Speech Language Pathology Services
What is a Speech Language Pathologist?
Speech Language Pathologists (SLPs) assess, diagnose, and treat speech, language, social communication, and cognitive-communication disorders. These disorders can happen as a result of a stroke, traumatic brain injury, brain tumor, or dementia, although they can also be congenital.
What problems/disorders can an SLP treat?
Many different medical conditions can cause speech, language and cognitive disorders. For example,
Parkinson’s disease can cause low volume, attention and concentration difficulties, and memory problems.
Traumatic brain injury can cause slow or slurred speech, problems with appropriate social behavior, and attention and memory problems.
Additional conditions include stroke, early stages of cognitive decline, concussion, and many more.
Speech disorders occur when a person has difficulty with producing speech sounds accurately or fluently or has problems with voice or resonance.
Dysarthria (slow or slurred speech)
Flow of speech (e.g., stuttering)
Tone or volume (e.g., low voice in Parkinson’s disease)
Language disorders occur when a person has trouble understanding language or producing language to express their wants and needs functionally.
Aphasia (unable to express speech, word finding problems, difficulty understanding speech)
Receptive problems (understanding others, trouble following directions)
Pragmatics (appropriate social skills/communication)
Cognitive-communication disorders include problems organizing thoughts, attending to tasks, remembering, planning, and/or problem-solving.
Problems with executive functioning skills such as problem-solving and attention
Memory problems
How can SLP services help?
Improve communication with others
Help with following along during conversations
Help with finding the words you want to say
Improve speech sounds
Improve following directions or multi-step tasks
Develop memory strategies
Develop appropriate social skills
Help with organizing thoughts
Improve attention to tasks
Strengthen decision-making, planning, and/or problem solving
FAQs
What is a typical session like?
The first few sessions include an evaluation with some tests of your language/communication skills. We will then develop a treatment plan based on your problem and goals. This includes practice both in and out of session.
How can a speech-language pathologist help my memory problems?
After gathering some information about your memory issues and how these issues impact your daily activities, we can then introduce memory strategies to help your memory skills in a variety of contexts.
Will my insurance cover services?
Each client’s insurance plan is different. Some carriers require authorization, others have limits on the amount of sessions. Please call your insurance company to get information about your specific plan and coverage. You may also need a script from a medical doctor.
Jennifer Girgenti, MS, CCC-SLP
Jennifer Girgenti is a licensed speech-language pathologist who earned her Masters Degree in speech-language pathology from Long Island University in 2004. She worked with adults with developmental disabilities at United Cerebral Palsy in NY for twelve years. Following her work with that agency, she earned a position at Bancroft Neurorehab providing speech, language, and cognitive rehabilitation therapy to adults with traumatic brain injuries, strokes, and neurodegenerative disorders. Jennifer maintains clinical interest in improving speech, language, and executive functioning skills to facilitate functional communication and independence for those with whom she works. She provides speech evaluations, speech therapy, and cognitive rehabilitation services.