TIDAL SPEECH THERAPY
Speech Language Pathology Private Practice and Teletherapy in New Brunswick
Tidal Speech Therapy is a full service speech-language pathology clinic specializing in paediatrics, providing patients with therapeutic services for: articulation (i.e., how we say sounds and clarity of speech), language (i.e., how we express and understand oral language), literacy (i.e., reading, writing and phonological awareness), fluency (i.e., stuttering, cluttering, smoothness and rate of speech), social communication (i.e., navigating social scenarios, making and keeping friendships, etc.), and cognitive communication (i.e., helping improve executive functioning: planning, time management, organization, etc.).
Conveniently located in Saint John, New Brunswick. Currently offering services by appointment.
LITERACY SUPPORT
Literacy involves all the skills required to read and write. Early literacy development begins with children looking at books and listening to their parents read. Learning to read and write can be a challenge for some. They may struggle to acquire pre-reading skills (e.g., phonological or phonemic awareness- the ability to hear and play with sounds) or may have difficulty applying those skills to accurately decode words (i.e., read unfamiliar words) when reading or writing.
Others may struggle to generate longer texts such as a written report or essay for school.
A speech-language pathologist can assess and treat reading and writing challenges at any age.
ARTICULATION THERAPY
People of all ages can experience articulation disorders. Fortunately, improvement is possible at any stage of life. Articulation therapy is a form of intervention that focuses on the accurate production of speech sounds to improve speech clarity. With focused intervention and consistent home practice most clients are able to achieve significant improvement.
No matter what the communication challenge may be, we are prepared to help.
ORAL LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT
Some individuals may have problems putting their own thoughts, ideas or feelings into words. This is called “expressive language”.
If your child has an expressive language disorder, they may have difficulty with:
Answering questions
Naming objects
Putting word together to make a sentence
Using gestures
Learning songs and rhymes
Using correct pronouns like “he” or “they”
If left without support, these children may go on to have difficulty with academics and written expression. Similarly some children need to improve their ability to "understand" language (i.e., receptive language). They may have trouble following directions, understanding concepts, listening, etc.
Speech-language pathologists are trained in assessing and treating verbal language challenges.
FLUENCY TREATMENT
When a person stutters, we sometimes say that their speech is “dysfluent” because the flow of speech is interrupted. These interruptions may include one or more of the following characteristics:
Repetitions – involve repeating a sound, syllable or phrase (e.g. m-m-m-my)
Prolongations – involve stretching out a sound (e.g. mmmmmy)
Blocks – involve stoppage of the airflow so no sound comes out.
People often wonder if stuttering can be cured. Although there is no easy “cure” for stuttering, speech-language therapy can be very effective in helping the individual learn strategies or techniques to help them modify theirspeech.
If you have concerns about your speech or your child’s speech, it is always best to get it checked out by a trained speech-language pathologist. We will work with the person who stutters and/or their family members to set individual treatment goals that will help them become the best communicators they can be.
SOCIAL COMMUNICATION INTERVENTION
Social communication (i.e., the way we communicate verbally and with body-language) is critical for forming friendships and maintaining friendships. It is the foundation of social interaction and can include skills such as:
Posture and facial expression
Play skills
Conversation skills (e.g., turn taking, staying on topic, etc.)
Humour and figurative language
Navigating friendships and relationships
Often these skills come naturally to some people, for others, these skills need to be supported for growth. Without these skills a child may be at risk for bullying, isolation, or avoidance.
Initially therapy may begin with one on one development of social skills, but eventually the client will be encouraged and supported to generalize these skills to new friendships.
