Ana Magallanes, CCC-SLP

Speech therapy looks different for every child. Because the speech therapy scope is so broad, my practice aims at targeting functional skills that will carry over to their everyday life. That said, speech therapy can often look like play with the birth-5 population depending on their goals. Speech therapy can also look like very structured drill practice or even counseling if that is what works best for the child's needs. Therapy should always be individualized to keep the child engaged and motivated and to keep the goals functionally and developmentally appropriate.

Bilingual assessments incorporate formal and informal measures. The first thing I will ask you for is a bilingual home questionnaire, which helps me see how much of each language the child is receiving and using. If the child is Spanish-speaking, I will assess the targeted areas in both languages regardless of language dominance. If the child is a bilingual speaker outside of Spanish, I will assess the targeted areas in English and use interpreters to test in the other language. Language and play-based samples are always a tool in my practice, but especially a tool for bilingual assessments. If the child is able, I also typically conduct child interviews to assess social and/or mental impact.

Every bilingual is different! Proficiency levels range, along with personal preferences. Most of my sessions incorporate both Spanish and English, while some of my sessions are 100% in Spanish. This decision is made alongside the child and their family. It is also bound to change as communication partners and overall needs fluctuate. All in all, bilingual speech therapy looks exactly like monolingual speech therapy, but tailored to the child's individual linguistic profile and functional communication needs.

Speech therapists support with feeding in a multitude of ways. They support with assessing oral-motor function, chewing patterns, eating patterns, and sensory difficulties. Having worked with the autism population for over five years, picky eating can have a huge effect on physical health and mood. The AEIOU approach is a responsive approach that uses a family-centered framework to manage sensory aversions, target oral-motor skill deficits, and transition from purees to solid foods. Feeding therapy aims to make mealtime less of an obstacle and more of an enjoyable experience.