Speech-Language Pathology
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Speech-language pathology services at PPA encompass diagnostic evaluations, consultations, parent coaching, and targeted interventions for a range of concerns, including speech and language delays, social/pragmatic communication challenges, literacy (reading/writing) difficulties, and feeding or swallowing disorders.
Explore Our Speech - Language Pathology Services
At PPA, we are proud to have Diana Acevedo, M.S. CCC-SLP, as a valued member of our clinical team. Ms. Acevedo is a bilingual Licensed Speech-Language Pathologist with deep expertise in a wide range of communication challenges. She specializes in social pragmatic language and holds certification in Social Thinking ® Methodology. Additionally, Ms. Acevedo is certified in the Orton-Gillingham method of reading instruction, enabling her to provide targeted reading interventions for children with language-based learning disorders. With additional expertise in cleft lip and palate, feeding disorders, and various speech and language delays, Ms. Acevedo offers evaluations and both individual and group-based intervention services (SURF and PEERS®). Her advanced certifications and broad clinical knowledge make her uniquely equipped to deliver comprehensive, patient-centered care to the diverse families we serve.
Speech-Language Conditions
PPA offers individualized evaluation and therapy for speech, language, and literacy challenges. Our services support communication across settings, addressing needs such as articulation, fluency, social language, and reading development.
Areas of focus include:
- Articulation (Speech) Disorders:Difficulty producing age-appropriate speech sounds due to motor planning or movement issues.
- Executive Functioning and Language:Difficulties with organizing, planning, and sustaining attention that impact communication.
- Expressive Language Disorders:Difficulty expressing thoughts clearly with appropriate vocabulary, grammar, or sentence structure.
- Feeding and Swallowing Disorders (Dysphagia):Challenges with eating, chewing, or using utensils appropriately.
- Fluency (Stuttering) Disorders:Disruptions in speech flow such as repetitions, prolongations, or blocks.
- Feeding and Swallowing Disorders (Dysphagia)
These refer to difficulties with safely and efficiently chewing, swallowing, or eating a variety of age-appropriate foods, and/or using feeding utensils. Therapy focuses on building safe and functional feeding skills.
- Literacy:Difficulties with reading and writing, including decoding, reading fluency, comprehension, and written expression.
- Pragmatic/Social Language Disorders:Trouble using language appropriately in social contexts, including conversation skills and interpreting nonverbal cues.
- Public Speaking and Presentation Coaching
For individuals seeking to enhance their public communication abilities, PPA offers coaching to build skills in presenting confidently, whether in large groups, small meetings, or interviews. Interventions focus on increasing clarity, confidence, and comfort in verbal expression. - Receptive Language Disorders:Challenges understanding spoken language, instructions, and narrative content.
- Voice Disorders:Abnormalities in pitch, loudness, or quality that affect clarity and effective communication.
Speech-Language Evaluations
Speech-language pathology services at PPA include comprehensive and targeted evaluations that assess key areas of communication, such as speech sound production, oral-motor skills, language development, social communication, literacy (reading and writing), and feeding challenges. Evaluation results are summarized in a detailed report, which can be shared with professionals or any other parties involved in a child’s care.
If therapy is recommended following an evaluation, our licensed speech-language pathologist may create a tailored plan of care. Such follow-up interventions can typically be provided by the evaluating speech-language pathologist at PPA. However, even families seeking speech-language therapy services through the public school system (by means of an IEP – Individualized Education Plan) or through health insurance will require a comprehensive speech-language evaluation completed by a licensed speech and language pathologist. As such, our speech-language evaluations are instrumental in helping families access private services and those funded by third parties.
Speech-Language Interventions
After identifying a speech-language concern requiring intervention, our speech-language pathologist develops an individualized care plan, which may include recommendations for individual or group therapy. The mode of therapy (individual or group) and the frequency of therapy are always determined by considering the specific needs of each individual and family.
We believe in the importance of family involvement, encouraging family members to observe sessions to provide support and practice at home. Post-session instructions for at-home practice are provided to ensure continued progress. Regular attendance and active participation from caregivers are crucial for achieving the best outcomes in therapy. Through our comprehensive and collaborative approach, we strive to support each child's unique needs and foster their overall development.
Speech-Language Therapy intervention focuses on helping children and adolescents develop skills in:
- Feeding:
Delivering feeding interventions to improve oral-motor function, safe swallowing, texture tolerance, and self-feeding skills. - Literacy:
Implementing structured, multi-sensory strategies to build phonological awareness, decoding, reading comprehension, and written expression. - Play and Interaction:
Intervening to improve social engagement through guided play, enhancing attention to others, turn-taking, and building relationships. - Pronunciation and Talking:
Providing targeted articulation therapy to improve sound production, speech clarity, and oral motor coordination. - Understanding Words and Language:
Targeting comprehension through activities that develop understanding of vocabulary, grammatical structures, and following multi-step instructions. - Using Words and Language:
Supporting expressive language by practicing sentence formulation, storytelling, conversational skills, and pragmatic language use.
| Therapy Services* | |
| Individual Therapy-45 minutes | $160 |
| Parent Coaching -45 minutes | $160 |
| Group Therapy - 60 minutes | $90 |
*Some services can be provided via telehealth if deemed appropriate
Orton-Gillingham Reading Intervention
Orton-Gillingham approach is a highly structured, explicit, and multisensory method of teaching reading, spelling, and writing. It integrates visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning pathways to help children connect language with letters and sounds in a clear, systematic way. This method is particularly effective for students who struggle with decoding words, phonemic awareness, and fluency, including those diagnosed with dyslexia.
Our OG services are ideal for children who:
- Have been diagnosed with or show signs of dyslexia
- Experience difficulties with phonemic awareness, decoding, and encoding
- Struggle with spelling, reading fluency, and comprehension
- Require individualized, multisensory support to build foundational literacy skills
At PPA, our speech-language pathologist is certified in Orton-Gillingham, combining expertise in language disorders with advanced literacy intervention skills. Personalized OG intervention plans based on thorough assessments of each child’s current abilities and challenges. Services may be delivered individually or in small groups, depending on the child’s needs. Our approach emphasizes:
- Explicit instruction in phonics and language structure.
- Multisensory techniques incorporating visual, auditory, tactile, and kinesthetic learning modalities.
- Sequential and cumulative teaching that builds skills progressively.
- Frequent practice and review to ensure mastery and retention.
- Development of self-monitoring and decoding strategies to foster independent reading skills.
- Our speech-language pathologist is certified in Orton-Gillingham, combining expertise in language disorders with advanced literacy intervention skills.
- We provide a holistic, patient-centered approach that addresses each child’s unique learning profile.
- Our team collaborates closely with families, educators, and other professionals to support generalization of skills across settings.
- We offer services at convenient locations, including Aventura, Boca Raton, Weston and telehealth when appropriate.
If you are concerned about your child’s speech, language and/or reading development or have questions about our services, please contact us to schedule an evaluation or consultation.
