Communication Bridges provides individual and group speech and language therapy in a warm, supportive environment. We provide in-home therapy sessions in Irvine, Tustin, Newport Beach, Orange, Villa Park and neighboring areas of Orange County and clinic based therapy in Irvine, CA. Our programs are custom tailored to meet the specific needs of your child. We believe that parents and caregivers form an integral part of the team and therefore provide parent education programs and workshops to generalize the therapeutic gains to other environments.
Our mission is to provide individualized speech and language intervention in a safe and motivating environment to help each child reach his or her full potential in academic achievement and social interaction.
Our practice offers:
- Programs that meet the unique needs of the child and incorporate his or her learning style
- Research-based therapy approaches combined with proven clinical experience
- Parent / caregiver education programs
Our Philosophy
“ Communication is the essence of life. ”
– Janice Light
We believe a baby’s non-verbal communication lays the foundation for early speech and language skills, which in turn are critical for later academic learning and social interaction. Early sound production is the building block for early reading abilities.
Our treatment plans are designed to optimize the potential of each child and provide a solid foundation in terms of speech and language skills. Structured, functional and motivating activities that yield measurable progress form the basis of our speech therapy sessions. Years of experience with a diverse population and a variety of impairments ensure fun and creative lessons that keep the little ones engaged and motivated.
We encourage active participation from parents and caregivers. Therapy goals and objectives, treatment methodology and rationale are clearly stated before therapy is commenced. Homework activities form an integral part of therapy.
We are proud to offer comprehensive, current and evidence-based speech and language therapy programs that aim to assist each child in reaching his full potential in terms of communication development.
Communication Bridges – Linking Language and Learning
Our Therapists
Sonali Shah has been helping children attain their communication goals since 2002. After graduating with an M.A. in Communication Disorders from the University of Florida, Sonali has worked in four varied settings: an early intervention center, a public school, a private practice, and a non-profit preschool for visually impaired children. This places her in a unique position to integrate the knowledge and skills of both private and public settings. Sonali has been awarded with the Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) and has a California State license. She has been practicing pediatric speech and language therapy in the Los Angeles and Orange County area for over eight years. Her strength lies in application of theoretical and research methodologies to a clinical setting.
Sonali has been trained in Sarah R. Johnson’s Talk Tools oral motor program that incorporates various horns and straws to build specific oral motor skills. She believes traditional articulation therapy or Phonological Processes Cycles Therapy in combination with oral motor skills is more effective than using one approach alone. Sonali also uses the P.R.O.M.P.T approach which uses tactile and kinesthetic cues to facilitate communication. In addition, Sonali also uses PECS®, Boardmaker Plus® and high-tech AAC systems such as Proloquo2Go and Speak for Yourself to establish functional communication in children with limited speech skills.
Children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) frequently require pragmatic language (social skills) intervention. Sonali believes in the use of a comprehensive program to address pragmatic language delays, which includes the use of developmentally appropriate role play, group discussions, modeling, incorporating family members / peers in the session, generalization strategies and personalized social stories.
