Our outpatient speech-language pathology services can help patients improve swallowing disorders (dysphagia); voice disorders; and speech, language, and cognitive communication.
Swallowing disorders
Adult swallowing disorders
We provide treatments for adults with trouble swallowing. Trouble swallowing can be caused by:
- Cancer of the head and neck and related treatments
- Chronic conditions, such as COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
- Conditions that affect the brain, such as ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), Parkinson’s disease, stroke, or brain tumor
Pediatric feeding and swallowing disorders
We provide support and care for infants, toddlers, children, and young people with feeding and/or swallowing disorders. Feeding challenges for children may be the result of:
- Feeding problems that delay development or feeding milestones
- Reduced oral motor skills
- Slow progression to solid foods
- Trouble tolerating textures of foods
Swallowing disorder treatments
We offer adult and pediatric testing to assess how well you swallow so that we can form a treatment plan. This testing may include:
- Modified barium swallow studies to assess swallow function using X-rays
- Fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES). During this procedure, a speech-language pathologist will pass a thin, flexible instrument through your nose and watch you eat and drink.
Voice disorders
Your voice may change for many reasons. Some common causes are:
- Chronic cough or hoarseness
- Dysphonia
- Parkinson’s disease
- Vocal cord dysfunction (VCD)
- Vocal nodules or polyps
We provide voice therapy for children and adults, as well as a specialized program called Lee Silverman Voice Therapy. To help us create the best plan for your care, consider seeing an Otolaryngologist (ENT) prior to starting voice therapy.
Adult speech, language, and cognitive communication
If you have sustained a brain injury, we provide wide-ranging services and care for your needs. Brain injuries can include:
- Aneurysms
- Brain tumors
- Concussions
Patients who are living with certain disorders, including those in the list below, can benefit from speech-language pathology services:
- ALS
- Dementia
- Huntington’s disease
- Multiple sclerosis
- Parkinson’s disease
- Primary progressive aphasia
Our services may address:
- Ability to speak clearly
- Attention, memory, problem solving, and decision-making skills
- Understanding written and spoken language, naming, word finding, reading, and writing