Speech and Language Therapy Services in California

Speech and language therapy is often overlooked as a critical part of recovery after an injury, illness, or from communication issues in childhood. Your ability to communicate is central to your happiness, health, and opportunities in life. No matter the cause of your speech, language, or communication struggles, Sierra Care’s skilled therapists can help improve your ability to communicate with coworkers, family, and people in your everyday life. Sierra Care’s beautiful facilities in central California are the perfect environment for healing and recovery. We offer speech and language therapy services to all patients in our facilities ensuring that communication and the ability to connect with their loved ones is a central part of their recovery. If you or a loved one would benefit from our speech and language therapy services as a part of your recovery please contact us today!

What is Speech and Language Therapy?

Speech and language therapy is a very broad field. The majority of speech and language therapists focus on a patient’s ability to communicate. Speech therapy is commonly focused on vocal communication, language therapy focuses on almost every other form of communication, and both therapists work in specialized areas as well.

What does a speech therapist do?

Speech therapists can assist with a large number of lifelong or sudden speech problems. Many children who require speech and language therapy are born with their conditions. Sierra Care specializes in speech therapy for adults, which usually focuses on medical conditions or injuries that lead to issues with speech. This may include:

• Stuttering
• Difficulty with word finding
• Inability to form words
• Any difficulty speaking after a stroke
• Traumatic brain injury
• Spinal cord injury
• Severe COVID-19 leading to intubation
• Injuries to the head or neck affecting speech
• Neurological diseases like ALS or multiple sclerosis
• Cancer of the neck or mouth

What does a language therapist do?

Unlike speech therapy, language therapy is focused on the understanding and production of language both verbally and in writing. It is less focused on medical conditions that make speech difficult and more on difficulty with listening, following directions, writing, and reading such as:

• Inability to read or write later in life
• Loss of the ability to read or write after an injury
• Understanding social cues and communication after a brain injury
• Teaching alternative communication skills (braille, sign language, writing board use)

Do these therapists work with any other problems?

Speech and language therapists also treat many other problems that at first do not seem directly related to communication.

• Eating and swallowing after a stroke
• Coping skills in autism spectrum disorder
• Cognitive skills (thinking through speech, language, and what it means)

What Does Speech and Language Therapy Look Like?

Speech and language therapy involves providing exercises and tools to assist the development or recovery of your speech and language. After some time they will assess your progress and determine if any change in therapy is required.

What are some speech therapy techniques?

The exact techniques used by a speech and language therapist depend on the condition they are treating and its severity. Some of the most common techniques are:

• Articulation (breaking down words into specific sounds)
• Feedback (playing sounds you produce back to help you identify changes)
• Identification (finding sounds that make it difficult to transition between words)
• Oral exercises (specific movements to strengthen the swallowing and tongue muscles)
• Fluency (helping to control the rate of speech to combat stuttering)
• Practice (working in a safe and non-judgmental environment to practice speech

How long do you need speech therapy?

The exact duration of speech therapy varies based on the condition that requires speech therapy, your age, and the severity of the condition. Younger patients recovering from a traumatic injury usually require less time in therapy when compared to older adults that are recovering from a medical condition. Some individuals may only require a short course of therapy while others will require lifelong theray but decreasing frequency of visits.

Because the amount of time varies between patients, your speech therapist will regularly assess your progress in therapy. These reassessments will allow them to update you on how long they expect you to be in therapy and any possible care you will need in the future.

Skilled and Dedicated Professionals Focused on Your Recovery

Sierra Care’s speech and language therapists are skilled at working with adults who are recovering from injuries and medical conditions. Our therapists are backed by skilled medical specialists, case managers, and therapists in other areas. This ensures that your care is focused towards your goals and coordinated with other medical specialists and therapists that are involved in your care. When you are at Sierra Care you are more than just a patient, you are the focus of our entire medical team.