Speech Therapy

Individualized Speech Therapy in Le Mars, IA

Floyd Valley Healthcare has a team of skilled, experienced and compassionate speech therapists. We offer highly individualized speech therapy in Le Mars, IA, for adults and children. Our goal is to provide targeted, personalized solutions that address the primary underlying cause of speech disorders or a lack of speech. We want to help facilitate communication, improve understanding and restore confidence and quality of life. Call us to schedule a consultation and learn more about our speech therapy programs.

What is Speech Therapy?

Speech therapy is a specialized treatment for adults and children with conditions that affect their ability to speak or produce sounds. It is designed and administered by specialists, including experts in speech-language pathology, physicians, therapists and speech therapists. The goal is to evaluate, identify, treat and prevent conditions that affect speech to facilitate communication and improve confidence, physical and mental health and quality of life.

Who Can Benefit From Speech Therapy?

A speech therapy program may include treatments and exercises that improve language skills and language comprehension, the ability to use the voice, non-verbal communication skills and build language fluency, clarity and expression. A speech therapist will focus on improving pronunciation, strengthening the muscles used for speaking and making communication easier to understand.

You might consider speech therapy if you, your child or a loved one has:

• Trouble forming sounds or words
• Difficulty speaking coherently or consistently
• Trouble understanding speech
• Difficulty writing or reading written words
• A diagnosis of a cognitive, developmental or other disorder that affects speech

What Conditions Are Treated with Speech Therapy Services?

Speech therapy is used to address a wide range of physical, medical, biological, social and emotional conditions that affect speech. Programs are designed to target physical conditions that impair speech, emotional conditions that affect speech, developmental or debilitating conditions that affect language comprehension, speech, and clarity, and more.

Some common conditions treated are:

• Aphasia
• Apraxia
• Articulation disorder
• Cognitive and neurological disorders
• Dementia or other age-related conditions
• Developmental disorders
• Dysarthria 
• Expressive disorders
• Fluency disorders
• Receptive disorders 
• Resonance disorders
• Trauma or emotional disorders

Our Approach to Creating Speech Therapy Programs

We believe that the best way to encourage success in speech therapy is to take a holistic, personalized approach. We take the time needed to identify the cause of speech issues, how they are affecting development and quality of life and how to design and implement a program that works with your goals and lifestyle. The only way a program will be successful is if all parties are committed to consistency, communication and clarity. We aim to facilitate all three by targeting our approach to the patient’s needs. We will combine multiple therapeutic techniques, approaches and exercises into one program that encourages results in our office, at home, at work and at school.

Our Speech Therapy Services

In addition to assisting with communication problems related to speech and hearing, our speech therapists also offer customized, personalized care for a variety of conditions, diagnoses and limitations for patients at every stage of life, including pediatric speech therapy, speech therapy for toddlers and speech therapy for adults.

We specialize in utilizing speech therapy exercises and programs as part of a comprehensive treatment program for:

• Aphasia
• Articulation and pronunciation
• Stroke
• Traumatic brain injury rehabilitation
• Augmentative and alternative communication
• Cognitive therapy
• Dysphagia (swallowing)
• Language therapy
• LSVT LOUD (Parkinson’s treatment)
• Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (NMES)
• Voice therapy
• Cognition and functional independence rehabilitation

Call to Schedule a Consultation for Speech Therapy

Floyd Valley Healthcare wants to be your partner in improved speech. We have a team of compassionate, dedicated speech therapists who can design a personalized program that encourages success and improves health and quality of life. Call us now to schedule a consultation for speech therapy in Le Mars, IA.

FAQs About Speech Therapy

If you are considering speech therapy, you probably have many questions. Here are the answers to common questions our team receives:

How Old Should a Patient Be When Entering Speech Therapy?

There is no specific age that is ideal for beginning speech therapy. However, we recommend beginning as soon as you notice signs of a problem. Pediatric speech therapy and speech therapy for adults are crucial to improving communication skills and quality of life.

What Are Some of the Components of a Speech Therapy Program?

We will design a program personalized to your needs, diagnosis and goals. It may include tongue and mouth exercises, facial exercises or movements, reading, word games, home exercises and more.

What Is the Difference Between a Speech-Language Pathologist and a Speech Therapist?

Both speech therapists and speech-language pathologists have undergone extensive education and training and are certified to practice in speech therapy.

Why Is It So Important to Commit to Speech Therapy?

A speech and language disorder can affect every area of your life. It is important to determine the underlying cause of the condition and begin treatment quickly to help you retain language and communication skills, improve speech clarity and develop alternative communication methods. An inability to speak, or feelings of self-consciousness about the way you speak, can lead to anxiety, depression, feelings of inadequacy, relationship problems, job difficulties, education barriers and more.