Therapies Designed to Heal
We provide individualized therapy using a data-driven, diagnostic- prescriptive approach. Our customized approach for each client are designed to improve:
RECEPTIVE LANGUAGE/LANGUAGE PROCESSING / LISTENING COMPREHENSION:
For patients with receptive language deficits, we work to improve the understanding and use of language in all forms: semantic, syntactic, phonological, morphological, and pragmatic.
Auditory Processing:
We provide direct therapies to improve weaknesses in such areas as auditory discrimination, auditory memory, binaural integration, phonemic awareness, decoding, as well as the teaching of meta-linguistic, meta-cognitive, and self-advocacy strategies.
EXPRESSIVE LANGUAGE:
For patients with limited verbal expression, we provide stimulation and practice to expand language concepts and vocabulary and verbal output, using the most comfortable, productive, and appropriate modalities available.
SPEECH PRODUCTION/LANGUAGE STIMULATION:
We work to improve speech intelligibility in children and adults due to developmental delays and/or acquired speech and language deficits.
SOCIAL/COMMUNICATION/PRAGMATIC LANGUAGE AND PLAY SKILLS:
We work to improve the awareness and application of play and pragmatic language skills in children with Autism Spectrum disorders and Non-Verbal Learning Disabilities. Small homogeneous groups are also offered, based on interest and availability.
Speech Fluency:
We provide guided instruction and practice in fluency-enhancing strategies, building a ‘toolbox’ from which patients can draw to, improve verbal fluency and self-esteem.
PROBLEM SOLVING/CRITICAL THINKING:
For patients with language and metalinguistic weaknesses, we work on higher order thinking skills such as making inferences, drawing conclusions, idiomatic expressions, "reading between the lines", and making use of contextual cues to improve comprehension.
Writing/Organization:
We provide guided instruction and practice to improve sentence, paragraph, and multi-paragraph formulation and organization through structured writing, graphic organizers, templates, and editing strategies, including, EmPOWER, Project Read, and University of Kansas.
Reading (Decoding, Spelling, Fluency):
Intensive, systematic,and individual rule-based reading programs including the Orton-Gillingham approach and the Wilson Reading Program.
Study Skills and Time Management:
For students with organizational difficulties, we work towards student proficiency in and independent use and application of a variety of meta-cognitive strategies for application to content area materials.
Reading Comprehension:
We work to improve the ability to understand main ideas and detail through active reading strategies, using Project Read, University of Kansas strategies, Visualizing strategies, and Thinking Maps, among others.
Social Cogntive Groups for Teens/Adults:
We provide problem-solving experiences, pragmatic instruction (role playing, video modeling), and strategic learning principles to improve communication skills.
ABA-BASED EDUCATIONAL THERAPY:
For parents looking to provide their children on the autism spectrum with hands-on individualized instruction and behavioral supports, this is specialized tutoring for ASD students. We offer educational therapy that combines a modified ABA approach with specific learning objectives, with a focus on the core areas impacted by autism, specifically social pragmatics and cognitive skills while using data collection, discrete trial training and generalization of skill approach.
ADULT SPEECH AND LANGUAGE:
We provide intensive speech and language therapy to improve communication in patients with acquired disorders, such as apraxia, dysarthria, aphasia, and Parkinson’s disease.
As a part of our intensive speech, language, auditory processing, and educational therapies, we offer many programs. Some therapeutic interventions are specific and proprietary such as those listed. Other interventions are more eclectic in nature, incorporating features from a variety of sources or approaches for meeting patient needs.
Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing® for Reading, Spelling and Speech teaches phonemic awareness of vowels and consonants through a tactile/kinesthetic approach for children and adults who have difficulty discriminating sounds in words and decoding.
Nancibell Visualizing and Verbalizing® for Language Comprehension and Thinking is designed to systematically improve concept imagery via the ability to visualize what we read. From learning to visualize words, sentences and text, this program helps improve the comprehension of main ideas (gestalt), critical thinking, and expressive language through the structured, descriptive retelling and higher order integration of information read in passages.
EmPOWER Method For Teaching Expository Writing created by Dr. Bonnie Singer and Dr. Anthony Bashir is an explicit method that guides students through the writing process. Students learn and internalize the structured steps for writing text and can achieve independence in planning, executing, and analyzing their own writing.
The Wilson Reading System is a researched-based reading and writing program for teaching decoding and encoding through phoneme segmentation and syllable rules. It is based on the Orton-Gillingham approach and features structured lessons presenting all six syllable types and their exceptions in 12 units. Each lesson includes word attack, spelling, reading and fluency practice and progress is assessed and charted for mastery. Professionals who are qualified to use this approach have participated in intensive coursework and supervised training and hold one of two levels of certification.
Project Read by Language Circle Enterprises provides training and materials in three curricular strands. The Reading Comprehension strand includes Story Form, Report Form for children and adults. The Written Expression strand teaches sentence structure and paragraph development for first graders to adults. The Decoding strand includes Phonology and Linguistics which provide direct teaching of decoding and encoding skills through multisensory strategies for students from primary grades to adults.
University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning provides strategies training and materials to professionals based on well researched instructional sequences, content enhancement routines and controlled practice. These include strategies for reading, writing, studying, and remembering.
PECS® is one form of augmentative and alternative communication used to spur speech and language development in delayed preschoolers and also to provide a means of functional communication for delayed and nonverbal children on the autism spectrum.
LSVT LOUD is an intensive research-based therapy designed to improve the vocal loudness and articulation changes associated with Parkinson's Disease and other neurological disorders.
A therapy designed to improve expressive speech and language in some patients with expressive aphasia.
An on-line therapy to improve binaural integration and binaural separation deficits in patients with CAPD.