Huntsville, AL 35801

Speech Therapy Services

Speech therapy services cover more than you may think. Speech-Language Pathologist services cover nine different domains, known as the "Big 9."

Here at Phases Therapy, we offer screenings, evaluations, and treatment for people who show signs of or are at risk for a variety of disorders related to speech, language, voice, fluency, and more. Our qualified team can customize treatment plans for clients based on their needs.

Phases is dedicated to helping our clients improve their speech and communication skills by providing them a variety of therapy techniques and staying current on new treatments and techniques.

Who is speech therapy for?

Speech therapy is for everyone!

Speech therapy is an essential service for clients of all ages to support their communication challenges and improve skills for their everyday lives. Speech therapy is often recommended for those who have diagnoses that are often accompanied by communication needs, such as autism, ADHD, hearing loss, dyslexia, developmental delay, dementia, and more.

Speech therapy is for everyone! While often associated with children, there are plenty of services that are available to adults. Adults typically require support for cognitive skills such as executive functioning or memory, stuttering, articulation, voice, or accent modification, feeding or swallowing issues, aphasia, social skills, and expression of language.

How do I know if I need speech?

Speech-language pathologists often use a variety of techniques to assess communication status and needs. This could include:

Assessments look different depending on the needs and concerns of a patient and their family. No one likes a test, but this is often how we track your progress and measure the severity of difficulties! Measuring progress allows a clinician to develop better treatment plans and better results.

Taking a medical history
Completing standardized assessments
Conducting screening
Language samples

With assessment and discussing needs with clients, speech-language pathologists can create goals and plans to improve a client’s communication skills. Speech therapists are able to develop a treatment plan for you as a guideline for reaching your goals through instruction in a variety of areas, such as:

Speech therapy looks different for everyone, but it can include conversational practice, articulation drills, cognitive games, planning and organizing activities, reading and comprehension, writing, play-based therapy, and more. Our speech therapists can help you reach your goals to improve your daily life.

Articulation
Vocabulary development
Reading
Social skills

Writing
Grammar
Memory
And more!

Speech Therapy's "Big 9"

Speech

Speech difficulties have to do with producing different speech sounds - this is what speech therapists are most known for!

Language

Language difficulties are focused on comprehension and expression; these are not physical issues with producing language, but based in the brain.

Voice

Voice difficulties include issues with your voice sounding clear and lasting all day.

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Fluency

Fluency difficulties include issues with speaking “smoothly;” fluency often refers to stuttering behaviors such repeating sounds or words, getting “stuck” while speaking, or holding out sounds for too long.

AAC

AAC stands for alternative and augmentative communication - which includes types of communication that are not verbal.

Feeding & Swallowing

Swallowing and Feeding difficulties include issues with the physical aspects of biting, chewing, and moving food with your tongue, as well as swallowing without pain, frequency coughing or throat clearing, or resistance.

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Auditory Rehabilitation

Auditory Rehabilitation difficulties are often offered for those within the hard of hearing or deaf community; this area of service focuses on supporting individuals with hearing loss to address the impact hearing loss may have on daily activities, communication, and social participation.

Cognition

Cognition includes a variety of brain functions that we need in order to work, think, and socialize! It includes memory, starting and completing tasks, self-awareness, abstract and flexible thinking, organization, and more.

Social Skills

Social communication concerns the ability to engage with others appropriately, whether it's following social routines, engaging in conversation, understanding nonverbal cues, and more.

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Screenings, Evaluations, Treatment?

What's the difference, and why does it matter?

Screenings are tests that are usually shorter and can indicate whether more in-depth testing is needed. Screening may be used by a speech-language pathologist to determine if there's a need for longer or more complex testing. This process is similar to an eye screening at a school - while a professional there may not be able to give your child glasses, they can determine the need to schedule with an eye doctor. To learn more about screenings, read more in our blog post here.

Evaluations are longer tests and usually more in-depth. A screener may be part of an evaluation. However, evaluations allow speech-language therapists to get more information, compare skills to peers, determine appropriate goals for treatment, and diagnose difficulties or disorders. Evaluations are often required for starting speech therapy services. If you're interested in scheduling an evaluation, learn more here.

Treatment is regular therapy services with a speech therapist. These are often done twice a week, once a week, or once every other week to address your goals. Treatment services are often scheduled following completion of an initial evaluation with a speech-language pathologist. To learn more about scheduling or getting started with treatment, learn more here.