Speech, Language, & Feeding Therapy for Children
At Southern Oaks Pediatric Therapy, we partner with parents to help children get the most out of therapy. Every session is tailored to be as unique as your individual child, and we strive to make therapy an engaging and positive experience. Our in-person services are available to families located in the New Orleans, LA area and nearby cities.
Childhood Apraxia of Speech • Phonological Delays & Disorders • Speech Delays • Language Delays & Disorders Autism • Gestalt Language Processing • AAC • Feeding & Swallowing Disorders • ARFID
Evaluations
In order to learn more about your child's communication and feeding skills, we will begin with an evaluation. Our process typically includes a parent interview, a look at your child's background history, a brief observation, and formal testing. After the evaluation process is complete, we will share our professional recommendations and work together to make a therapy plan.
Therapy
Southern Oaks Pediatric Therapy specializes in providing play-based speech, language, and feeding therapy for children ages 2 - 18. Since children communicate best when they are regulated, we also incorporate sensory activities into our sessions! Parents are always encouraged to get involved and learn how to help their child reach their goals at home.
Speech Therapy
Speech therapy focuses on improving speech sound accuracy and speech motor coordination. Whether your child has difficulty making a single sound or multiple sounds, we will use structured and engaging activities to help them:
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Increase the clarity of their speech
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Decrease frustration from not being understood
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Advocate for themselves
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Speak with confidence
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Southern Oaks Pediatric Therapy treats children with articulation disorders, phonological disorders, childhood apraxia of speech (CAS), and other speech-related conditions.
Language Therapy
If your child has difficulty understanding what they hear or expressing themselves through language, they may benefit from individualized language therapy. We will begin by determining your child's language processing style (analytic versus gestalt) and then design play-based and sensory-based therapy sessions to help them:
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Improve their receptive and expressive language
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Communicate their unique thoughts and ideas
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Use language to advocate for their needs
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Develop more original and complex sentences
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Southern Oaks Pediatric Therapy works with late talkers, gestalt language processors, and children with receptive and expressive language disorders.
AAC
AAC therapy is a good fit for non-speaking individuals who do not yet have access to functional communication and for those who would like to begin using a high-tech communication device. Once we determine your child's functional communication needs, strengths, and challenges, we will recommend a low-, mid-, or high-tech AAC system to help them:
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Find their own voice and communicate with others
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Participate in decisions and conversations
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Experience less frustration
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Advocate for their own needs
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Southern Oaks Pediatric Therapy will complete a benefits check to determine whether your insurance will cover a speech-generating AAC device if recommended. We will also provide parents with education and coaching for how to confidently use the new device in their daily lives.
Feeding Therapy
We can make mealtimes stress-free for your whole family! Our playful feeding therapy sessions use evidence-based strategies from the SOS (Sequential-Oral-Sensory) approach to feeding in order to help your child:
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Eat a greater variety of foods and liquids
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Transition from bottle feeding
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Decrease spitting, gagging, throwing, coughing, choking, pocketing, and other behaviors during mealtimes
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Strengthen and improve chew patterns
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Swallow safely
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Southern Oaks Pediatric Therapy supports picky eaters, children with avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), and children with dysphagia. We collaborate with and make referrals to other professionals as needed, including GI specialists, nutritionists, and physicians.