Early Intervention

Is your toddler still not talking? Is your preschooler frustrated that you don't understand them? Wondering if your little one is on track to say their first words or put together their first sentence? At SLF, we set your mind at ease by offering consultation and language stimulation services for children under the age of two, because we understand that early detection is vital to preventing lifelong speech and language difficulties. clear

Autism Spectrum

You may be unsure of how to best help your child. The best thing to do is to start treatment right away. There are many ways to help your child with Autism Spectrum Disorder acquire new skills and overcome a wide variety of developmental challenges. Through the consistency of a caring environment and a strong routine, we’ll create a personal treatment plan that allows for learning through play and their unique interests and sensitivities. clear

Language

Does your child struggle with following directions? Are they able to identify common objects or colours and numbers at their developmental level? There are a great number of causes for language disorders, but luckily, our clinicians know how to work with them to help their understanding and how they use words to communicate. They’ll learn how to use other ways to communicate (called augmentative communication), for example, through gestures or picture boards. clear

Social Skills / Pragmatics

Does your kid have trouble building relationships? Do they miss out on some of the unspoken rules of conversation or have trouble with their own language use? Each child has their own way of communicating, but sometimes they need a little help to make sure they’re understood. By encouraging them to use social skills at their appropriate developmental level, we’ll be helping them create bonds that will serve them throughout their lives. clear

Stuttering/Fluency

Does your child repeat words or parts of words like "you, you, you, you, you" or "m-m-m-mommy"? Do they prolong or stretch their sounds, as in "mmmmmommy," or get stuck on a word and nothing comes out? The first signs of stuttering can appear as early as 18 months, but, in many cases, it goes away by age 5. It should be treated if you notice your child avoiding situations that require talking, has facial or body movements that accompany stuttering, or if their speech sounds strained. In those cases, we’ll meet to help them manage the way they speak and find ways to make it easy for them to communicate freely. clear

Tongue Thrust

Does your child push their tongue against their teeth before and after swallowing? Do they breathe through their mouth in the absence of a stuffy nose or allergies? Is meal time messy? Tongue thrusting can affect the pronunciation of certain sounds, but it negatively impacts their ability to breathe, swallow, and keep saliva in their mouth. We’ll teach them to be aware of their mouth and tongue movements while they speak, drink, and eat, and change their breathing patterns. clear

Voice

Does your child struggle with controlling their pitch, volume, or quality of voice? Does their voice sound too hoarse or breathy? Even though prolonged misuse can affect them for life, there’s hope! Our approach includes direct intervention by manipulating the voice-producing parts (like the trachea for breathing or the larynx for phonating) or indirectly by counselling and implementing strategies like stress management. clear

Articulation

Are you worried about your little one having trouble articulating? Do they mispronounce words by substituting sounds, like "wabbit"? Do they drop certain sounds, like saying "cu" in place of "cup"? Perhaps they’re adding syllables to "brown" like "buhrown"? Speech production is the foundation for literacy, and poor skills are associated with lower reading and literacy outcomes. After a screening, we can use several treatment strategies to target a few sounds or gradually work on multiple targets until your child succeeds. clear