Speech and Language Pathology

Therapy at Kids in Stride can help with difficulty when swallowing or eating, or with children who have language or cognitive-linguistic problems. Therapy is often prescribed for a child with a progressive neurological condition.  Our therapist uses specific exercises to strengthen the muscles of the mouth and throat or uses cognitive exercises to help restore memory or improve sequencing and problem-solving.

​Kids may need speech-language therapy for a variety of reasons:

• Hearing impairments
• Cognitive or other developmental delays
• Weak oral muscles
• Chronic hoarseness
• Birth defects such as cleft lip or cleft palate
• Autism
• Motor planning problems
• Articulation problems
• Fluency disorders
• Respiratory problems or breathing disorders
• Feeding and swallowing disorders
• Traumatic brain injury

Therapy should begin as soon as possible. Children enrolled in therapy early, before they’re 5 years old, tend to have better outcomes than those who begin therapy later.

Speech-Language Pathology can help with: 

• Articulation issues: Unable to speak clearly and making mistakes in sounds.
• Fluency issues: Difficulties with the flow of speech, for instance, stuttering.
• Resonance or voice issues: Difficulties with voice pitch, quality, and volume.
• Oral feeding issues: Trouble eating, swallowing as well as drooling.
• Receptive language issues: Difficulties understanding language.
• Expressive language issues: Difficulties speaking the language.
• Pragmatic language issues: Difficulties making use of language in a way that is socially proper.
• Language intervention activities: they are meant to develop skills in a number of ways, like modeling and giving the children feedback
• Articulation therapy: The therapist models the sounds with which the child is having difficulties. This can include showing the child how to move his tongue in order to create certain sounds.
• Feeding and swallowing therapy:  teach the child exercises that help to toughen the muscles of the mouth. This can include facial massages and different lip, jaw, and tongue exercises.

Kids with reading difficulties like dyslexia will benefit from speech therapy as it can assist them to hear and differentiate particular sounds in words. This can enhance reading comprehension skills and motivate them to read. This therapy is more beneficial if it's started when the kids are very young.

One of the duties of our therapist is to give the child strategies on how to handle hindrances more effectively. We might give them activities to do at home to strengthen their skills. Speech therapy is one of the ways that can help a child with learning problems related to speech and language.

​​Kids in Stride is therapy designed specifically for kids with developmental challenges in their movement, play, speech, language, learning, and behavior. We are a privately owned practice in two locations Murphy 828-516-1700 & Franklin 828-634-7800, NC. Choosing Kids in Stride as your Therapy provider allows you to receive Occupational, Physical, and Speech Therapy on site, ensuring that you experience a truly integrated multi-disciplinary service. Our Pediatric Therapy is designed to deliver functional skills to increase independence. Our therapy programs are based around upper extremity functioning, fine and visual motor skills, and sensory-motor integration.

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