Speech Language Therapy

Evaluations

We offer evaluations for articulation and oral-motor skills, preschool speech, language, and play skills, and school-age receptive and expressive language skills, reading comprehension, written expression, and social communication skills. 

Language Processing

 A child has to understand language (Receptive Language) before he/she can express it. Rising Stars will evaluate your child to determine if he/she is struggling with following directions, understanding vocabulary, comprehending reading material, and/or understanding auditory information to socialize with family and friends. Based on our results, we tailor the correct therapy to suit your child’s needs. 

Expressive Language

Expressive Language is built upon sharing thoughts, ideas, and feelings with others. An Expressive Language Disorder may be spoken or written, and may involve the form (phonology or syntax), content (semantics or word meaning), or use of language in socially appropriate ways (pragmatic language). Rising Stars will evaluate your child to determine if he/she is struggling with asking or answering questions, asking for help when needed, using the correct vocabulary or grammar to communicate, and/or talking with a group of people. Based on our results, we tailor expressive language therapy to suit your child’s individual needs. 

Executive Functioning

Executive Functioning skills require thinking, planning, self-control, time management, and organization. These skills assist us with daily tasks, such as getting ready for school to completing a school project to playing a team sport. For some students, these skills may come naturally. Other children need to be taught how to execute tasks within a timely fashion. Rising Stars will provide your child with functional strategies for time management and initiating, planning, and working through a task at home, at school, and on the field.

Selective Mutism (SM)

This is an anxiety-based disorder where a child is nonverbal in certain settings or situations, even though he/she is able to communicate when comfortable.  If your child appears “paralyzed with fear” or “shuts down completely” when he/she needs to communicate, we can help you. Rising Stars will provide your child strategies to increase his/her comfort levels with communication. 

Social Communication

Social communication may come naturally to many people. However, with students who have Autism, Nonverbal or Verbal Learning Disabilities, or ADHD, social communication may be a skill that needs to be taught. These students may require practice to take another’s perspective, be flexible in his/her thinking, and to respond to the nuances of verbal and nonverbal communication. Rising Stars will help your child succeed in social situations with family and peers.

Signs of Social Language Challenges:

  • Has trouble making or keeping friends

  • Has difficulty with understanding another’s perspective (point of view)

  • Avoids or shows little interest in social interactions of same age peers, such as school events or parties

  • Needs to be taught ‘implied social rules’, such as responding to others when they talk, greeting others, looking at others (eye contact), and how to talk to adults and peers

  • Tends to be rigid or inflexible in his/her thinking

  • Has trouble reading ‘body language’ or ‘facial expressions’

  • Does not show empathy

Rising Stars will pair your child up with a peer in a Social Thinking Group to practice these functional skills. We work with students starting in Kindergarten, and as your student progresses in school, we teach them how to navigate more complex social topics and situations. 

What parents say about us

  • "All I hoped for was my son’s voice. Lori fully exceeded that. We have a fully conversational child who sings full songs, makes jokes, and points out flawed logic with a sense of humor. "

  • "With Lori, you will get way more than you pay for…much more than you imagined or hoped for. Our child’s voice has been our greatest gift!"

  • "Most importantly, sessions with Lori are fun. Our son thought his sessions with her were weekly play dates, not lessons."

Get in touch!

We look forward to hearing from you!