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Pediatrics

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At Erin Harty Speech-Language Pathology, PC, we provide speech-language therapy services to children for early intervention, articulation, language, childhood apraxia of speech (CAS), oral apraxia, fluency, social pragmatics, voice, AAC, and orofacial myofunctional disorders. Our team also provides home exercise plans (HEPs), parent/caregiver training and education.

How We Help

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Speech Sound Disorders

Articulation Disorders (Speech Sound Disorder)

Articulation Disorders occur when an individual has difficulty producing speech sounds (phonemes) correctly and demonstrates one or more of the following:

Childhood Apraxia Of Speech (CAS) (Neurological Speech Sound Disorder)

CAS is a motor planning disorder and occurs when an individual demonstrates inconsistent speech sound (phoneme) production error despite an attempt to produce the correct phoneme. Many with apraxia know what sounds they want to produce, but their articulators (jaw, lips, tongue, soft palate) will not complete their target production. A child may produce sounds and words spontaneously but cannot replicate upon request and/or with direct model. Our team utilizes the Kaufman approach for treatment with amazing success.

An individual may demonstrate one or more of the following:

Social Communication Disorders

Social Communication Disorders (also referred to as Social Pragmatics) occur when an individual demonstrates difficulty with the social use of verbal and nonverbal communication. In other words, knowing what to say, how to say it, and when to say it. These individuals may or may not have autism spectrum disorder (ASD); some may acquire the disorder from a traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Social Communication Disorders may include difficulty with:

Language Disorders

Language Disorders occur when an individual has difficulty with receptive language (understanding others), expressive language (communicating thoughts, ideas, or feelings), or both. Language disorders may be spoken or written and may involve one or more of the following:

Oral Apraxia

Oral Apraxia is a motor planning disorder that can impact speech and non-speech tasks, such as eating. It occurs when an individual demonstrates oral movement errors despite an attempt to produce the target task. Many with oral apraxia know what movement they want to initiate and/or coordinate, but their articulators (jaw, lips, tongue, soft palate) will not complete their target movement. Individuals may spontaneously lick peanut butter off their lips but cannot replicate the action upon request and/or with direct model; or an individual may not be able to lick residue off the lips at all.

Those with oral apraxia may demonstrate one or more of the following:

Phonological Disorders (Speech Sound Disorder)

Phonological Disorders occur when an individual has difficulty producing speech sounds (phonemes) correctly and consistently produces the same speech sound error. Some examples are:

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Fluency Disorders

Childhood Onset Disfluency (Fluency Disorder)

Fluency Disorders also called stuttering, can be progressive or sudden and occurs when the individual demonstrates an involuntary disruption within the natural flow of speech affecting continuity, rate, rhythm, and effort. Stuttering can be genetic, males are more likely to develop disfluencies than females, and it usually presents between ages 2 and 6 years old. Our team utilizes a treatment approach that focuses on managing disfluencies as well as emotional and cognitive aspects utilizing the Solution Focused Brief Therapy model.

Some Primary Characteristics:

Some Secondary Characteristics:

Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders (OMDs)

OMDs are not a new disorder, as many believe. They have been recognized and treated since 1906. OMDs present as patterns involving oral and orofacial musculature that interfere with normal growth, development, or function of the orofacial structures. Both children and adults suffer from OMDs. Our Orofacial Myologists have completed a minimum of 23 hours of The Myo Method OMD training by Hallie Bulkin, MA, CCC-SLP, COM. Your OMD team may comprise of your SLP,/Orofacial Myologist or SLPA/Orofacial Myologist, airway centric dentist, otolaryngologist (ear, nose and throat or ENT) and somnologist (sleep doctor). Please note: oral motor exercises are required pre- AND post- frenectomy (lip and or tongue tie release).

Some OMD signs and symptoms are:

Voice Disorders

Voice Disorders occur when an individual engages in vocal abuse such as overuse, yelling, screaming, or laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) also known as Silent Reflux. These can all cause vocal nodules or polyps, and if left untreated can become cancerous. Not all vocal abuse and voice disorders present with nodules or polyps, however. Some other causes are vocal fold trauma (i.e., intubation or chemical exposure), neurologic disorders, and psychogenic causes (i.e., stress, anxiety, depression). Our team provides vocal hygiene training and education, we teach the patient how to produce appropriate resonance taking the strain off the vocal folds and surrounding muscles, and in the case of LPR, diet modifications to balance the gut pH.

Some signs and symptoms of a voice disorder are distorted or inappropriate:

Acquired Disfluency (Neurogenic Fluency Disorder)

Acquired Disfluency also called stuttering, can be caused by a traumatic brain injury (TBI), a cerebrovascular accident (CVA)/stroke, medicines, or degenerative diseases. It occurs when the individual demonstrates an involuntary disruption within the natural flow of speech affecting continuity, rate, rhythm, and effort. Our team utilizes a treatment approach that focuses on managing disfluencies, and addresses the emotional and cognitive aspects if needed, utilizing the Solution Focused Brief Therapy model.

Some Primary Characteristics:

Some Secondary Characteristics:

Cluttering (Fluency Disorder)

Cluttering occurs when an individual demonstrates an increased rate of speech (ROS) (i.e., a fast talker) or a perceived increase ROS due to atypical pauses during speech and speech errors, thus making the message difficult for the listener to understand. Our team utilizes a treatment approach that focuses on managing cluttering with proper pausing, breathing, and/or articulation techniques. We also addresse the emotional and cognitive aspects utilizing the Solution Focused Brief Therapy model.

Some other signs and symptoms of cluttering are:

Augmentative And Alternative Communication (AAC)

AAC systems are utilized for individuals who demonstrate difficulty with verbal communication. Some examples of AACs are:

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Speech-Language Pathology

Who Are We and What Do We Do?

Erin Harty Speech-Language Pathology, PC is a TelePractice headquartered in Monterey, CA. Our team is made of Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs), Speech-Language Pathology Assistants (SLPAs) and Orofacial Myologists. We provide 100% TeleTherapy services helping children and adults across the state of California. Some of our services include early intervention (EI), articulation, language, apraxia, fluency, social pragmatics, voice, orofacial myofunctional disorders (OMD) and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). We also offer Accent Modification and Gender-Affirming Voice Care services.