Therapists and educators use innovative intervention methods to help deaf and hard of hearing children develop the language skills to succeed in life.
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Childhood Speech, Language & Hearing - Speech and Language Evaluation and Intervention Programs
Sometimes, children appear to lag behind their friends, classmates, or brothers and sisters when communicating. Often parents and teachers wonder if there may be a problem, and if so, what to do about it.
The Speech-Language Evaluation and Intervention programs at Boys Town National Research Hospital address all aspects of a child’s communication, including speech production, perception/auditory skills, expressive communication, language comprehension, vocabulary development, communication modality, and social use of language.
Once a problem is identified, clinicians work with parents to help maximize their child’s communication and learning potential. To assist parents and caregivers, clinicians provide:
- Information on stimulating language at home or at school
- Demonstrations of these strategies
- Caregiver education
- Individual or small-group therapy
Diagnosis and Treatment
Speech-language pathologists assist in the diagnosis and treatment of a variety of communication issues related to:
- Speech and language delay
- Speech and language disorders
- Hearing loss
- Learning disabilities
- Cleft lip and palate
- Voice disorders
- Velopharyngeal dysfunction
- Developmental delays
- Autism
- Attention Deficit Disorder
Speech-language Therapy
Individual therapy sessions for infants/toddlers, preschoolers, school-age children, and adults are available to facilitate speech, language, and other communication needs. Therapy sessions are individualized to meet specific family needs and may include parents, other caregivers, siblings, grandparents, and education professionals in the treatment process.
Aural (Re)Habilitation
The speech-language pathologists, audiologists, and deaf educators at Boys Town National Research Hospital are specialists in the area of aural (re)habilitation, which involves comprehensive assessment and treatment of individuals with hearing loss.
Candidates for aural (re) habilitation may include individuals that are deaf, hard-of-hearing, or hearing-aid/cochlear implant users. Clinicians help support a variety of communication preferences, including, but not limited to oral communication, Signing Exact English, American Sign Language, and Cued Speech.
Initial Assessment – During the initial assessment, clinicians analyze all aspects of communication, using both formal and informal measures, including:
- Formal examination tools – Tools may include standardized tests that assess speech production, speech perception, expressive-receptive language, vocabulary, basic concepts, and communication modality.
- Informal methods – Methods may include language sampling and analysis, probing for functional auditory skills and stimulability of sounds, observation of communication repair strategies, and documentation of communication preferences.
Intervention – Intervention methods are individualized and may include speech production, expressive-receptive language, vocabulary, and auditory/speech reading training activities.
Ongoing Assessment – Ongoing assessment is an important part of the everyday therapy. This continued attention helps to ensure the quality of services and serves as a means by which to measure progress.
Aural (Re)Habilitation Contractual Services
Contract services for aural (re)habilitation are available throughout Omaha and the surrounding communities. Several school districts receive services for aural (re)habilitation, including but not limited to Omaha Public Schools, Ralston Public Schools, Millard Public Schools, and Papillion-LaVista Public Schools.
Staff
Boys Town National Research Hospital ’s speech-language pathologists specialize in the communication development of young children. Clinicians evaluate and treat hard-of-hearing and deaf individuals, as well as children without hearing problems. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and the State of Nebraska certify the expert audiologists and speech-language pathologists at Boys Town National Research Hospital.
More Information
For more information about speech-language evaluations and intervention, please contact:
(402) 452-5000
Or, to schedule an appointment for an evaluation or therapy, please call:
Scheduling and Appointments
(402) 498-6540