Speech Clinic

The Speech Center sees children who:

• Are 1 year or younger who are not making or responding to sound.
• Are older than 1 year of age and do not talk at all.
• Do not talk as well as they should for their age.
• Do not understand what is said to them.
• Have an unusual voice. 

Infants and children who have feeding problems that have not been managed with traditional methods also are referred to the center or to the Feeding Team.

Communication disorders take several forms. A child can have a speech disorder, a language disorder or both. Some children have cognition disorders.

Speech is the production of individual speech sounds and their combination into sequences to form words. There are various impairments of speech including disorders of respiration, phonation, resonance and articulation. Speech diagnoses include dysarthria, cleft lip and palate, velopharyngeal incompetency, phonologic disorders, articulation disorders, hypernasality, denasality, hoarseness, breathiness, apraxia and stuttering.

Language is the ability to use and understand meaningful symbols. Impairments include disorders of understanding what is heard or read, and disorders of expression, use of gestures or words. Diagnoses include aphasia, dysphasia, developmental language delay, language impairment, comprehension or production language disorder, language disability and phonological disorders. 

Cognition is the ability to process information.  Impairments may occur which affect communication in the areas of attention, memory, sequencing, concentration and thought organization. Cognitive disorders have a significant impact on language functioning. 

What happens at a visit?
Prior to the initial evaluation, the family is asked to complete a case history form and forward any previous communication tests or related results. These forms are evaluated prior to the evaluation. At the time of the evaluation, the speech/language pathologist sees the child with the parent present. The evaluation is done in a play environment using books, toys and other pictures and objects. The child is asked to listen and follow directions as well as to imitate speech sounds or words if possible. An examination of the mouth is accomplished either by having the child imitate or by observing the child as he uses his or her mouth for either eating or speaking.

A hearing test also is part of each evaluation. The child is asked to listen for sound and to respond by either looking toward a moving object or, if the child is older, by placing a block in a container. If therapy is recommended, the child is scheduled with the speech/language pathologist. The child also may be referred to the school, other agency or hospital. The report of the evaluation is sent to the treating clinician and includes treatment goals and additional recommendations.

Who will I see?
Nationally-certified, state-licensed speech/language pathologist and audiologists.

Locations
Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.

Children's Hospital of Wisconsin Clinics-New Berlin.

Appointments
To make an appointment, call Central Scheduling at (414) 607-5280 or toll free (877) 607-5280.