Speech Therapy Services
Speech Therapy Clinic in Houston, TX
At Texas Hearing Institute, our speech therapy clinic offers comprehensive speech, language, and audition evaluations and parent-centered speech therapy for children with hearing loss from birth to 21 years of age.
Now offering Speech Therapy for Children with and without hearing loss!
Quality hearing and speech care starts with an in-depth assessment. Upon enrolling in speech therapy, children receive a comprehensive evaluation that documents their current levels of performance in the areas of audition, language, speech, vocabulary, early literacy, and general development. The evaluation also includes recommendations that outline what is necessary for them to make progress in their listening and spoken language development.
Other types of evaluations available include:
- Baseline evaluations to determine appropriate services
- Annual evaluations to track progress
- Cochlear implant candidacy evaluations
- Evaluations for school consultations
- Second opinion evaluations
Listening and spoken language (LSL) therapy teaches children with hearing loss how to listen and speak. It is also known as auditory-verbal therapy (ATV). The LSL approach focuses on teaching parents how to build their child’s listening and spoken language skills through daily activities. The goal of LSL therapy is for children with hearing loss to develop spoken language skills similar to those of children their own age who can hear without devices.
LSL therapy:
- Is focused on children who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have difficulty receiving and processing auditory information
- Aims to help children with hearing aids and cochlear implants learn to associate the sounds they receive though them with the meaning of the sounds they hear
- Teaches children critical listening skills through age-appropriate exercises designed to help them acquire speech and language processing tools on the same level as children their age who do not have hearing loss
- Aims to help students mainstream into regular schools to learn alongside, and at the same pace of, other students in their class who are not deaf or hard of hearing.
The Speech Therapy Services department at Texas Hearing Institute offers a wide range of services for children with hearing loss to help them reach their full potential. These services include the following:
Speech Therapy Programs for Children with Hearing Loss
Thanks to universal newborn screening programs and scientific advances made in amplification and cochlear implants, most children with hearing loss are being diagnosed and fitted with hearing technology at an early age, which increases the likelihood of developing listening, speaking, and literacy skills on the same level as children their age without hearing loss.
Active family participation is a crucial part of auditory-verbal therapy (AVT). During each speech therapy session, caregivers learn how to incorporate their child’s listening, language, and speech goals into everyday situations. During each session, the speech therapist demonstrates the strategies and goals for the week and discusses how to achieve specific goals through activities at home with their child.
A study by the Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics found there were two factors that influenced positive language outcomes at 5 years of age: the age at enrollment and family participation.
Texas Hearing Institute’s own research has found that among children whose parents demonstrated “ideal” or “good” participation in therapy, 89% of those children demonstrated significant progress with speech therapy. Alternatively, only 28% of children demonstrated significant progress in speech therapy when their parents demonstrated “below average” or “limited participation” in the therapy process.
Texas Hearing Institute currently has a number of certified listening and spoken language specialists in auditory-verbal therapy (LSLS Cert. AVT) on staff, with several in the mentoring process leading up to certification. Certified LSLS professionals hold, at a minimum, a bachelor’s or master’s degree in speech-language pathology, audiology, or deaf education; have completed 3 to 5 years of supervised, mentored practice; and have passed a comprehensive test to obtain the LSLS credential.
For more information about LSL, please call us at (713) 523-3633 or visit the Alexander Graham Bell Association website.
Don’t Leave Me Speechless is a program designed to bridge the gap for children who are experiencing a temporary lapse in insurance coverage. This program is offered at no cost to the families. It ensures speech therapy services remain accessible for all.
For the Houston RiteCare Infant Program and for any listening and spoken language (LSL) therapy, active family participation is very crucial.
Enrollment Requirements
You must understand and follow these guidelines for your child to be enrolled in the Houston RiteCare Infant Program:
- Speech therapy sessions are usually once a week with a speech therapist specially trained to work with infants and their families.
- There is a high demand for this program, so attendance is taken very seriously. If a family cancels three sessions without giving at least 24 hours' advance notice, they will be dismissed from the program.
- Near the end of the time period for the free services (usually your child’s 18-month birthday), if you want to continue services, a Texas Hearing Institute representative will visit with you to discuss insurance coverage, and whether sliding fee scale payment options are applicable.
- An optional service provided by the program are the services of a social worker who counsels families about grief and family dynamics as well as facilitates parent support groups.
Language environment analysis (LENA) is a tool that provides valuable information about a child’s daily language environment. The LENA system reports adult words, conversational turns, child vocalizations, and information about the acoustic environment.
LENA incorporates use of a small, wearable device, often referred to as a talk pedometer. It is combined with a cloud-based analysis system to record and analyze the language environment of the child. All children enrolled in services at Texas Hearing Institute are eligible for participation in the LENA program.
For additional information, please visit www.lena.org.
Our Speech Therapy Clinic offers listening and spoken language therapy in Spanish for children who come from Spanish-speaking households.
Children with hearing loss, like their peers with normal hearing, are capable of learning more than one spoken language, so our bilingual therapists lead sessions in both English and Spanish to facilitate overall spoken language development. Research conducted at Texas Hearing Institute, among other places, indicates that English skills are stronger when a child with hearing loss receives intervention in the language spoken in their home.
Known as the HEAR-O Program, this program provides auditory-based speech therapy services to children with hearing loss who have additional disabilities. HEAR-O’s purpose is to maximize listening by coordinating our services with the children’s other healthcare providers.
HEAR-O exists because an estimated 40% of the total population of children with hearing loss have additional disabilities (Murray, 2009). Texas Hearing Institute continuously works toward identifying challenges and improving children’s speech in partnership with other members of their established intervention team.
Texas Hearing Institute has provided virtual speech therapy services since 2009 as a flexible solution for families with barriers that prevent access to receiving in-person services. These barriers may include transportation issues, living far from the Texas Hearing Institute campus, or difficulty scheduling time away from home. Virtual speech therapy uses a HIPAA-compliant virtual platform to conduct sessions that are traditionally held in person.
Through our virtual speech therapy services, also known as the Tele-T.A.L.K. program, children all over the state of Texas and beyond are able to access listening and spoken language services from home.
At this time, private insurance and Medicaid plans cover teletherapy services. We also offer a sliding fee scale for those who qualify. For more information on the sliding fee scale, visit Insurance and Billing.
Equipment families will need include:
- A phone, tablet, or laptop capable of accessing a web browser
- An internet connection
Families who do not have access to the necessary technology can apply to Texas Hearing Institute for help to acquire it.
Speech Therapy Programs for Children without Hearing Loss
Our expanded Speech Therapy Services benefit a wide range of children, especially those who are not yet talking or have delayed speech and communication skills. These services are designed to support children with related diagnoses such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), developmental delays, apraxia of speech, Down syndrome, and other language or speech disorders.
Children with challenges in articulation, phonological processing, or motor planning can benefit from our specialized interventions aimed at improving speech clarity. Those with receptive and expressive language delays, who may struggle to understand or express themselves, also find support through our language development programs.
For children with complex communication needs, such as those who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices, our services provide valuable tools and guidance.
Our programs also address swallowing and feeding difficulties, as well as reading and writing challenges. Whether your child is facing delays in speech or has a diagnosed communication disorder, our therapy services can help them improve their communication skills and thrive.
The following expanded Speech Therapy Services are now offered at Texas Hearing Institute:
- Speech therapy services for children with typical hearing
- Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) intervention
- Swallowing and feeding therapy
- Pragmatic language and social skill development
- Articulation, phonological processing, and motor planning intervention
- Receptive and expressive language intervention
- Fluency/stuttering treatment
Speech Therapy Programs in Houston, TX
Speech Therapy Services will be offered in the greater Houston area and on virtual platforms.
Frequently Asked Questions about Speech Therapy Services
When should I be concerned about my child’s communication skills and development?
While each child develops at a unique pace, listening and language milestones can be used to monitor spoken language development. Parents who are concerned about their child’s development should discuss these concerns with their child’s pediatrician.
General Guidelines for When a Child Should be Using Spoken Language
- First words by 12-15 months of age
- Frequent two-word combinations by 21-24 months of age
- Frequent three-word combinations by 36 months of age
- Intelligible speech in conversation 90% of the time by age 4
- Complete sentences most of the time by kindergarten age
Is there anything I can do to help my child’s speech-language development?
Here are some helpful tips:
- Always be aware of the level at which your child is communicating.
- To get your child to talk, make comments about events as they happen, and avoid asking too many questions.
- Encourage taking turns in conversation, and avoid speaking rapidly or for too long when it is your turn.
- Praise your child’s efforts when they communicate with appropriate gestures, pointing, gazes, and verbal attempts.
How long will my child require speech therapy before catching up with their peers?
That will depend on factors such as the severity of the hearing loss and your child’s cooperation, motivation, and readiness to learn. Children who find it difficult to understand language, or who have underlying neurocognitive impairment (such as autism) may require a longer course of treatment.
How often should my child attend speech therapy?
Typically, children receive speech therapy one to two times per week, based on the severity of their hearing loss and the recommended intervention program. More intensive schedules are implemented when necessary.
How long are therapy sessions?
Parent-centered speech therapy sessions typically last 45 minutes.
