Speech and Language Therapy

Here are some very important questions to consider in judging whether your child needs speech or language therapy:

• Is your child a late-talker?
• Are you the only person that can understand what your child says?
• Does your child stutter?
• Does your child drool excessively or have difficulty with feeding or swallowing?
• Does he or she have difficulty following instructions, or have difficulty communicating?
• Does your child have a voice problem or is he hearing-impaired?
  

If you answered yes to any of these questions, your child may need help. Early intervention and appropriate treatment by licensed speech-language pathologist can make a difference.

Speech therapy may also be indicated if your child was a premature birth, has a developmental delay, cleft palate, seizures, neurologic or a genetic disorder, congenital birth defect, hearing loss, hoarse voice or gastrointestinal disorder.

The pediatric speech-language pathologists with Wolfson Children's Rehabilitation specialize in the evaluation and treatment of infants and children who need assistance with speech, language, voice, stuttering, communication, feeding or oral motor difficulties.

If you suspect a problem, ask your physician for a prescription for a speech therapy evaluation and treatment. We have conveniently located clinics in Downtown Jacksonville, and at the Beaches, Mandarin and in Orange Park.

A printer-friendly brochure about Wolfson Children's Rehabilitation Services is provided here (PDF) for your convenience.

SpeechEasy® Stuttering Device

Wolfson Children's Hospital is Northeast Florida's regional provider for the advanced SpeechEasy® fluency device for children and adolescents who stutter. The SpeechEasy device is a treatment option that is worn similar to a hearing aid; however, unlike hearing aids. SpeechEasy devices use a system of Altered Auditory Feedback (AAF) rather than amplification.

How does it work?

When someone wears a SpeechEasy device and speaks, their words are digitally replayed in their ear with a very slight delay and frequency modification. As a result, the brain perceives that it is speaking in unison with another person. This perception of "speaking in unison" creates the "choral effect," thus becoming a stuttering treatment that can reduce or even eliminate stuttering. These fluency devices are a small and inconspicuous treatment option that may help people who stutter experience a heightened sense of confidence, freedom and self-reliance that comes from being able to communicate more effectively.

For more information on the SpeechEasy device, please visit www.speecheasy.com.

Contact Information

To schedule your child's first appointment, call 904.202.1884. A referral form (PDF), completed by your child's physician, is required.

Programs & Services