Affinity Health Group Speech Therapy

Affinity Speech Therapy

Affinity Health Management Center

Please call the office today at (318) 807-1500 to schedule an appointment or visit us at 1325 Louisville Ave., Monroe, LA 71201.

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What is Speech Therapy?

Speech-Language Pathology assesses and treats various speech, language, social-communication, voice, swallowing, and cognitive disorders in children and adults. Our speech-language pathologists (SLPs) also provide training and education to family/caregivers and other professionals. The overall goal is to optimize individuals’ quality of life through social participation and communicative independence. SLPs strive to individualize treatment for each patient, offering a wide range of therapeutic tools to target patient-specific deficits.

The following are examples of adult candidates for speech therapy:

  • Dysphagia (difficulty swallowing)
  • Cognitive disorders (caused by Alzheimer’s disease, brain tumors, stroke, or traumatic brain injury)
  • Aphasia (difficulty with formulation or comprehension of language)
  • Voice Disorders (muscle tension dysphonia, vocal fold paralysis)
  • Apraxia of Speech (difficulty sequencing sounds/words for speech production)
  • Dysarthria (difficulty in speech production due to weakness or neurological damage)

A child candidate for speech therapy may include:

  • Speech disorders (stuttering, articulation, apraxia of speech, voice/resonance)
  • Language disorders (expressive, receptive)
  • Social communication (autism spectrum disorder, ADHD)

Registered Modified Barium Swallow Impairment Profile (MBSImP) Clinician

Speech-Language Pathologist, Kelly Spillers, has earned the designation of Registered MBSImP Clinician. Kelly is 1 of 18 certified clinicians in Louisiana and the only certificated clinician in North Louisiana.

She is trained to assess Modified Barium Swallow Study (MBSS) results using the evidence-based and standardized the Modified Barium Swallow Impairment Profile (MBSImP).

The MBSImP approach provides the means for speech therapists to communicate MBSS results in an evidence-based manner that is consistent, specific, accurate and objective. 17 components of the swallowing mechanism are analyzed using a scoring metric to objectively profile physiologic impairment of swallowing function.

The purposes of the MBSS and MBSImP approach in adults are to:

  1. Identify and distinguish type and severity of physiologic swallowing impairment.
  2. Provide surrogate information regarding sensorimotor mechanisms that contribute to swallowing impairment (e.g., weakness, sensation, etc. that cannot be directly tested but inferred based on evidence)
  3. Determine the presence, cause, and patient response to airway invasion (penetration/aspiration)
  4. Assess the response and adaptations of the mechanism(s) to interventions that identify treatment targets and guide the provider’s plan of care.

Kelly provides Modified Barium Swallow Studies utilizing the MBSImP approach at Monroe Surgical Hospital.

Speech & Language Milestones

Each child develops at his/her own pace, so it may be difficult to tell exactly when your child will learn a given skill. These developmental milestones are designed to give you a general idea of the changes you can expect as your child grows.

1 Year Milestones

  • Enjoys imitating people: tries to imitate sounds
  • Responds to "no"; uses simple gestures, such as pointing to an object
  • Babbles with changes in tone; may use single words ("dada", "mama", "uh-oh")

2 Year Milestones

  • Understands several words
  • Begins to sort shapes and colors
  • Recognizes names of familiar people and objects

3 Year Milestones

  • Shows affection and has a wide range of emotions
  • Makes mechanical toys work
  • Matches objects to pictures "go outside, swing?"
  • Uses pronouns (I, you, me) and some plurals (cars, dogs)

4 Year Milestones

  • Cooperates with other children
  • Names some colors; understands counting
  • Speaks in sentences of 5-6 words
  • Speaks clearly enough for strangers to understand
  • Understands "same" and "different"

5 Year Milestones

  • Shows increased independence
  • Likes to sing, dance, and act
  • Can count 10 or more objects correctly
  • Able to name at least four colors
  • Speaks in sentences of more than five words and tells longer stories

Meet the Staff