KOALAFIEDTM
Speech Therapy Program
Speech therapy at Koala ABA & Learning Centers addresses various language and communication challenges, with a special focus on helping children with autism improve their verbal, nonverbal, and social communication skills. Our goal is to enable all children to communicate in more effective and functional ways, especially those living with autism. We aim to overcome communication barriers and achieve greater communication success through our KOALAFIEDTM speech therapy services.
The KOALAFIEDTM Speech Therapy Approach
Our speech therapy program begins with a thorough evaluation conducted by a highly trained speech-language pathologist (SLP). This assessment identifies individual communication strengths and challenges, allowing us to create personalized therapy goals tailored to each child’s needs.
Common therapy goals may include
- Improving spoken language
- Developing nonverbal skills (signs, gestures)
- Learning alternative communication methods (pictures, technology)
- Enhancing articulation and speech clarity
- Improving emotional recognition and expression
- Understanding body language cues
- Effective question-answering skills
- Picture association for enhanced communication
- Utilizing speech apps on devices like iPads
- Modulating voice tone for effective communication
Key Focus Areas in Speech Therapy
Our speech therapy sessions encompass a range of essential skills tailored to each individual’s needs, including:
- Articulation therapy: Strengthening muscles in the mouth, jaw, and neck for improved pronunciation.
- Communication disorders treatment: Addressing various speech and language challenges.
- Oral motor therapy: Enhancing mouth and tongue movements for clearer speech.
- Nonverbal communication skills: Developing sign language, gestures, and picture communication symbols.
- Alternative Augmentative Communication (AAC): Training children to use AAC methods effectively.
Speech Therapy
Language Processing Disorders
Conditions like dyspraxia impair the planning and sequencing of movements for speech. Apraxia affects motor planning so sounds are incorrectly articulated. Processing issues may also involve following directions, narrating stories or conducting conversations. Oral-motor exercises combined with multisensory techniques can strengthen these skills.
Speech Language Pathology
Licensed SLPs evaluate and diagnose communication disorders. Through evidence-based techniques, they help children improve their receptive, expressive and pragmatic language skills.
Pediatric Speech Therapy
We provide fun and engaging therapy tailored for the developmental needs of infants through school-age children. Areas of focus may include articulation, fluency, voice and feeding.
Oral Motor Therapy
For babies and toddlers, SLPs incorporate sensory activities to strengthen tongue, lip and jaw muscles for speech sound production, sucking and chewing.
Communication Disorders
Selective mutism, where anxiety prevents vocalization in certain environments, requires building tolerance in a secure clinical setting through visualization, rewards and gradual exposure. Pragmatic language delays involve learning social communication “rules” through direct modeling and role playing.
Articulation Therapy
Difficulty producing sounds correctly, like substituting “w” for “r” or omitting beginning consonants, can stem from motor or sensory challenges. Sounds are not mastered in the typical sequence or timeframes. Therapy focuses on the position, movement and feeling of muscles for clear speech.
Children learn proper positioning, movement and sounds for clear speech through multisensory techniques and generous praise of accomplishments.
Children learn proper positioning, movement and sounds for clear speech through multisensory techniques and
generous praise of
accomplishments.
Alternative Augmentative Communication (AAC)
We recognize that some children living with autism may find alternative communication methods more effective than speaking. Our KOALAFIEDTM speech-language pathologists determine the most suitable AAC method for each child and provide comprehensive training on its use. This approach includes:
- Sign language
- Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)
- iPad-based communication apps
- Speech output devices like Dynavox
Pediatric Speech Therapy Services
Our pediatric speech therapy services are designed to support children at various stages of development, addressing common challenges such as:
- Delayed speech development
- Articulation difficulties
- Language comprehension issues
- Social communication deficits
- Voice modulation problems
Pediatric Speech Services in Miami-Dade
Children from Miami, Pinecrest and Cutler Bay benefit from our fun, evidence-based techniques and technologies. Integrated with other therapies as needed, our program prepares young clients for future academic success in kindergarten and beyond.
Fluency Therapy in Pembroke Pines
Our Pembroke Pines center provides individualized stuttering treatment for children in this city as well as nearby Weston, Cooper City and Miramar. Clients learn calming techniques to speak with increased ease, confidence and fluency.
Oral Motor Therapy in Florida
In addition to our Miami-Dade and Pembroke Pines centers, we offer home-based speech therapy throughout Florida for infants through school-age kids needing help with feeding, chewing, drooling or articulation and another foundational skill. Our experienced SLPs address each child’s individual needs.