Therapy Services
Adult Speech and Language Therapy
Harbor Speech Pathology offers assessment and therapeutic intervention after changes in communication as a result of injury, stroke or disease.
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Individualized treatment is centered around the lifestyle and personal goals of each patient. Our caring therapists have extensive background and training in providing services to improve the speech, language comprehension and use, voice, and non-verbal communication of the adult client.
Cognitive Therapy
Our clinic was founded on our passion for serving patients who have experienced changes in cognitive 'thinking' skills like attention, memory, problem-solving, processing speed, visual-spatial skills, and executive function as a result of brain injury or other neurological conditions. What Are Cognitive Skills? Executive functions include skills such as organization, emotional control, decision making, logical reasoning, prioritizing, inhibition, self-control, multitasking, time management, and stress tolerance. There are also many types of attention, such as focused attention, selective attention, alternating attention, and divided attention. Memory can mean immediate memory, working memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory. Problem-solving skills can relate to the work environments, social interactions, complex reasoning, safety awareness, visual-spatial reasoning, and systematic deduction. All of these are cognitive skills that can be affected by changes to neural networks in the brain after injury, congenital disorder, or the onset of disease. What is Cognitive Therapy? Our therapy is client-driven: Therapy is based on the client's specific needs and tailored to accommodate personal goals. Our therapists are certified Brain Injury Specialists who have the knowledge and experience to assess and plan treatment that will meet your unique injury and perceived deficits, no matter what your current cognitive level is. Progress can be made in cognitive therapy by rehabilitating neural networks in the brain, compensating for deficits with new techniques, and adapting the patient's environment to support independence, safety, and skill level. We also offer ongoing counseling, support, and education to the loved-ones and clients throughout their journey of living with brain injury.
Pediatric Speech and Language Therapy
Kids are our business at HSP! Our creative and knowledgeable therapists are excited to develop a personal program to strengthen your child's communication abilities. Our approach to therapy is both fun and functional! With years of pediatric-centered experience, our therapists are skilled at providing play-based intervention for articulation disorders, phonological processing delays, language delays, social language, and fluency. We believe in empowering families by sharing tools and tips for successful communication at home, at school, and beyond.
Voice Therapy
Your voice is produced through coordinated muscle movements, beginning in your lungs and traveling up through your mouth. With so many working parts, environmental effects and/or physiological changes, your voice can change too. Perhaps you experience hoarseness, nasal vocal quality, pitch problems or you feel like you are speaking too softly or loudly. Our Speech-Language Pathologists can evaluate your voice, work with you to improve your voice (through vocal exercise) and learn good voice habits to prevent further damage.
Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy
Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (0MT) is neurological re-education that can assist with the normalization of the developing, or developed, orofacial muscles, craniofacial structures and functions. The Orofacial Myofunctional Therapist may address and improve the way a patient may breathe, suck, chew, swallow, speak and even sleep. Through using standard exercises that have been developed for the tongue, lips and cheeks to achieve their goals, therapy assists in providing a better quality of life for clients. With the focus on the Orofacial Functions, there are many disorders which a client can benefit from OMT: • Incorrect Swallowing Patterns (known as tongue thrust) • Oral Habits Elimination (thumb sucking, pacifier or nail biting) • Post-Orthognathic Surgery • Tongue-tie Assessment • Oral-Motor Dysfunction • Mouth Breathing • Facial Trauma • Cancers of the face and mouth • Cleft Lip and Palate • Brain Injuries • Facial Paralysis • Dental Malocclusion • Sleeping Disorders • Various Syndromes
Feeding and Swallowing Therapy
Swallowing therapy is offered for both adults and pediatric clients who experience difficulty eating. Our therapists are trained in evaluating swallow dysfunction and delivering evidence-based exercises designed to strengthen and/or compensate for differences in the swallowing mechanism. Our therapists are knowledgeable about positioning, swallow strategies and food and liquid textures that are easier and safer for swallowing conditions. In addition, therapists are knowledgeable regarding PEG tubes and supplemental nutrition. We believe that eating is one of life’s great pleasures, and we are committed to working with you to develop a treatment plan to maximize safety and well-being when swallowing (or eating by mouth). Additionally, we have therapists trained to offer the Vital Stim© electrical stimulation to increase sensation and muscle activity in target areas.
Social Language Therapy
Our therapists provide intervention to individuals or groups to address language in social settings. A person may have appropriate grammar and use accurate sentence structure, but still struggle when using language with others. These problems may include disorganized conversation, inappropriate utterances, and little variety in language use. Our therapists are trained to address the following: • Pragmatics • Using language for different purposes: greeting, informing, demanding, promising or requesting • How to change language according to the needs of a listener or situation • Rules for conversations such as: taking turns, introducing topics, staying on topic, rephrasing, verbal & nonverbal signals and how to use facial expression and eye contact effectively. Though our social language therapy is tailored to each individual client, we use a variety of curriculum to teach social skills concepts, including the Social Thinking® Curriculum. Parents and loved ones will be offered handouts and information regarding the topics discussed and goals to work on at home. Typical diagnoses for successful remediation are high functioning Autism, Asperger Syndrome (AS), non-verbal learning disability, learning disabilities and social anxiety. Group sessions may be assembled according to social skills and levels and areas needed for improvement. Please contact our office for an evaluation and placement in groups.
Specialty Services
Our therapists have a wealth of knowledge working with clients from different backgrounds and conditions. They have extensive training in many specialties working with deaf and hard of hearing clients, autism and autism disorders, traumatic brain injury, Parkinson's disease, cancer, motor speech disorders (apraxia, dysarthria, articulation), accent modification, and genetic disorders, among others. Whatever your personal journey has encountered, we have a therapist that can work with you. Call today to schedule a consultation to find a clinician that best meets your needs.
Teletherapy / Remote therapy
Harbor Speech Pathology offers speech and cognitive therapy as well as parent/caregiver training services via high-resolution, encrypted, live video conferencing. This offers a unique opportunity for individuals with health or safety concerns, travel difficulties, or time constraints. Teletherapy is a research-supported therapeutic modality that allows for no-contact treatment with increased privacy, scheduling flexibility, and time efficiency. You can now receive treatment without leaving your home, commuting, waiting, or contacting others in the community. This has been increasingly beneficial to our cognitive patients with driving limitations, clients with complex health issues or compromised immune systems, as well as clients with busy schedules that benefit from the increased time efficiency and reduced commute time. Teletherapy also provides the opportunity for your therapist to virtually come into your home during scheduled sessions to observe, guide, and assist you in caring for and helping your loved ones achieve their goals. Talk to your therapist or call our office for more information or to discuss if teletherapy is the best option for you and your family.