SPEECH THERAPY

Evaluations

During evaluations we focus on identifying what motivates your child. We determine what is what matters most to your family in the moment in regards to your therapy needs and what we need to do together help achieve that. We focus on your child’s individual and specific needs and strengths and find the best ways to connect with compassion and understanding. Comprehensive evaluations will include:

  • Parent/client interview and questionnaires

  • Past assessment/IEP/Treatment Plan review

  • Language Sample Collection & Analysis (if warranted)

  • Informal and formal measures (standardized assessments are only used if appropriate)

Once the evaluation is complete, we will write up an evaluation report, review it with you and collaborate to create a plan for services.

Our approach to therapy

We’re dedicated to offering neurodiversity-affirming, holistic, trauma-informed services prioritizing the need for connection, looking at “the whole picture”, and sensory and nervous system regulation in all sessions. Before speech and language can develop, we need a strong foundation of trust, patience, acceptance, and being able to look beyond what meets the eye. We believe that you know your child best. We expect you or you as a parent/caregiver to be collaborative and present during our time together to help us reach our goals and grow forward together.

  • All sessions are client/child-led and focused.

  • We attempt to take into account all mental and physical factors that may be impacting you or your child at that time.

  • Movement and sensory accommodations/supports are built into every session.

  • We honor each child’s type of play and interests and follow their lead in sessions.

  • We believe that sometimes the best speech sessions happen when we listen more and allow for silence.

  • We promote development of all forms of communication (i.e. Augmentative Alternative Communication, sign language), not just speaking skills!

Specialties

Gestalt Language Processing / Natural Language Acquisition

Children who use echolalia and scripting to communicate are consider Gestalt Language Processors. Only in more recent years has this type of speech therapy become more known and focuses on promoting more connection-based and intrinsically motivating learning experiences in speech therapy. By acknowledging a child’s scripts, we are able to help these children progress from echolalia to developing original language.

Sensory and Nervous System Dysregulation

We are trained in advanced level concepts and sensory and nervous system regulation techniques to allow for more effective speech sessions. Being more in-tune to the sensory needs of our clients, allows us to better learn their nonverbal communication, and gives us the opportunity to allow for more intuitive and child-led speech therapy sessions. Communication cannot occur without regulation. By incorporating sensory strategies and accommodations in speech therapy, we allow for more engagement in sessions and helps us develop a more genuine connection. and in for more communication in therapy sessions.

Articulation & Phonological Speech Sound Disorders

If your child may be having difficulty with pronouncing words and producing specific speech sounds, Milk & Hvni can address speech sound errors through a variety of individualized approaches within play-based activities. Some errors are considered age-appropriate and evaluation can help determine where your child may need help.

Tongue Thrust Remediation

Has your dentist recommended that you or you child receive speech therapy because of a tongue thrust? Did you have braces when you were younger and now need to get them again because your teeth have shifted because you never learned how to correct your tongue’s improper movement and placement? Milk & Hvni Therapy and Consulting can help achieve correct lip, tongue, and jaw resting and functioning patterns.

Oral myofunctional therapy involves strengthening the tongue and orofacial muscles by teaching individuals how to engage the muscles to the appropriate position. Exercises involve not only speaking, but how your tongue moves when eating.

Late Language Emergence (LLE)/ Early Intervention

Children with LLE may have delays in speaking, or they may have a delay in speaking and understanding language. Children with expressive language delays show delayed vocabulary acquisition and often show delayed development of sentence structure and articulation. Children with mixed expressive and receptive language delays show delays in oral language production and in language comprehension. An evaluation with Milk & Hvni Therapy and Consulting can help determine if your child may be an Analytic or Gestalt language learner to help determine what style of speech therapy may be more beneficial.

Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS)

Children with CAS often need support to coordinate the muscle movements between sounds and syllables. We use a combination of PROMPT, melodic intonation, and other tactile and visual cues during motivating and child-led activities to improve motor speech skills.

We Are Accepting New Clients!

Schedule a free 15-minute phone consult to determine if Milk & Hvni can support your needs.