"I am different, not less." ~ Temple Grandin
Welcome to Speech-Language!!
The speech-language therapists of Center/Sylvester School provide direct therapy services to children in grades preschool through four. Services vary and can be a combination of in class support, pull-out therapy, and consultation. We work collaboratively with regular education teachers, special education teachers, occupational and physical therapists, and the school psychologist. Our mission is to improve the students' overall communication skills, in a variety of school environments.
Please browse through our pages and feel free to contact us with any questions!
Please browse through our pages and feel free to contact us with any questions!
What We Do:
- Provide speech-language therapy services for a variety of disorders/disabilities
- Develop Individual Education Programs (IEPs)
- Lead Social Language/Social Skills Groups
- Evaluate students: Formal evaluations/Speech screenings/Preschool Community screenings
- Provide RTI services in Kindergarten focusing on language concepts and social skills development
- Provide specialized reading supports at third and fourth grade
What is Language? What is Speech?
Language is different from speech.
Language is made up of socially shared rules that include the following:
Articulation
How speech sounds are made (e.g., children must learn how to produce the "r" sound in order to say "rabbit" instead of "wabbit").
Voice
Use of the vocal folds and breathing to produce sound (e.g., the voice can be abused from overuse or misuse and can lead to hoarseness or loss of voice).
Fluency
The rhythm of speech (e.g., hesitations or stuttering can affect fluency).
When a person has trouble understanding others (receptive language), or sharing thoughts, ideas, and feelings completely (expressive language), then he or she has a language disorder.
When a person is unable to produce speech sounds correctly or fluently, or has problems with his or her voice, then he or she has a speech disorder.
Language and speech disorders can exist together or by themselves. The problem can be mild or severe. In any case, a comprehensive evaluation by a speech-language pathologist (SLP) certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) is the first step to improving language and speech problems.
Source: www.asha.org
Language is made up of socially shared rules that include the following:
- What words mean (e.g., "star" can refer to a bright object in the night sky or a celebrity)
- How to make new words (e.g., friend, friendly, unfriendly)
- How to put words together (e.g., "Peg walked to the new store" rather than "Peg walk store new")
- What word combinations are best in what situations ("Would you mind moving your foot?" could quickly change to "Get off my foot, please!" if the first request did not produce results)
Articulation
How speech sounds are made (e.g., children must learn how to produce the "r" sound in order to say "rabbit" instead of "wabbit").
Voice
Use of the vocal folds and breathing to produce sound (e.g., the voice can be abused from overuse or misuse and can lead to hoarseness or loss of voice).
Fluency
The rhythm of speech (e.g., hesitations or stuttering can affect fluency).
When a person has trouble understanding others (receptive language), or sharing thoughts, ideas, and feelings completely (expressive language), then he or she has a language disorder.
When a person is unable to produce speech sounds correctly or fluently, or has problems with his or her voice, then he or she has a speech disorder.
Language and speech disorders can exist together or by themselves. The problem can be mild or severe. In any case, a comprehensive evaluation by a speech-language pathologist (SLP) certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) is the first step to improving language and speech problems.
Source: www.asha.org
What types of speech and language disorders affect school-age children?
Children may experience one or more of the following disorders:
- Speech sound disorders - (difficulty pronouncing sounds)
- Language disorders - (difficulty understanding what they hear as well as expressing themselves with words)
- Cognitive-communication disorders - (difficulty with thinking skills including perception, memory, awareness, reasoning, judgment, intellect and imagination)
- Stuttering (fluency) disorders - (interruption of the flow of speech that may include hesitations, repetitions, prolongations of sounds or words)
- Voice disorders - (quality of voice that may include hoarseness, nasality, volume (too loud or soft)
Contact Us!
Robbin L. Hall, M.S. CCC-SLP
Center School
(781) 826-2631
[email protected]
Courtney Neville, M.S. CCC-SLP
Sylvester School
(781) 826-3844
[email protected]
Dorothea Bowles, M.Ed., M.S. CCC-SLP
Center School
(781) 826-2631
[email protected]
Robbin L. Hall, M.S. CCC-SLP
Center School
(781) 826-2631
[email protected]
Courtney Neville, M.S. CCC-SLP
Sylvester School
(781) 826-3844
[email protected]
Dorothea Bowles, M.Ed., M.S. CCC-SLP
Center School
(781) 826-2631
[email protected]