speech, language, and feeding services are provided by speech language pathologists. “Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) work to prevent, assess, diagnose, and treat speech, language, social communication, cognitive-communication, and swallowing disorders in children and adults” -ASHA
When to Make a Referral for SLP:
- Individual stops using previously acquired words/phrases and/or individual is not continuing to develop more original, flexible language
- Child is 2 years old and is not combining words and/or is <40% intelligible
- Child does not have all speech sounds mastered by age of 6
- Individual who stutters and has who has multiple risk factors: family history, stuttering for >6 months, physical tension and/or secondary factors, individual has negative reactions to their stuttering
- Communication or feeding changes or differences are:
- Expressed by the individual or their family as a concern
- Decreasing quality of life
- Pose a safety or health risk
See below for the areas that SLPs can support:
The Common Threads SLP team can also:
- Provide aural rehabilitation for Deaf and hard of hearing people
- Gender-affirming voice/communication changes for transgender people
- Train and educate families and other professionals
- Provide access to augmentative and alternative communication (AAC)
- Sign language, gestures, low technology systems (symbol board, picture exchange), mid technology systems (programmable switch), high technology systems (speech generating device)