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     As part of the Excep= tional Children's Program in Hickory Public Schools, Viewmont Elementary Sc= hool offers services in speech and language therapy for qualifying students= based on their needs for intervention in the areas of articulation, fluenc= y, voice, and language. Students who receive direct speech or language ther= apy are primarily served in a separate classroom for a thirty minute sessio= n once or twice per week. However, the time and number of sessions vary fro= m student to student based on individual needs. Jennifer Love, M.S., CCC-SL= P is the Speech-Language Pathologist serving Viewmont Elementary School.
What is Speech-= Language Therapy?
     Speech-L= anguage Pathology/Therapy is a broad field that continues to grow. Here is = an overview of typical speech and language services in the school setting. =

Articulation an= d Oral-Motor Therapy and Assessment
     Children= with difficulty producing speech sounds come to speech therapy to learn ho= w to produce speech sounds correctly in conversation. Weak tongue and/or li= p muscles can sometimes decrease the clarity of speech. Speech therapists m= ay employ oral activities such as blowing bubbles and whistles and using de= vices to strengthen these muscles. Children may also demonstrate difficulti= es coordinating the movement of structures in the mouth during speech. Thes= e difficulties are treated through structured practice of speech movements.=

Language Therap= y and Assessment
Speech-language pathologists assess and treat children who have delayed v= ocabulary and syntax/grammar or other language disorders. Children who have= difficulty understanding and using spoken language come to speech to learn= word meanings, grammar, sequencing skills, problem solving, and social lan= guage skills.

Voice Therapy a= nd Assessment
Children who have prolonged vocal hoarseness or other vocal problems come= to therapy to learn how to use their voice nicely, without mistreating it.=

Fluency Therapy= and Assessment
Dysfluency or stuttering is characterized as repetition or prolongation o= f sounds, words or phrases during speech. Speech-language pathologists ofte= n assist children with fluency difficulties to learn strategies to overcome= these difficulties.

Hearing Impairm= ents
Children who have hearing loss participate in a type of therapy called au= ral rehabilitation. This includes lip reading skills, articulation and voic= e therapy, and gestural communication such as sign language. Speech-languag= e pathologists also screen hearing, check hearing aids and other hearing de= vices, and work with the classroom teacher in developing strategies to maxi= mize the student’s classroom performance.

Jennifer Love, M.S., CCC-SLP
Viewmont Elementary School