SPEECH THERAPY FAQ

What Is Speech Therapy?
Speech therapy is when a certified practitioner, known as a speech-language pathologist (S-LP) works with an adult or child who has a communication difficulty such as spoken and written language issues, speech difficulties, stuttering, voice disorders, reading, and swallowing. SL-Ps help to identify the disorder(s), evaluate it, and provide treatment for it. Education regarding specific communication disorders, how we can help and what you as a parent or caregiver can do is an important focus of assessment and treatment.
Why Is Early Intervention So Important?
Early difficulties with spoken language and understanding language can result in problems with reading, writing and overall learning. Furthermore, difficulty with social communication, an important aspect of making and keeping friends can be affected. Therefore the earlier a child gets assessed and has therapy the better.
Why Is Speech Therapy So Important?
If not addressed in a timely manner, struggles with communication can have a lifelong effect. As children get older and have a communication difficulty, it can be more difficult for them to make friends or be successful in school. If the problems persist into adulthood there can be many after effects— socially, academically and professionally. Adults with communication issues may find themselves struggling in their work and personal lives. Early intervention is key to success at any age.
How Can We Help?
Clinical studies and scientifically-proven techniques go a long way, but if you don’t understand the specific needs of the client, it becomes more difficult to treat them. Many factors including genetics, personality, and family environment play a significant role in language and communication development. At the STCC we provide a holistic approach to therapy where we examine and attempt to understand all contributing factors in order to provide the best possible assessments and therapy programs for our clients.
Are Services Covered By OHIP?

Speech-language pathology services in Ontario are not covered by OHIP but financing and other funding sources are available. Please click here for more information.

FINANCING OPTION:

1. Medicard
Speech therapy programs are covered by most private and corporate insurance plans. If you do not have these extended benefits, or if speech therapy is not covered under your plan, we offer a financing solution. The Speech Therapy Centres of Canada works closely with Medicard to offer flexible financing to meet your needs. Medicard makes applying for financing easy with a fixed monthly payment schedule, ranging from six months to five years.

Contact us today and ask us how we can help.

FUNDING OPTIONS:

Jennifer Ashleigh Children’s Charity
Eligibility: A child must be 18 years of age or younger and a permanent resident of Ontario. Families must have a total gross income of $65,000 or less/year. Proof of income is required.

To Apply: For more information and to download an application form visit: http://jenash.org/get-help-now/application/
Contact: (905) 852-1799

What to expect from an assessment on your child during the first appointment?

During the Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) assessment, testing will take place and the parent/caregiver will be interviewed.

Depending on the communication issue, the areas that may be assessed include:

  • How your child communicates (pronunciation, voice, fluency)
  • Language expression (what they say – vocabulary, grammar, sentence structure)
  • Language comprehension (what they understand)
  • Play and social communication skills (how they communicate – body language, eye contact, greetings etc.)
  • For older children, SLP’s may also assess reading and writing skills.

Parent Interview includes:

  • A review of the family questionnaire (it is important to get to know more about each child)
  • What are the concerns with regards to your child
  • A chance for the parent/caregiver to create a more complete picture of your child’s issues

As parents/caregivers, your impressions and opinions about your child’s communication issues are a very important part of the whole assessment process.

Testing

For children under 3.5 years old:

  • Your child will be assessed while taking part in play-based activities. These activities will be fun for your child and are usually things that can be done on the floor or a tabletop. The parent/caregiver may be invited to join the SLP and your child in these activities. The SLP will determine whether formal (more structured) and/or informal testing is required.

For older children:

  • An older child’s assessment is more structured. Older children can be asked to answer some questions (both verbally and non-verbally – pointing), follow a set of directions, or copy communication made by the SLP.

Following the Assessment:

  • After the assessment is completed, you will be given an overview of your child’s speech and language skills and recommendations for therapy. This may be given at the time of the assessment or several days later, as the SLP may require some time to gather the information in order to develop goals and a speech therapy treatment plan.
Does watching too much TV cause speech delay?

It is best to review guidelines from various reputable sources such as the Canadian Paediatric Society where there is information for parents from Canada’s paediatricians. See: www.cps.ca 

They state that “for children under 2 years old, screen time is not recommended” and “for children 2 to 5 years old, limit routine or regular screen time to less than 1 hour per day”.

They further add that “very often screen time is a lost opportunity for your child to learn in real time …” They discuss several risks for increased screen time and offer wonderful suggestions that can help reduce screen time opportunities for language and literacy development.

There are some great apps to promote language development when used in a limited way. But the joy of face-to-face communication, reading aloud and together and having fun with communication is best for your child. Please see our website, and social media platforms for many easy, everyday, and enjoyable tips to promote communication.

Does speech delay mean my child has Autism?

No. There are numerous causes of speech delay. Most commonly, we see children that are “late talkers”. That means they may not be following typical speech and language milestones for their age.

While a speech-language pathologist/speech therapist cannot make a diagnosis of autism, we are experienced in identifying red flags for autism and then making the appropriate recommendations to parents about next steps.

What are some of the ways I can communicate with my baby?

The quality of your communication 

  • Slower pace ( not slow)
  • Use gestures 
  • Use an interesting voice

The quality of your communication

  • Amount of speech – find a balance – not too much or too little
  • Use a variety of words – nouns, verbs, adjectives etc.
  • Lots of repetition

Enjoy being playful while communicating with your baby

Why is reading to your children important for the development of stronger communication and literacy skills?

There are many reasons for this. Below are just two.

  • When children hear their favourite stories over and over again, they hear familiar words and see what they look like in print. This helps with reading and writing development because they make connections between what they see and what they hear.
  • Another reason is that when they see and hear new words (vocabulary) their knowledge of new vocabulary and words grows. This will help with listening and reading comprehension (understanding).
Are there everyday tips that will help my child’s communication improve?

There are so many tips and activities that promote speech and language development.

Some general tips include: 

  • Make talking fun! Communicate while playing and singing songs
  • Sing songs with repetitive phrases
  • Read daily to/with your child 
  • Create a print rich environment (books, letters on the fridge)
  • Show interest in what your child says even if it is difficult to understand e.g., good eye contact, nodding your head, try repeating what they are saying
  • Repetition is important – children enjoy hearing the same stories and songs often. Introduce new books and songs in between periods of repetition.

If you feel your child is not reaching his milestones, contact Speech Therapy Centres of Canada.

Why are adequate language skills an important aspect for school success?

Language is an important component of learning at school. Vocabulary and language are tools for thinking and learning about the world. Successful communication is directly linked to success in reading, writing, making decisions.

What is the average duration for therapy?

This depends on several factors. Firstly, the assessment and goals of the client are important factors to consider. Secondly, the severity and type of communication disorder is another very important consideration.  After the initial assessment, the speech-language pathologist/speech therapist will make recommendations for frequency based on what is best for the client. Based on the speech therapist’s recommendations, the client and or their family will determine what works best for them. 

What type of service delivery do you provide?

Individual therapy sessions are provided one-on-one, and group therapy is provided in small groups. We provide in-person, virtual, and hybrid (switching between in-person and virtual) therapy models to provide clients with flexibility and continuity of care.  Consistent therapy on a regular basis is the best approach for reaching goals. The benefit of the hybrid model is if you find there is a period where you or family member cannot come in person it is easy to switch to virtual therapy.

What if another therapist conducted the assessment?

If the original assessment was conducted recently, we can often use the goals written by the S-LP in the assessment report. There are, however, some circumstances when another assessment is necessary.

For example, if the original assessment is outdated, a second assessment will be recommended. This is particularly true for very young children, whose development changes rapidly. 

We will also recommend another assessment to perform more testing if our speech therapist feels she/he does not have enough information from the original assessment to provide adequate therapy.

An accurate and up-to-date baseline assessment is vital for goal setting for any client.

Services include assessment and therapy programs that address your communication concerns after 18 years of age.

Services include assessment and therapy programs for pre-school and school-aged children up to 18 years of age.

 

Explore the advantages of receiving speech therapy services via web in the comfort of your home or office.

ONTARIO AUTISM PROGRAM (OAP) SERVICE PROVIDER

The Ontario Autism Program (OAP) allows parents to access speech therapy from the service provider of their choice. Speech Therapy Centres of Canada’s speech-language pathologists (speech therapists) are part of the Ontario Autism Program grant to provide increased capacity and to provide services to those families in need.

ABOUT THE ONTARIO AUTISM PROGRAM (OAP)

The Ontario Autism Program (OAP) offers support to families of children and youth on the autism spectrum. Children and youth who have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by a qualified professional are eligible for the program. Children receive services and supports until the age of 18.

ONTARIO AUTISM PROGRAM (OAP) ELIGIBILITY

  • To register for the Ontario Autism Program, your child must:
  • be under age 18
  • currently live in Ontario
  • have a written diagnosis of autism from a qualified professional

For more information about the Ontario Autism Program, please visit: https://www.ontario.ca/page/ontario-autism-program

Our Clinics

Richmond Hill

Head Office and Main Clinic
120 West Beaver Creek Road. Unit 22 Richmond Hill, ON L4B 1L2
Tel: 905.886.5941 | Fax: 905.886.2362

Ajax

Kids Clinic
300 Rossland Rd. E.
Suite 301. Ajax, ON L1Z 0M1

Brampton

Bovaird Pediatric Clinic
11&12 – 965 Bovaird Dr. W
Brampton, ON L6X 5K7

Proudly serving the following locations through our Richmond Hill Ontario office:

Richmond Hill | Bradford | Vaughan | Maple | Aurora | Woodbridge | Oak Ridges | Stouffville | Markham | North York

Proudly serving the following locations through our Ajax Ontario office:

Stouffville | Uxbridge | Pickering | Whitby | Oshawa | Scarborough

Proudly serving the following locations through our Brampton Ontario office:

Mississauga | Oakville | Milton | Etobicoke | Georgetown | Brampton | Burlington

Also Serving

Toronto | Aurora | Newmarket | Markham | Thornhill | GTA | Mississauga | Brampton | Burlington | Ajax | Oshawa | Pickering | Ottawa

Speech Therapy Centres of Canada Ltd. is in compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005. Our Accessibility Customer Service Policy is available upon request. Please feel free to contact us for more information: oadainfo@speechtherapycentres.com