What Does a Speech and Language Therapist Do?

What Does a Speech and Language Therapist Do?

by Gordy Rogers, M.S. CCC-SLP Speech Therapist

Like so many professionals within the health care/education world, speech-language pathologists (a.k.a. speech therapists) do so much more than their job description would entail. Sure, they have specific training and often years of experience treating a variety of communication challenges; they can be counted upon to deliver powerful results. Yes, the main thing a therapist does is to directly treat speech and language challenges in a strongly goal-oriented and intensely focused manner. However, what many people don’t realize is that speech therapists often take on many additional roles to support your child and your family. It can leave anyone wondering, “what does a speech and language therapist do?” This post is dedicated to revealing some of these roles and explaining how parents can take advantage of these inclinations to further improve the life your child.

The old saying—that it takes a village to raise a child—really does apply here!

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5 Fast Fixes for “F” Sound Practice

by Courtenay M. At Home Ideas Language Development Parents' Corner Pronunciation & Lisps Speech Therapy Techniques

A few weeks ago, we covered methods to help your child correctly pronounce the sound of “TH”.  While the most commonly mispronounced sounds are r, l, s, ch, and sh, the sound of “F” as in “Fish” is particularly difficult for a number of people, especially young children. Are you hearing a “p” instead of an “f”? Do your fish live in a “pishbowl” instead of a “fishbowl”?  While we don’t have a Speech Buddy Tool designed to treat the mispronunciation of “f,” we do have suggestions to help your child with “f” sound practice.  Here are five fabulous facts and features to fix the sound of “f”.
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4 Tips for Managing Difficult Behaviors in Children

4 Tips for Managing Difficult Behaviors in Children

by Gordy Rogers, M.S. CCC-SLP Speech Therapist Speech Therapy Techniques

As SLPs, we have all dealt with our share of difficult behavior. I’ve certainly found myself at a loss for how to approach a client that has trouble with focus, motivation, or simply keeping “in line.”  After all, we work with children, so this should be expected to a certain degree. However, challenging behaviors can get in the way of our work, and we must do everything we can to avoid them. When they do occur, we must be prepared with reliable strategies to minimize their negative impact on the session at hand, and ultimately, on our entire therapeutic interaction with that client. The four strategies described below will provide you with a plan for managing difficult child behaviors as they arise, and getting you back on track with your therapy.
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Expedite Speech Therapy Results – Get Involved!

by Courtenay M. Parents' Corner
Expedite Speech Therapy Results

You CAN Help Expedite Speech Therapy Results – Get Involved!

Often, we are asked if parents should take an active role in the speech therapy process, or if it is best to leave all things therapy to the SLP. If a child is currently in a speech therapy regime, parents are unsure if additional practice work at home is detrimental or helpful. It is helpful! Think of it this way, if you are able to help your child overcome his or her speech disorder more quickly,  it will help boost his or her confidence and free you up to get on with your busy life.

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Will My Child Outgrow His Speech Challenge?

Will My Child Outgrow His Speech Challenge?

by Gordy Rogers, M.S. CCC-SLP Speech Therapist
Gordy Rogers

Gordy Rogers, M.S. CCC-SLP, Co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Speech Buddies.

This week’s post comes to us from our own Gordy Rogers, M.S. CCC-SLP, co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Speech Buddies, Inc., the makers of Speech Buddies Tools, as well as the owner of Brooklyn Speech Solutions, PLLC, a private practice in Brooklyn, New York.

Will my child outgrow his speech challenge? This question not only nags at all parents who are faced with addressing a child’s speech challenge, but is one that speech-language pathologists (SLPs) must seriously consider before beginning treatment.  This post aims to shed some light on this often murky question and to arm parents with better information so that they may be more informed partners in the treatment decision-making process.

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