Therapy
A wide variety of effective treatments are available. Our clinic serves all ages from two years of age to adults with a variety of communication disorders.
Some of our clients are involved in treatment programs through their school districts. These clients are seeking additional services to benefit from the intensity of therapy and the expertise that our clinicians can provide within our center. Coordination with the client's school therapist can help maintain consistency of treatment and provide a level of progress that would not otherwise be possible. If your child is currently receiving school based therapy, ask for a copy of their Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) to bring to your first appointment.
In addition, we contract with private schools to provide speech therapy services. This may be an option for your child to participate in therapy that is more convenient to the child's schedule. We have expertise in articulation, phonological, motor speech, such as childhood apraxia of speech, stuttering and language disorders. In addition, we have expertise in swallowing/dysphagia disorders and acquired adult language (aphasia) or cognitive dysfunction from head injury or stroke.
Stuttering Treatment | Articulation Treatment | Language Treatment | Tongue Thrust Therapy | Voice Therapy
Stroke or Other Neurological Damage | Swallowing Treatment | Apraxia
Tom Gurrister MS-CCC is a board certified stuttering and fluency disorders specialist by the American Speech Language and Hearing Association. He has directed intensive treatment programs for children and adults, taught stuttering courses at the University of Utah and lectured extensively on the evaluation and treatment of stuttering. He works with all ages of stutterers from preschool to adult, providing individual and group treatment as well as intensive therapy programs.
In some cases, stuttering can be eliminated, especially if caught early enough, in others the struggle and difficulty communicating can be managed and improved. In all cases there is much that can be achieved improving not only communication skills but self confidence and a willingness to speak.
For the preschool stutterer ages 2-5 years the Lidcombe Program of Early Stuttering Intervention is utilized. This program requires specialty certification and studies have been shown it is successful in over 90% of the cases. Early intervention is the key to avoiding a possible life long disorder.
For the school age stutterer, a variety of stuttering management strategies and desensitization techniques are taught. Individual and group therapy as well as the Wasatch Children’s Stuttering Management Program offer a variety of therapy approaches. We also coordinate with the schools and other therapists working with your children.
For the adolescent and adult, in addition to the stuttering management tools and desensitization strategies, the SpeechEasy Fluency Device is an option for some individuals as an adjunct to traditional treatment. Again, individual as well as group treatment is promoted to address the emotional and psychological aspects of stuttering as well as the management strategies.
Our therapy approach addresses the stutterer’s unique needs through an individualized program. The treatment focuses on functional real life tasks, activities and assignments to transfer and generalize the stuttering management skills to the workplace, school and home environment.
Testimonials:
"I consider the people in the Mountain West to be extremely fortunate in having one of the most experienced and effective speech pathologists in the nation available to those of us who stutter. I firmly believe that any person who stutters can quickly be taught, under the direction of Mr. Gurrister, how to be reasonably fluent." -John G. Hedman, stutterer
"I would refer any of my friends to the Wasatch Speech and Language Center. We have been able to help my son's stutter virtually disappear. Tom is great with kids, and has a way of making everyone feel comfortable. Tom has taught us as parents how we can continue treatment at home, and helps us understand how and why we use specific approaches. Thanks." -Dave Coccimiglio
"Tom worked with two of my children who exhibited symptoms of stuttering and now they both speak perfectly fluently. He is very personable and made my children feel comfortable working with him. Maria is also a very well regarded therapist and helped another child work on his "s" sound. We would definitely recommend anyone to Wasatch Speech and Language Center." -John Guynn
"Our son’s stuttering has neurological root causes (causes that were poorly diagnosed and treated by other "specialists"). Tom recognized Hunter’s unique requirements and armed him with the tools necessary to manage and even excel in his fluency. Hunter has learned to accept his stuttering—a crucial first step in such therapy—and continues to practice Tom’s techniques. In the process, Tom has also boosted Hunter’s confidence in himself. For that too, we are grateful." -Mike and Linda Dunn
The SpeechEasy Fluency Device:
The SpeechEasy Fluency Device is a small easy to wear digital prosthetic device that fits in the ear or behind the ear like a hearing aid. This device has been shown to be beneficial to many stutterers reducing their stuttering significantly and helping them to improve communication skills. We are trained certified providers in Utah. See the SpeechEasy website for more information: www.speecheasy.com.
Other Stuttering Resources:
- Stuttering Foundation of America: www.stutteringhelp.org 800-992-9392
- National Stuttering Association: www.nsastutter.org 800-WeStutter (800-937-8888)
- Friends: http://www.friendswhostutter.org/ 866-866-8335
Articulation refers to the pronunciation of sounds. Disordered articulation includes substitution of sounds, omissions and distortions. Articulation development follows a pattern that therapists can identify. Children who fall outside that general pattern may be candidates for treatment
Children who are learning to read need to be able to make most speech sounds. If they do not have these skills, it is very difficulty to "sound out words" utilizing a phonics approach to reading. The late emerging sounds in the English language are th, r, and occasionally the l sound as well as consonant clusters. Most sounds should be produced correctly by age 7. But even these sounds are usually present in the kindergarten year.
Our approach involves following a developmental sequence of sound acquisition, addressing speech targets in the clinic setting and providing appropriate materials and instruction for home practice and carryover. Some children and their parents come to our clinic to supplement treatment that is offered through a school district. This additional therapy can be coordinated with district therapists at the parent’s request and often helps the child progress rapidly through the speech skills needed for educational and social development at school.
Severe cases often involve a treatment approach that is "phonological" i.e., addressing sound processes. In this approach multiple sounds sharing common characteristics may be treated at one time. Work may involve auditory training in which children learn to "listen" to sounds more carefully. This often has a positive influence on academic and reading skills. We use evidence-based, proven computer program(s) that address auditory processing, pre-literacy skills critical to the development of reading skills.
Specializing in the treatment of the "r sound"
One of the most frequently misarticulated sounds is the "r" sound. Children who are age seven and older who still struggle with the "r" sound often require speech intervention.
Our unique therapy approach to the successful treatment of the "r" sound usually involves the analysis of the child’s lip, tongue, and jaw movements that may be impacting and inhibiting the child’s ability to successfully produce a mature speech pattern which is expected of him/her from the age of seven and older. We have successfully treated children with disordered "r" sounds from ages 7-14 years of age, and adults in some cases.
- Language is the system of rules and conventions to put words together into meaningful units, and the symbols or words that compromise the basic lexicon or vocabulary of the individual (expressive language).
- It is also the understanding or processing and retention of verbal communication (receptive language).
- It includes syntax, vocabulary, semantics, pragmatics, and comprehension.
Our highly trained staff can help initiate and stimulate language development in the young language-delayed child (preschool age), or assist older children (elementary school age) to develop the language concepts and components that may be interfering with their cognitive, educational, social communication, or reading development. For children, we generally follow a treatment program that is patterned on normal developmental milestones. Children as young as 2 years of age participate in early language intervention. Interactive play activities that are a pre-cursor to language development are incorporated into early intervention. Children with limited verbal skills are taught picture exchanges, sign language and gestural communication in addition to traditional stimulation and expansion activities; all important tools for the child’s acquisition of language.
Children we have experience treating:
-Language delays/disorders
-Down syndrome
-Autism spectrum disorders
-Auditory processing disorders
-Pervasive Developmental Delays
-And other childhood disorders such as Di George syndrome, PVL, hard of hearing, and the nonverbal child.
If you have concerns, make an appointment and we can compare your child’s skills to normal developmental patterns and make appropriate recommendations.
Our clients for tongue thrust therapy are usually referred by an orthodontist before, during, or after their treatment for misalignment of the teeth. If you or your child have an overbite and are being treated by an orthodontist, you may be interested in our therapy program. Often times a tongue thrust causes or exacerbates an overbite malocclusion.
The program begins with an evaluation and extends through ten treatment sessions. In a motivated client, that is all it takes to modify the swallow pattern to allow the teeth to stay in alignment. Some of our clients have been able to completely eliminate the need for a retainer or braces. This program requires considerable effort, daily practice, and self-motivation, but pays off with big benefits. Due to the rigor of the program, children under 12 years of age need to be approved by the therapist.
You cannot tell if a person has a tongue thrust merely by observing their swallowing behavior from the outside. If you suspect you or someone you know has a tongue thrust pattern of swallowing, an evaluation can be performed by one of our highly qualified therapists. Please call or email us by going on the "contact us" page.
Therapy for voice disorders focuses on the proper use of breathing, articulation, resonance, and the larynx, or voice box (voicing). Common symptoms of a treatable voice disorder include recurring or continual hoarseness, breathiness, inability to project your voice or hyper/hypo nasality. Vocal nodules are the leading cause of a hoarse or harsh voice in children and can be caused by overusing the voice such as yelling on the playground or at sporting events. A good voice treatment program can often eliminate vocal nodules.
The diagram below shows a normal larynx at rest with the vocal cords open and then closed for voicing. Some voice disorders cannot be eliminated entirely, but many patients can be helped by identifying compensatory strategies for speaking which help to minimize the difficulty and can be prepared to deal with daily communication challenges.
Stroke or Other Neurological Damage:
Adults:
Conditions that affect speech and language are many. We have experience in dealing with a variety of diseases/disorders affecting various areas of the brain and neuro-motor/sensory systems. Rehabilitation of speech and communication is the top priority for most patients and their families. Often speech therapy needs to be combined with oral/motor and swallowing treatment. Augmentative communication may need to be a part of the over-all treatment.
Other areas of treatment can include evaluation and rehabilitation of reading, writing, problem solving, organization and other activities of daily living. Cognitive treatment may be necessary. Our staff has extensive treatment experience in hospital rehabilitation settings and home and community reentry programs. When prognosis for complete recovery is fair to poor, our staff can help in developing compensatory strategies to allow patients the maximum independence and functionality. We are experienced in teaming with occupational and physical therapists in the development of a complete therapeutic program.
Children:
Trained in Picture Exchange Communication Systems (PECS), augmentative communication, and development of support groups for parents.
Return to the home page to contact us for specific information regarding your particular needs.
Dysphagia is the medical term for a difficulty with swallowing. Swallowing dysfunction may occur after a stroke, traumatic brain injury or from a progressive neurological disease such as muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis etc.
We recommend a clinical evaluation of the swallow, either with videofluroscopy or FEES prior to making an appointment with our swallow therapist. Therapy is most effective when the function of the swallow is viewed through radiographic methods. A videofluroscopy or FEES study of the swallow must be done through a hospital or approved medical facility.
The major concerns when treating dysphagia are maintaining health through adequate nutrition and hydration and protecting the patient from aspiration and the risk of pneumonia. In addition to treating the patient, the therapist usually makes modifications in the environment and helps the patient and family to select foods and drink that can be eaten safely. Sometimes adaptive equipment is recommended that may include special cups, plates or utensils that will allow the patient to eat more safely and independently.
Our swallowing specialist has extensive experience with stroke, TBI, and muscular dystrophy patients and helping the patient regain their swallow function. Our therapist will work closely with your doctor in helping you maintain a pleasurable eating experience in spite of a swallowing disorder.
Apraxia of speech is considered a motor speech disorder. For unknown reasons, children with apraxia have greater difficulty planning and producing the precise, highly refined and specific series of movements of the tongue, lips, jaw, and palate that are necessary for intelligible speech. Apraxia of speech may also be called verbal apraxia, developmental apraxia of speech, or verbal dyspraxia. No matter what it is called, the most important concept is the root word "praxis". Praxis means planned movement. So, to some degree or another, a child with the diagnosis of apraxia of speech has difficulty programming and planning speech movements. Apraxia of speech is a specific speech disorder.
A true developmental delay of speech is when the child is following the "typical" path of childhood speech development, albeit at a rate slower than normal. Sometimes this rate is commensurate with cognitive skills. In typical speech/language development, the child’s receptive and expressive skills are pretty much moving together. What is generally seen in a child with apraxia of speech is a wide gap between their receptive language abilities and expressive abilities. In other words, the child’s ability to understand language (receptive ability) is broadly within normal limits, but his or her expressive speech is seriously deficient, absent, or severely unclear. This is an important factor and one indicator that the child may be experiencing more than "delayed" speech and should be evaluated for the presence of a specific speech disorder such as apraxia. However, certain language disorders may also cause a similar pattern in a child. A gap between a child’s expressive and receptive language ability is insufficient to diagnose apraxia.
Prognosis means how the child might be expected to do in the future if he or she receives proper treatment. The answer to this question is that outcomes vary, however, children with apraxia of speech can and do improve! The factors that appear to contribute to prognosis include:
- Individual characteristics of the child; these include receptive ability, cognitive ability, desire to communicate (communication intent)
- Age at which appropriate treatment is begun (preschool age being desirable), and attention span.
- The extent to which other medical, speech and/or language issues are present.
- The extent to which therapy is tailored to the unique issues present in the child.
- The extent of family participation and involvement in therapy and follow-through at home.
With appropriate help, most children with apraxia of speech make wonderful gains in their expressive speech ability. However, it is also true that in some situations, despite everyone’s best attempts, a child may not evolve to be primarily a verbal communicator.
