Speech and Swallow Therapy
At St. Jude Medical Center, our speech and language specialists are experts in helping patients find their voice, regain their ability to communicate, and reclaim their quality of life. Here, those affected by brain injury, Parkinson’s disease, developmental delay or other communication issue, will find one of Southern California’s most comprehensive and innovative ranges of services and programs.
What most clearly sets our services apart is the caliber and experience of our speech language pathologists—who are not only licensed but certified. This means they have gone beyond state licensure requirements to voluntarily meet rigorous national standards of education, experience and clinical expertise in their specialty.
Our speech and language specialists are dedicated to helping children and adults successfully overcome problems with speech, voice, language or swallowing. Conditions we treat include:
- Aphasia (difficulty understanding language or verbally communicating
- Communication impairments (stroke, brain injury, Parkinson’s disease, developmental delay)
- Swallowing disorder as a result of injury, illness or developmental delay
- Voice overuse or inflammation of the vocal chords
- Voice disorders caused by reflux
- Involuntary muscle movements of the larynx
- Disorders that affect communication
- Articulation disorders
- Stuttering
- Autism
- ADHD
- Slurred speech
By offering advanced, state-of-the-art evidence-based treatments, our specialists are able to carefully tailor therapy to each patient’s specific needs and goals. Among our full-spectrum of treatment resources, we offer:
- One of the nation’s most innovative communication recovery programs for those with aphasia or Parkinson’s
- Over a dozen different recovery groups, each offering specialized speech therapy techniques in a highly interactive setting
- VitalStim Therapy - the first and only neuromuscular electrical stimulation treatment approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration for treating swallowing disorders
- Fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES) - a state-of-the-art non-radioactive alternative to modified barium swallow studies that allows more precise therapeutic intervention
- Specialized pediatric speech and language therapy - including individual and therapeutic group classes to overcome stuttering, language delay, and teach successful interpersonal and communication skills for children with autism or ADHD
- Lee Silverman Voice Therapy (LSVT-LOUD) and other specialized therapy interventions to increase vocal loudness for patient with Parkinson’s or neurological impairment
- Videostroboscopy to assess vocal function