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Speech

Communication Bridges provides individual and group speech and language therapy in Irvine, Tustin, Newport Beach and neighboring parts of Orange County. In addition, in-home sessions that include parent / caregiver training are also available.

Areas of Specialization

  • Articulation and Phonological Disorders
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder
  • Auditory Processing Disorder
  • Apraxia of Speech
  • Receptive Language Disorders
  • Expressive Language Diorders
  • Learning Disabilities
  • Oral Motor Disorders
  • Stuttering and Fluency Disorders

Free Initial Consultation

Communication Bridges provides a free initial speech and language consultation for families in the Orange County area. This aims at gathering information and understanding the needs of the child and family. Prior evaluation reports are also reviewed, if available. The consultation provides an opportunity for the therapist to gauge not only the deficiencies in terms of speech and language, but also the areas of strength and toys or activities that are motivating for the child. It allows for parents and caregivers to voice questions, concerns, and their expectations.

During the consultation, the therapist will provide the caregivers with initial impressions, and with a general treatment plan. A more detailed treatment plan with specific goals and objectives will be prepared if the general treatment guidelines and recommendations are deemed appropriate by the family. As a policy, we aim to be as helpful as possible and provide current, empirical, and research-based information. Our goal is to make the process as simple as possible for our families, while ensuring that we provide the highest quality services that are individualized and effective.

Contact Us today to schedule your free initial consultation.

Specialized Treatment Techniques

Therapeutic Listening Program: Listening With the Whole Body, Vital Links

Listening plays a vital role in the sensory integration process. In fact, some believe that the auditory system is the ‘missing link’ in sensory integration modalities. Both research and clinical experience have shown that using sound-based interventions for clients with sensory processing difficulties can increase treatment effectiveness. This program incorporates Therapeutic Listening® Modulated CDs to create individualized, home-based programs for clients.

P.R.O.M.P.T. Technique, PROMT Institute

The PROMPT (Prompts for Restructuring Oral Muscular Phonetic Targets) approach to therapy is a technique where the therapists fingers are placed on the clients face, jaw and under the chin to facilitate articulatory postures. It is however, more than an approach to elicit speech sounds. It is considered to be a holistic approach to develop functional communication skills.

Muscle Based Oral-Motor Therapy, Sara Rosenfeld-Johnson, Talk Tools Innovative Therapists International

Sara Rosenfeld-Johnson has developed tools for improving oral strength and coordination (lips, tongue and jaw). This program works on refining of precise tongue placement required for articulation, and enhancing breath support for adequate respiration, phonation and resonation. Talk Tools come in the form of various horns and straws. Each tool works on building specific oral motor targets. The program also uses functional and fun exercises to practice desired skills. The tools and exercises are also recommended for home programs to ensure best results. These are typically implemented for children with significant oral motor weakness.

Kaufman Speech to Language Protocol (K-SLP)

The Kaufman Speech to Language Protocol was developed by Nancy Kaufman, M.A., CCC-SLP. It is described as a method of practicing syllable shape gestures and word approximations toward target vocabulary to be moved directly into functional expressive communication. The K-SLP materials include the Kaufman Speech Praxis Kits (1 & 2), the Kaufman Speech Praxis Workout Book, and the Kaufman K-SLP Practice Puzzle. At Communication Bridges Inc., we utilize all the Kaufman materials while employing Nancy Kaufman’s successive approximation approach to build motor speech patterns.

It Takes Two To Talk, Hanen Center

This program was developed by The Hanen Center and is based on research that recognizes that how parents communicate with their children impacts the children’s communication skills. In this program, parents learn practical ways to help their children learn language during everyday routines and activities. The program emphasizes educating parents about stages of communication development, setting realistic goals and objectives, learning and using effective strategies to promote their child’s communication and language development.

Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)

Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)

The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) is an augmentative communication system developed to help individuals quickly acquire a functional means of communication (Bondy and Frost, 1994). PECS is appropriate for individuals with limited speech skills. It consists of the use of pictures for communicating in functional, meaningful and natural settings.

K & K Sign to Talk Program

The “Sign to Talk” program was designed by Tamara Kasper, M.S., CCC-SLP, BCBA and Nancy Kaufman, M.A., CCC-SLP. The program is offered as a “bridge to vocal communication for children that are not yet vocal imitators.” The program consists of two sets of flashcards and instruction manuals. The flashcards have pictures of the object or verb on one side and on the back they have the picture of the sign for the word. On the back, each card also displays a series of ”successive approximations” of the target word based on least physiological effort, as proposed by Nancy Kaufman. The signs offer a functional mode of communication while the child attempts to produce the vocal approximation. As the verbal production becomes consistent, the signs are gradually faded.

Proloquo2Go

Proloquo2Go was designed from the ground up for use on iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad, providing an easy to use, portable and affordable communication solution for persons with speech impairments. Proloquo2Go contains over 8000 symbols with an ability to add images as well. It includes two large vocabularies (Basic and Core) that can easily be adapted to suit users with a wide range of abilities. Communication Bridges Inc. serves as an “ AssistiveWare® Resource Center” for Proloquo2Go. As a Resource Center, we provide Proloquo2Go evaluations, training, and demonstrations. Our therapists provide knowledge and expertise for adapting Proloquo2Go for individual users.

Speak for Yourself

Speak for Yourself (SfY) is an Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) application that was created by speech-language pathologists. This AAC app turns the iPad into a communication device that allows adults and children with severe speech impairments to express themselves. Speak for Yourself can be used with individuals with autism, cerebral palsy, apraxia, and genetic syndromes. Communication Bridges Inc. can provide evaluations, demonstrations and training sessions with the Speak for Yourself app on our iPad to see if it may be a good match for your child. Some of the features of this unique app are:

  • Two-touch vocabulary: Speak for Yourself is designed so that the user can access almost 14,000 words with no more than two touches to say a word. No other system can offer this efficiency in terms of locating vocabulary.
  • Double tap: This refers to how when the main screen word is linked to a secondary screen, then the main screen word is programmed directly under the same location of the secondary screen. Therefore the user merely taps the same location twice to say the word. For example, “eat” on the main screen leads to the secondary screen with various food items. So to say “eat banana,” the user taps “eat” on the main screen then has to tap “eat” again on the secondary screen (same location as the main screen) to say the word “eat” and then tap “banana.” As an alternative option, you can also turn off the secondary screen link to give the user the ability to “say” the word on the main screen without going to the secondary screen.
  • Search Feature: Locating where words are programmed is always challenging for AAC users. Speak for Yourself has a “search” feature where the target word can be typed. The app then highlights the button with a blinking outline.
  • Evidence-based: The Speak for Yourself app is based on research in the field of language development. It uses Core Vocabulary, which are about 300-500 words that comprise of 80% of the language we use. There is significant evidence-based research that supports the use and development of core vocabulary in AAC users and early language development.
  • Motor planning: Speak for Yourself keeps motor planning consistent because the core vocabulary is locked so that once an AAC user learns that word, it is never going to move. This allows language to be cumulative and eradicates the need for an AAC user to relearn words as their vocabulary grows.
  • Babble Feature: The babble feature on the Speak for Yourself app allows the users to explore the language and vocabulary without changing the configuration that is programmed by the parent or specialist. Therefore turning on the babble feature allows the users to access the entire vocabulary and hear the words that are programmed. Turning off the babble feature will return the screens to their original configuration.

Picture Communication Symbols (PCS), DynaVox & Mayer-Johnson

The PCS library produced by the Boardmaker Plus® software consists of over 10,000 simple line drawings designed to represent words and short phrases to support children and adults with communication challenges. PCS can be used to augment expressive communication and improve comprehension. We incorporate PCS based activities during the session for children with limited speech skills. A copy of these symbols is also provided to parents for additional practice and generalization.

Social Skills

Social Thinking

The term Social Thinking® was coined by Michelle Garcia Winner almost two decades ago. The theory defines social skills as dynamic, and situational. Therefore social skills cannot be taught in an artificial environment and then expected to generalize in real life. According to Michelle Garcia Winner, social skills appear to evolve from one’s thinking about how one wants to be perceived by others. Therefore social skills are not based on memorizing social rules (often taught in social skill rules) but involves decision-making skills based on the situation and the persons involved in the situation. It therefore requires the ability to think socially before the production of social skills. The Social Thinking lessons at Communication Bridges Inc. include all of (but not limited to) the following concepts:

  • Whole body listening
  • Expected and unexpected behaviors
  • Body in the group
  • Thinking with your eyes
  • Flexible brain
  • The Social Detective Curriculum
  • Superflex Curriculum
  • The Incredible Flexible You (The Social Thinking Curriculum for Preschool and Early Elementary Age Children)

Social Stories

Social Stories are a tool for teaching social skills to children with autism and related disabilities. Social stories provide an individual with accurate information about common situations. This is important because children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often find social situations difficult or confusing. The situation is described in detail and focus is given to what is expected of the child and the reactions he may encounter. The story is usually brief with clear, specific language designed to eliminate ambiguities that confuse children with ASD. The goal of the story is to increase the child’s understanding of, make him more familiar and comfortable in social situations.