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We are now able to provide Gender Affirming Voice Therapy! Contact Anna Hess to learn more!
What We Treat
What We Treat
At Brighter Path, we rely on comprehensive assessment, evidence-based practice, client-centered treatment plans, and multidisciplinary collaboration to provide the highest quality speech therapy services. Our clinicians understand the value of your time and strive to optimize your treatment sessions by utilizing a balance of therapeutic exercises, patient and family education / training, and the establishment of goal-based home exercise and carryover programs.
Cognitive Communication Disorders
Cognitive Communication Disorders
Problems with someone’s ability to think and use language that result from traumatic or anoxic brain injury, stroke, tumor, inflammatory brain conditions, or progressive neurological disorders affecting the brain such as Parkinson’s Disease and Multiple Sclerosis. Symptoms may include difficulty with…
- Attention
- Memory
- Organization and Planning
- Problem Solving and Reasoning
- Insight and Awareness
- Executive Function and Emotional / Behavioral Regulation
- Cognitive Endurance
- Appropriate Social Communication
Speech Disorders
Speech Disorders
Speech deficits refer to the impaired ability to produce speech sounds correctly and / or fluently and can be caused by muscle weakness, abnormal muscle tone, difficulty with coordination, and structural abnormalities. Often these deficits are acquired following a neurological event or due to a progressive neurological disease that affects the brain, but they can also result from congenital defects and orofacial trauma or surgery. Speech disorders can also develop without a known cause, and these are often determined to be related to a “functional neurological deficit.” Common speech disorders we treat include…
- Apraxia (a planning problem that affects the ability to effectively sequence the correct movements for speech sounds)
- Dysarthria (an execution problem related to orofacial muscle weakness, inappropriate tone, reduced range of motion, incoordination, involuntary movements / tremor, structural abnormalities, etc.)
- Fluency / Stuttering
Language Disorders
Language Disorders
Aphasia (an acquired language deficit) refers to the impaired ability to express / understand spoken / written language and other forms of communication systems such as sign language, symbol systems, gesture, etc. These acquired language deficits most often have a clear neurogenic etiology but can also be functional in nature or arise from stress or trauma. Treatment for Aphasia focuses on therapeutic exercises and the use of strategies to address deficits in the following areas…
- Word-finding
- Thought organization and planning for verbal expression
- Written language skills
- Auditory comprehension and processing
- Reading comprehension
- Prosody and intonation
- Recognition and correction of errors and communication breakdown
Swallowing Disorders
Swallowing Disorders
Difficulty swallowing, also known as Dysphagia, refers to an impairment that occurs during one or more of the three phases of swallowing: oral, pharyngeal, esophageal. Dysphagia can result in aspiration (food, drinks, or stomach contents entering the airway) which increases the risk of developing aspiration pneumonia and other bacterial respiratory infections. Common diagnoses and factors that increase the risk for dysphagia and aspiration pneumonia include…
- Brain injury
- Stroke
- Progressive neurogenic disorders such as ALS, Parkinson’s Disease, Myasthenia Gravis, Dementia
- Certain autoimmune disorders such as Multiple Sclerosis, Systemic Lupus, Sjogren’s Syndrome
- COPD
- Heart Disease
- Cancer (head and neck, esophageal, lung) and subsequent treatments
- Esophageal deficits that affect esophageal mucosa, structure, or motility (GERD, achalasia, scleroderma, presbyesophagus, stricture, Schatzki’s rings, webbing, Barrett’s esophagus, hiatal hernia, etc.)
- Intubation during surgery or due to respiratory distress
- COVID-19
- Vocal cord paralysis
- Cervical osteophytes
- Anterior cervical spinal surgery
- Intellectual disabilities
- Goiter
- Poor dentition / ill-fitting dentures
- Insufficient oral care and tooth decay
- Drooling and / or food and drinks spilling from the mouth
- Difficulty chewing food
- The presence of leftover food in the mouth
- Difficulty initiating swallow or painful swallowing
- Choking, gagging, or increased throat clearing or coughing during or after eating or drinking
- Voice sounds wet or gurgly when eating or drinking
- Shortness of breath when eating or drinking
- Sensation of food stuck in the throat
- Sensation of a “ball of phlegm” that won’t clear
- Hoarse voice
- Reflux
- Regurgitation
- Recurrent pneumonia or upper respiratory infections
- Unexplained weight loss
- Dehydration
- Bad breath
Voice & Resonance Disorders
Voice & Resonance Disorders
A voice disorder is diagnosed when someone feels that their voice is struggling to meet their daily demands or when the quality, pitch, or loudness of someone’s voice varies from what is considered to be normal for their age, gender identity, cultural background, etc. Someone may notice changes to their vocal function, increased effort to produce voice, or insufficiency in the face of changing vocal demands. Voice disorders can be related to any single or combination of issues related to neurogenic or structural abnormalities, physical trauma to the larynx, vocal misuse / overuse, respiratory dysfunction, or even stress and emotional trauma. It is crucial to determine the accurate cause(s) of dysfunction BEFORE beginning treatment with a speech therapist by first being evaluated by an ENT. In the case of voice changes related to Parkinson’s Disease, an ENT assessment is not always necessary. We do understand that getting an appointment with an ENT can be a lengthy process and that changes in our ability to use voice can be frustrating, life-changing, and result in a great deal of emotional distress. In some cases, it may be appropriate to initiate services prior to ENT assessment to provide education on good “vocal hygiene” to mitigate exacerbation of deficits through lifestyle changes and avoidance of maladaptive strategies. Common reasons people seek voice therapy…
- Voice is too quiet or loud
- Voice sounds rough, hoarse, gravely, strained, tense, breathy, weak, gurgly
- Inability to consistently produce voice
- Voice is shaky or tremulous
- Notable increase in vocal effort or decrease in vocal endurance
- Difficulty being heard by others
- Running out of breath when talking
- Increased difficulty producing speech during physical activity
- Frequent coughing / throat clearing
- Excessive tension, pain, or tenderness in throat/neck
Respiratory Disorders
Respiratory Disorders
Many aspects of breathing, eating, and speaking require highly coordinated use of the same structures, and therefore intricate harmonization of the respiratory, digestive, and phonatory systems in order to carry out these essential functions safely, effectively, and efficiently. Because of this, respiratory disorders can oftentimes impact an individual’s ability to control and coordinate breathing with their ability to produce voice and swallow safely. At Brighter Path, we strive to improve your body's ability to participate in this dance through respiratory muscle strength training, breathing instruction, compensatory strategy teaching, respiratory education, and health coaching related to the management of chronic respiratory disease. People who struggle with the following often benefit from respiratory training with a speech therapist…
- COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)
- CHF (Congestive Heart Failure)
- Lung Cancer
- Asthma
- Parkinson's Disease
- ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis)
- MS (Multiple Sclerosis)
- Muscular Dystrophy
- Spinal cord injury
- COVID-19
- Dysphagia (Difficulty Swallowing)
- Chronic GERD
- Chronic Belching
- Voice and resonance disorders
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