CHILDREN
 |
|---|
Orofacial/myofacial
Orofacial/Myofacial
An orofacial/myofacial disorder, such as tongue thrust and facial droop, is characterized by atypical strength, coordination, or range of movement of the muscles of the face, tongue, or jaw. An orofacial/myofacial disorder can occur following a stroke, brain injury, damage to the nerves or muscles of the face, certain surgical complications, surgical reconstruction, or as part of a paediatric developmental or congenital profile. Pathologies in the muscles of the face may interfere with speech clarity, feeding, eating, swallowing, facial aesthetics, and positioning of the jaw, tongue, or lips at rest.
A Speech Pathologist can provide assessment, recommendations, and therapy for the conditions associated with orofacial/myofacial disorders.
Language Delay
 |
|---|
Language Delay
A language delay is the late development of clear and meaningful words compared to other typically developing children. A child may produce far fewer words compared to others his/her age; may produce a generic “uh” in reference to all objects in his/her environment; or may look at objects or people without producing accompanying words. Language development is an important component for the development of speech sounds, literacy, and socialization.
A Speech Pathologist has specialized training that follows clinically- and evidence-based practices to help stimulate language development. A Speech Pathologist will create a personalized therapy program that is fun for both parent and child. Jordan Dyment is also a certified member of the Hanen Centre in Toronto.
 |
|---|
Articulation
Articulation
An articulation disorder occurs when there is distortion, substitution, or deletion of the sounds produced in speech. Distortions can occur across the board (e.g. all “r” sounds are produced as “w”) or as part of a phonological disorder (e.g. producing “r” as “w” in a word like “crying”).
A Speech Pathologist can help by providing assessment; by identifying the difficulties as idiopathic, orofacial/myofacial, or other; and by developing and implementing an appropriate therapy program.
A Speech Pathologist can also provide accent adjustment services. For example, some languages lack vowels and consonants that are present in English, making it difficult for people who speak English as a second language to produce those sounds clearly and accurately. Through rigorous exercise, a Speech Pathologist can help improve the production of those sounds in order to increase the overall clarity of speech.