Communication Therapy
Communication is complex! We are all interacting and communicating with one another through our bodies, our actions, our gestures, our sounds, and our voices.
At The Airplane Spoon, we provide expert pediatric communication support
to help children and their parents develop strong relationship-based communication skills
that promote social awareness and interaction.
Early Communication
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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.
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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
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Supporting parents and children to build their confidence and abilities in social-relational communication.
routines
following instructions
requesting
protesting
commenting
answering/asking questions
Communication Therapy Areas
AAC for Non-Speaking Children
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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.
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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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.
Gestalt Language Processors (GLP)
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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
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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.
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Many autistic children or gestalt language processors memorize whole phrases or sentences.
Our therapeutic approach is designed to help children and their parents learn how to build functional language for everyday use to communicate their wants, needs, interests, and protests.
Therapy Process
Step 1: Consultation
A member of The Airplane Spoon’s team will talk with you about your interest in therapy services, your child’s strengths and areas of needed support, and The Airplane Spoon’s model.
Step 4: Start Sessions: Center
You, your child, and your therapist will all actively participate in the sessions. You will work with your provider to gain confidence and expertise in how to work on your child’s skills outside of session times.
Step 2: Evaluation
Your Airplane Spoon therapist will then come to your home for a 90-minute evaluation. You will discuss your family’s routines and areas for support and the therapist will evaluate your child’s skills in the area of needed support.
Step 5: Sessions at Home
Home sessions are a time to work on carrying over skills learned at the center into your everyday routines and contexts. Families receive home sessions one week of each month.
Step 3: Report Review
Within a week of the evaluation, you will receive an email with the written report from the evaluation and your therapist will schedule a 30 minute virtual meeting to review the results and answer any questions.
Step 6: All done
Our goal is for you to not need us anymore! Once you gain confidence in your ability to support your child in their areas of needed support, we will talk about phasing out services.
The 4 Integrated Communication Components
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Receptive Language
Receptive language refers to the ability to understand and process when others are communicating. It involves skills such as listening, reading, following instructions, answering questions, and interpreting information.
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Expressive Language
Expressive language involves the ability of an individual to convey thoughts, ideas, and feelings so that others will understand. It encompasses skills such as gestures, eye gaze, vocalizations, facial expressions, speaking, or other ways (AAC).
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Social Pragmatics
Social pragmatics refers to the use of language in social situations to effectively communicate and interact with others. It involves understanding and applying the social rules and conventions of language, such as taking turns in conversation, using appropriate body language, and adapting communication style based on the context, to navigate social interactions successfully.
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Play
Through various forms of play, such as pretend play and interactive games, children can practice and reinforce communication skills, vocabulary, and social interaction. Play not only facilitates language acquisition but also fosters creativity, problem-solving, and confidence, promoting a holistic approach to communication development in children.