Speech-Language Therapy

Speech-language therapists at Miller Children’s serve children and adolescents with a wide range of needs.  The goal of speech therapy is to maximize a child’s communication and ability to understand information, to ensure safety while eating and drinking, and to educate family and community members in how they can best support the child.  Children and families receive comprehensive care for:

• Language Disorders
• Articulation and Motor-Speech Impairment
• Developmental Delays
• Voice Disorders
• Resonance Differences due to Cleft Lip & Palate
• Feeding & Swallowing Disorders
• Cognitive Communication Impairment
• Cochlear Implants
• Social Communication Impairment
• Augmentative-Alternative Communication (AAC)

The First Step

Speech-language therapists meet with the child and family for an in-depth evaluation to determine the needs of the child.  Comprehensive evaluations ensure that the children and adolescents at Miller Children’s receive individualized therapy to improve their functioning at home, in school and in the community. 

A Collaborative Approach

Speech-language therapists frequently collaborate with local school districts, medical providers and other therapies—occupational, physical and recreational—to provide the most comprehensive level of care.  Speech-language therapists provide care for patients who are inpatients (hospitalized) in most of the care centers, such as pediatric intensive care unit, hematology/oncology and general pediatrics. Children and adolescents also receive care from speech-language therapists in the outpatient specialty centers and clinics including neuro-oncology, rehabilitation and craniofacial. Speech-language pathologists also serve on Miller Children’s distinctive specialized school re-entry and tracheostomy care teams.