Kinsella Speech Therapy

Our core focus can be divided into four sections:

Preschoolers

A lot of issues may arise and go unnoticed in those that are classed as late talkers. We specialize in Correct sound pronunciation in Late Talkers to prepare them for School readiness.

School-Age & Adolescents

We have years of experience in helping to bridge the gap to Confident communication from reading, writing and spelling skill-sets right through to Public Speaking.

Adults

Voice Health
Communicating post-stroke or MVA
Dementia: Helping those affected by it and their carers
Accent Modification and Enhancement

Public Speaking and Facilitation Skills

Accent Modification and Enhancement
Presentation and Facilitation Skills
Voice Projection
Behavior Change Facilitation

BENEFITS OF SPEECH THERAPY

Here are a few of the top benefits of speech-language therapy

Speech-language therapy is an intervention method that focuses on helping children with speech, language or swallowing capabilities. Speech pathologists, commonly known as "speechies", are highly educated, trained, and experienced professionals that can provide such services to children and adults. They often work as a team to help patients overcome a wide range of difficulties.

Children or adults that have difficulties communicating may also suffer from mental health and behavioural issues, present with poor confidence levels, and find social interactions hard. Speechies can help people with these issues too. Here’s how speech therapy can help with these challenges:

For people affected by impaired speech, articulation is important. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) defines articulation disorder as the “atypical production of speech sounds characterized by substitutions, omissions, additions or distortions that may interfere with intelligibility.” As people learn to articulate words properly, they improve their communication skills and confidence. A very common example of this is when children are unable to make the “R” sound. Some grow up with this problem because of the lack of articulatory exercises. There are several ways in which SLPs can help people articulate words better, one example being that of a ‘race to 100 games’. This game includes dice and a board. The child rolls the dice, and when it lands on a specific sound, the child says it out loud.

People with speech disorders are often ailed by difficulties swallowing as well. Also known as dysphagia, swallowing disorders can be a result of a stroke, brain injury, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, or other neurological diseases. An SLP utilizes a blend of techniques and exercises to improve the oral intake process and reduce the risk of aspiration. These techniques increase the control a person has over their swallowing capability. Some of these techniques include: Head positioning technique Swallow maneuvers Biting techniques Modification of food and liquids taken Other techniques can help improve the range of motion (ROM), coordination and strengthening of the jaw, lips, cheek, and tongue muscles.

Stuttering can cause problems in speaking fluently. A speech therapist can help affected patients greatly improve their stuttering to a point where it becomes non-existent! According to The Stuttering Foundation, over 70 million people all around the world are affected by stuttering. An SLP can help reduce stuttering by modifying the way a person speaks and by giving them exercises to strengthen the tongue. SLPs will advise the patients to Take deep breaths before the encounter and pace their breaths while talking Talk slowly Avoid certain words. These words include words containing any sounds that might trigger the person’s stutter Exercise the trigger words when alone to increase fluency of those words Find a rhythm while talking Patients should try to visualize their words. If they are going to speak publicly, rehearsing the performance can have a huge difference Use gestures and pacing to calm the nerves, and in turn, the tongue.

Speech therapy isn’t only for those who wish to overcome a speaking disorder. It can also help people who might wish to lose or gain an accent. Actors are a prime example of when people want to change accents through speech therapy. SLPs can help people overcome their accents by first learning the way they currently sound. They will focus on several sounds and determine whether the person can be trained to get the new accent or not. The first step in learning a new accent is to understand the speech rhythm – where to emphasize more and less. Keep in mind that insurance will not pay for an SLP to change an accent since it is not considered a speech disorder.

Unfortunately, people who can’t speak well often suffer from anxiety and decreased confidence levels. They fear being ridiculed by peers. An SLP can help decrease that anxiety by giving patients confidence in their speech naturally. When you speak with flair and without any faults, it is only natural that your self-esteem rises, allowing you to be more independent and lead a better quality of life. With the help of a good speech therapist, you can easily initiate communication without prompts from others and know the appropriate time and place to communicate. This will boost your confidence to exchange ideas more effectively and reduce your anxiety so that you can enjoy communicating and interacting with peers.

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