Services

Modified and comprehensive evaluations are generally requested in order to better understand why a child may be having difficulty meeting age-appropriate skill sets. Our skilled professionals are able to design a comprehensive evaluation that pinpoints a child's strengths and weaknesses. Based on the results of the evaluation, we can then suggest interventions and instructional guidelines  for both home and school that are research-based, easy to implement, and effective.

Modified and comprehensive evaluations typically include a parent intake, correspondence with the child's educational team, individual testing sessions, a feedback conference, and a written report with summary of our findings. Word of Mouth offers modified and evaluations in the following disciplines:

• Speech and language evaluations
• Occupational therapy evaluations
• ADHD assessment
• Gifted evaluation
• Psychoeducational evaluations

An evaluation is a comprehensive assessment of a child's ability in one or more developmental domains. Evaluations are conducted by experienced professionals from our Word of Mouth team. Families typically incur the cost of the evaluation, which may be covered under their insurance plans.

A screening is a shortened version of a longer, more-conclusive test. Screenings are given only to identify if a child needs further evaluation. If a child scores in the low-average or below-average range on a screening measure, additional testing will typically be recommended before treatment is initiated. Screenings can provide general information about some, or all, of the following abilities:

• Articulation (enunciation of speech sounds)
• Fluency (smooth flow of speech)
• Voice (tone and quality)
• Receptive Language (ability to process, understand, and act on language the child has heard)
• Expressive Language (vocabulary, grammar, pragmatics, and overall communication content)
• Fine Motor Skill
• Visual Motor Skill
• Visual Spatial and Perception Skills
• Self regulation 

Therapy

Word of Mouth Clinical Associates specializes in the following therapeutic services:

• Speech Language Therapy
• Sky High Occupational Therapy
• Language-Based Tutoring
• Interactive Metronome
• Group Therapy
• Myofunctional Therapy
• FIE Cognitive Therapy

Not all children will require therapy, however, if needed, intervention is a proven tool that effectively facilitates the development of delayed skills. Our team consists of caring and devoted therapists who are committed to providing families with high-quality speech, language, and occupational therapy services.

 Summer Programs

• Summer Handwriting Camp - If you have concerns about your child's handwriting, our camps are a great way to practice skills or to learn new skills before returning to school in the fall. The Printing Group is recommended for kindergarteners and first graders, and the Cursive Group is recommended for third and fourth graders. All groups are held at our offices and focus on improving handwriting and fine motor skills using a multi-sensory approach in a fun small-group setting.

• Interactive Metronome Summer Program - Interactive Metronome® is a multisensory program that combines sound therapy, movement and visual stimuli to improve function of a child's nervous system through repetitive practice. It has been used successfully to improve attention, concentration, motor planning/sequencing and processing speed in children with ADHD, ASD,  language disorders and many other diagnoses. Hourly summer sessions are conducted individually, four or five days a week, for five to seven weeks to complete the required number of repetitions to finish the program (20 to 22 hours total).

Fall Screenings

Clinicians conduct individual developmental screenings at your school. The screenings will provide a general overview of a child's articulation, language, and motor development. Screenings are effective tools in determining which children may benefit from additional support in the classroom or if a full evaluation is needed. We will provide the school with a parent communication letter and permission slip for school-wide distribution. After the screenings have been completed, parents and teachers will receive a screening summary with recommendations. Parents pay a fee for each screening.

Free Spring Screenings

Children ages 3-7 can receive free speech-language and occupational therapy screenings at our offices on a designated day each spring. Results may be sent to your child's pediatrician upon request. Screenings are offered by appointment only on a first-come, first-served basis.

Preschool Consultations

Ongoing  preschool support is available for preschools and includes one or more of  the following services:

• Year-round screenings at a teacher's request
• Classroom observations with activity ideas
• Child observations with recommendations
• Weekly or monthly activity group led by a therapist
• Parent talks on selected topics

Teacher In-Services

In-services range from one to three hours and can include information on various topics as needed by your program.

Word of Mouth provides academic support to elementary, middle, and high school students. Our approach goes far beyond basic tutoring; in addition to addressing curriculum content, our clinicians use research-based and metacognitive strategies to help children become experts in their individual learning styles and the tools that assist them in achieving academic success.

Language-Based Tutoring

Beyond the primary grades, increasing curricular demands present significant challenges for children with language-based learning issues. In addition to mastering content, children must also develop effective organizational and study strategies that will better equip them to be successful learners.

Language-based tutoring approaches can be applied to all core subjects, including math, science, english, and social studies. Frequent collaboration with teachers allows for communication of best practices and instructional approaches, thereby increasing the quality and continuity of instruction.

While individual treatment plans are generated based on a child's unique learning profile, the following skills are often highlighted throughout the language-based tutoring sessions:

• Organization, planning, and time management
• Understanding and recall of unfamiliar vocabulary
• Comprehension of auditory and written information
• Note-taking strategies
• Test preparation
• Managing research projects and other long-term assignments
• Written language
• Self-advocacy skills

Standardized Test Preparation

Word of Mouth provides standardized test preparation for students taking the ISEE. Instruction is available throughout the year in both individual and group formats. Students receive specific strategy instruction for different subtests as well as general test-taking tips. During each session, students have multiple opportunities for practice and application of skills.

Interactive Metronome is a patented audio-visual treatment tool used in therapy to improve the neurolgical processes of motor planning, sequencing and processing.  Problems in these areas have been linked to a variety of developmental, behavioral and learning challenges.  

Neural timing is essential for the brain's synchronous communication. Research suggests that IM enhances the white matter of the brain resulting in improved performance in:

• attention and concentration
• motor planning
• behavior (agression and impusivity)
• processing speed 
• academic performance

How Does IM Work?

The Interactive Metronome program provides a structured, goal-oriented training process that challenges the participant to precisely match a computer-generated beat.  The child is instructed to synchronize various hand and foot exercises to a reference tone heard through headphone. As the child gains competence matching the rythmic beat with repetitive motor actions such as tapping his foot on a floor sensor mat and clapping his hands while wearing a hand trigger, sessions increase in length which improves the child's sustained attention. Also as the child's neural timing improves,entertaining visual distractors (ex. soccer ball entering or missing goal) are introduced that reinforce a child's performance. Over the course of treatment, children learn to:

• focus and attend for longer periods of time
• increase physical endurance and stamina
• filter our internal and external distractions
• improve their ability to monitor mental and physical actions
• progressively improved cooridnated motor performance