Pediatric Speech Therapy Services
San Francisco Bay Area
Ages 1-21 years
The Speech Path is a neurodiversity affirming speech-language pathology practice serving the Bay Area. Our team is committed to using evidence-based practices to help clients of all ages meet personalized, functional communication goals.
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Evaluations
Evaluations allows us to get to know your child and their communication needs. Evaluations consist of a caregiver interview followed by play-based assessment, informal criterion-referenced assessment, and/or standardized assessment. We will always review the results of the evaluation together and determine a personalized plan of care for your child.
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Individual Therapy
Your child may receive 1:1 speech therapy to target their functional communication needs. A variety of play-based, routine-based, or repetition-focused methods may be implemented based on your child’s needs and learning style.
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Group Therapy
Some skills are best learned or practiced in a group of peers! This format allows your child to develop and refine their communication skills with developmentally appropriate communication partners in a supportive clinical environment. Group speech therapy may be appropriate for children of all ages. Contact us to learn more about our PEERS group for autistic teens and play groups for toddlers.
Our Pediatric Speech Therapy Specialties
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Autism
Autism spectrum disorder is a brain-based developmental difference that impacts how individuals learn, interpret their world, and interact with others. We work with children across the autism spectrum to advance social communication skills by promoting engagement and enjoyment during naturalistic interactions. Our pediatric speech therapy services range from supporting the development of first words to fostering conversations and peer interactions for individuals with more advanced language skills. Teens interested in developing and maintaining friendships may be candidates for our PEERS® for Adolescents group.
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Apraxia
Childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) is a motor speech disorder impacting a child’s ability to plan the movement sequences needed for speech. A child with CAS often knows what they want to say but has a hard time learning or coordinating the complex movements (e.g., moving tongue, lips, vocal folds, etc) that are needed to speak. Speech therapy goals for childhood apraxia of speech focus on production of increasingly complex sound patterns using the principles of motor learning to improve your child’s ability to speak spontaneously and more clearly.
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Articulation
Articulation refers to the production of individual speech sounds. An articulation disorder, or errors in the production of one or more speech sounds, can make it difficult for a child to be understood. Treatment focuses on modifying a child’s erred productions to improve their speech clarity.
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Speech/Language Delay
Early intervention for speech and language delays is critical. A speech or language delay refers to when a child is not developing speech and language skills at an expected rate. Recognizing the signs of a speech or language delay is key for ensuring that your child receives the early intervention needed for their future personal and academic life. In accordance with current research, we provide early intervention for speech and language focused on parent and caregiver training to maximize the benefits of speech therapy.
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Stuttering
Stuttering is a fluency disorder that impacts the flow of speaking. Individuals may also experience psychological, emotional, and social challenges as a result of stuttering. Treatment can reduce the impact of stuttering by increasing the child and caregivers’ knowledge about stuttering, as well as providing strategies to support confident and effective communication.