by Anna Dubiak, M.S., CCC-SLP Duncan Lake Speech Therapy, LLC We have received many a calls from concerned parents reporting to us that their child is not talking and they are not sure what to do. Some say doctors, mom friends, or the internet has told them not to worry but they can’t shake the...
Childhood Apraxia of Speech – The Basics
by Hannah Blackwell, M.A., CCC-SLP Duncan Lake Speech Therapy, LLC What is Childhood Apraxia of Speech? Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) is a neurological speech sound disorder impacting the precision and consistency of motor movements necessary for speech production in children. CAS impairs in the planning of speech motor movements due to neurological causes, rather...
AAC and its myths
Anna Dubiak, M.S., CCC-SLP Duncan Lake Speech Therapy, LLC What is AAC? AAC stands for augmentative and alternative communication. Ok… but what does that mean? There are all types of AAC ranging from use of low tech such as printed pictures with wants and needs, to robust high tech systems such as an iPad application...
Bilingualism and children
Hannah Blackwell, M.A., CF-SLP Duncan Lake Speech Therapy Many are worried about the possible negative effects on language development that raising their child to be bilingual may have. However, there is no evidence indicating that bilingualism causes language delays, nor that it worsens already existing speech problems. Just as all children are unique in their...
Body awareness and mindfulness in fluency therapy
Bethany Barber, M.A., CCC-SLP Duncan Lake Speech Therapy, LLC If you were a fly on the wall during my sessions with fluency clients, the first few minutes might look more like I’m leading a preschool physical education class, or a mommy and me yoga hour than a speech therapy session. You’d witness silly dancing, “animal”...
Stuttering – an iceberg
By Hannah Blackwell, M.A., CF-SLP Duncan Lake Speech Therapy, LLC Have you ever seen a picture of an iceberg? It floats on the water as this giant chunk of ice. There’s no denying that what you see of an iceberg above the water is huge, but below the waterline looms an even larger mountain of...
Your Health Insurance Policy SparkNotes
By Leah Arundel, Clinic Administrator Duncan Lake Speech Therapy, LLC Navigating insurance coverage for specialized services can be quite confusing. Here are some helpful tips to help you understand insurance at our private speech therapy office: Know your plan type! Different types of health insurance plans have different coverage options for speech therapy services. Some...
What is a Voice Disorder and Who is likely to Have One?
By Anna Dubiak, M.S., CCC-SLP Duncan Lake Speech Therapy, LLC A voice disorder is when there is an inappropriate discrepancy between vocal quality, loudness, or pitch and a person’s age, gender, cultural background, or geographic location. In short if your voice is not matching your expectation it might be a disorder impacting you. Voice disorders...
Sensory processing in children (a graduate intern post!)
By Katelynn Harris, St. Mary’s College Duncan Lake Speech Therapy Graduate Intern Sensory processing is the way in which the body processes internal and external sensory information. When part or parts of the sensory system are not working properly, a child can become dysregulated. This means they are not in a state of optimal arousal...
Tongue tie or not? Past signs and symptoms to help guide your treatment.
Written by Tamiko Teshima, M.A, CCC-SLP Duncan Lake Speech Therapy, LLC It seems like tongue ties are one of those things that swing back and forth like a pendulum – for a decade or so, they are identified, and then for a decade, the identification fades away. This happens with many disciplines in the...