Speech and Language Services
Faculty as well as undergraduate and graduate students in the Communication Sciences and Disorders department provide evaluation, intervention, collaboration and consultation to people of all ages who have difficulty communicating. Some of the communication disorders that can be evaluated and treated at the Herndon Clinic are listed below. If you have questions regarding Herndon Clinic services, please contact us or review the frequently asked questions link.
Speech Sound Disorders
Children and adults may have difficulty producing speech that is understood by the listener. Difficulties can range from a child who produces a single sound incorrectly to an adult who has suffered a stroke and is now experiencing trouble producing sounds correctly due to weakness (e.g., dysarthria) or motor planning (e.g., apraxia of speech).
Language and Literacy
A person with an oral language disorder may have difficulties with understanding and/or expressing thoughts, ideas and feelings. Children and adults may have difficulties with these skills due to a medical event (e.g., stroke or traumatic brain injury) or have an unknown cause. At times, oral expression may be supplemented with alternative methods of communicating, alternative/augmentative communication (AAC).
At times, individuals may only experience difficulties with reading, spelling, and/or writing. Persons with reading disorders may experience difficulties with word reading accuracy, understanding of text and/or a combination of both word reading and understanding.
Voice and Swallow
Normal voice production requires the pitch, loudness and quality be pleasing to the listener. Voice disorders occur when any or all of these areas are outside the normal range and can be caused by neurogenic disorders (e.g., Parkinson's), structural disorders (e.g., polyps, cysts, or trauma), or other causes. Swallowing disorders can occur at any time throughout the lifespan and are often due to stroke or traumatic brain injury. Utilizing state of the art technology, the faculty and students can provide clients a thorough evaluation as well as treatment to improve skills in voice and swallow.
Fluency
Fluency can be described as the flow and rhythm of speech. Persons with fluency disorders may either speak too fast, cluttering his/her speech. Another type fluency disorder is stuttering in which the person has repeats the initial sound (e.g., t-t-t-toy), prolongs a single sound (e.g., mmmmm-mommy), or blocks on the sound so that airflow and the mouth are stopped (e.g., b------oy).