Language Therapy

Miriam’s language therapy helps children learn to communicate appropriately with others. Our Missouri licensed and ASHA certified, pediatric speech language pathologists have many years of experience helping children understand words and their meanings, putting words together to communicate verbal and written ideas, better understanding what others are saying, and using appropriate social communication skills with peers. Miriam’s language therapists help hundreds of children who have autism, ADHD, and language disorders learn strategies to improve receptive, expressive, and social language skills.

Addressing Receptive Language Deficits

Children with receptive language deficits often have difficulty with understanding spoken language including interpreting the meanings of words, following directions, and grasping the context of conversations. These deficits can affect a child’s ability to process and comprehend what others are saying to them. These issues can result in difficulties with forming relationships, feelings of frustration and isolation, low self-esteem, anxiety, behavioral problems, and difficulty with regulating emotions. When children do not understand what others say to them, others may excluded them from peer groups. Children with receptive language difficulties also may feel misunderstood. Early language interventions through Miriam’s therapy program cannot only offset the language issue(s), but can also prevent some of the social and emotional baggage that can develop when language issues go untreated.

Improving Expressive Language Skills

Expressive language deficits make it difficult for children to share their thoughts, ideas, and feelings through spoken or written language. Symptoms of expressive language problems include difficulty finding the right words, using words incorrectly, having a small vocabulary, using short phrases, leaving out small words, putting sentences together incorrectly, and having trouble making complex sentences. Miriam’s speech language pathologists helps children who have expressive language disorders by focusing on strengthening skills, teaching strategies, and remediating weak areas. When a child is able to express their needs through words, they are less apt to act out in inappropriate ways because their needs may be better met.

Building Social Language Skills

Social language deficits often accompany a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder or Social Pragmatic Communication Disorder and can be present in children who have Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorders and language and specific learning disorders. Social language focuses on the way people communicate with each other both verbally and non-verbally. It takes into account the use of verbal and body language in social interactions, including how and what people say, taking turns, and showing interest in others and what they are saying. Deficits in social language, also known as social pragmatics, can lead to lack of friendships and social isolation, and in adults, unemployment. Whereas children who do not have social skills deficits intuitively learn the nuances of social language, children with autism and other social disabilities may need explicit instructions and strategies in order fit into our social world. Miriam’s speech language pathologists work with children to teach social skills to help offset deficits in social language.

Children with social language deficits often start in 1:1 sessions to gain new tools and then progress to social skills groups to practice social skills. Miriam offers social skills groups only during summer months. We offer individual language sessions year-round.

Therapy Frequency 

Children usually attend language therapy one to two times per week for 50 minutes each session. Our therapists encourage parents to work on social strategies between sessions with their child, to ensure carry-over between the therapy session and the home environment.