Communication | The Airplane Spoon

Child and therapist playing with instruments during a play-based language activity

Communication Therapy

Communication is connection.

We are constantly communicating with our world through our bodies, actions, gestures, sounds, and voices to build relationships.

We help children and their parents develop strong relationship-based communication skills that promote social awareness, self-advocacy, and interaction.

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Areas of Communication Support

Early Communication

Expanding Babbling

Child playing with toy to build language and confidence.

We support parents to learn how to encourage and expand babbling in their children who aren’t yet saying words or have very few words by playfully responding to their sounds, adding new words or sounds to their attempts, and creating a supportive environment that fosters their communication skills.

Building Vocabulary

Building early vocabulary in late talkers involves incorporating rich language experiences, such as reading books together, narrating daily activities, and using interactive play, to expose them to a variety of words and contexts.

Some examples of core vocabulary words include:

go, stop, more, all done, like, play, open, close

Hows and Whys of Communication

Therapeutic services (with a speech-language pathologist)

AAC For Non-Speaking Children

What is AAC?

AAC stands for Augmentative and Alternative Communication. This area refers to various methods and tools that support individuals with communication difficulties, particularly those who may have challenges with speech.

AAC includes both augmentative, where it enhances existing communication/speech, and alternative, where it provides a substitute for speech.

This can range from low-tech options like picture boards and sign language to high-tech devices such as speech-generating devices or communication apps, all tailored to help individuals express themselves and participate more fully in social interactions.

Child using an AAC device to communicate during a play-based speech therapy session.

Total Communication Strategies

For children who are late talkers, nonverbal, or minimally speaking to provide alternative communication support to develop language and social integration/expression

Gestures
Signs
Icons/Pictures
Vocabulary boards
High-tech AAC systems

Trialing and Recommending Systems

Our skilled team of AAC-specialized speech-language pathologists will perform a detailed assessment and engage in device trialing to recommend the most effective and appropriate communication system for your child.

Some examples of different systems we recommend include:

Tactile systems
Auditory/switch systems
iPad systems
TouchChat
TD Snap Motor
LAMP
GoTalk

Oral Motor Development

What is Oral Motor Development?

Some children have challenges in developing their verbal expression/speech due to delays/differences/disorders affecting their oral-motor development. These could be neurological or physical challenges including:

Apraxia of speech
Cerebral palsy
Down syndrome
Cleft lip/palate
Hearing loss/deafness
Traumatic brain injury

Curious toddler engaging in sensory play with therapist support.

Frequency and Intensity

Research indicates that high-frequency, high-intensity interventions are effective in supporting oral motor speech development for this population, emphasizing the importance of consistent and frequent practice to reinforce motor patterns.

The increased repetition and intensity contribute to neuroplasticity, facilitating the establishment of more accurate and efficient oral motor control for improved speech outcomes.

Multi-Modal Approach

The therapeutic approach for oral motor speech development involves a multi-sensory approach, incorporating visual, tactile, and physical prompting techniques.

Speech-language pathologists may use visual aids, hands-on activities, and tactile cues to help children learn and practice the motor movements necessary for producing sounds, fostering a comprehensive and engaging learning experience tailored to each child's needs.

Child playing with blocks in a child-led speech therapy activity.

Children who are autistic, have ADHD or other anxiety challenges, have dyslexia, or other processing-based differences are considered “neurodiverse.” This is because their brain processes information differently than the neurotypical brain.

We support parents of neurodiverse children to understand and develop their neurodiverse child’s unique learning style, specifically regarding the following areas:

Communication development
Sensory and regulation
Routines and transitions
Integrating strengths

Neurodiversity Affirming

Gestalt Language Processors

Building Functional Language / Scripts

Introducing a tube-fed infant/child to oral eating (foods and liquids)

Health/Medical considerations prioritized
Promoting bolus feeds for oral association to foods and hunger/fullness cues
Positive associations and cue-based progression

Types of Services

Gestalt language processing is the way many neurodiverse children (including those with ASD, ADHD, OCD, or other neurological processing differences) learn to understand and store language. It focuses more on the integration of individual elements into a unified and meaningful whole, emphasizing the holistic interpretation of linguistic information to capture the overall context and structure of communication.

This can sound like echoing back whole phrases/songs/books/shows or repeating back word-for-word questions you ask them (“Do you want juice?” to mean “I want juice.”)

For children who learn language this way, there is a specific language support approach through the GLP development lens.

Schedule Free Consultation

Communication Therapy

Areas of Communication Support

Early Communication

Frequently Asked Questions