Speech Therapy

Speech therapy is a health profession that works with people who struggle with speaking, thinking, or swallowing. At Desert Speech LLC in Rancho Mirage, California, Oksana DerDerian, MS, CCC-SLP, and the team offer speech therapy for all ages, conditions, and goals. The team takes a holistic approach, creating therapy plans that benefit your health. Call Desert Speech LLC or schedule a speech therapy consultation online today.

What is speech therapy?

Speech therapy assesses and treats conditions affecting a person’s ability to speak, think, or eat.

Speech-language pathologists use various exercises to improve how you use language to express yourself. This includes verbal and nonverbal communication.

Speech-language pathologists also work with people with cognitive (thinking) challenges, including memory loss and learning problems. They also treat people experiencing difficulty chewing or swallowing.

I had a stroke. Do I need speech therapy?

You might benefit from speech therapy following a stroke if it affects your thinking, speaking, or eating abilities.

A stroke stops the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the brain. Without oxygen, brain cells die, leading to brain damage. Though a stroke can affect any area of the brain, when it damages the parts controlling speaking, speech therapy can help.

The Desert Speech LLC team uses cognitive speech therapy when treating people following a stroke. Cognitive speech therapy targets language, swallowing, and cognition. The team also uses cognitive speech therapy to determine if a person’s change in thinking is due to age or something else (nutrient deficiencies, neurological condition).

The team also provides speech therapy to people struggling with articulation (the inability to speak clearly) and learning disorders like dyslexia that affect reading skills.

What can I expect during speech therapy?

Before making specific treatment recommendations, your speech-language pathologist at Desert Speech LLC completes a thorough initial assessment. This assessment helps them identify your precise problem (speech, cognition, or swallowing) to develop an effective treatment plan.

Speech therapy treatments include:

• Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC)
• Reading skills
• Social skills
• Myofunctional therapy
• Cognitive brain exercises
• Compensatory strategies (ways to help you get around the impairment)

The team discusses their findings and your treatment plan and goals. They work with individuals and families, providing strategies to use at home to enhance the progress made during therapy.

If you or a loved one struggles with a speech or swallowing disorder or changes in cognition, the team at Desert Speech LLC can help. Call or use the online booking feature to schedule a speech therapy evaluation today.