Thomas Hospital's Speech Therapy Department offers a wide range of services that includes screenings, diagnosis, treatment, and home programs for the following disorders:
Speech: Articulation (sound errors), fluency (stuttering) and apraxia (difficulty forming and sequencing sounds)
Language: Receptive, expressive, oral and written communication skills
Voice: Vocal nodules (poor voice quality, reoccurring laryngitis, voice abuse/misuse), esophageal speech, electrolarynx training, dysphonia (difficulty voicing)
Swallowing: VitalStim therapy (electrical stimulation to improve swallowing abilities), DPNS (deep pharyngeal neuromuscular stimulation), oral and pharyngeal (throat) exercises, Modified Barium Swallow studies (swallowing X-ray for accurate diagnosis of swallowing problem), diet and safety recommendations and tongue thrust remediation
Cognitive-linguistic skills: Problem-solving, abstract reasoning, memory compensation strategies, sequencing, reading comprehension, auditory comprehension, Alzheimers functional maintenance programs and functional ADL (activities of daily living) skills training (such as balancing checkbook, paying bills, keeping appointments, etc.)
Pragmatic: Ability to use language appropriately within cultural expectations (social skills of turn-taking, topic maintenance, body language use, social manners, and age and gender appropriateness, etc.)
We provide inpatient and outpatient services for pediatric, adolescent, adult and geriatric patients. Our therapists are licensed by the State of Alabama and certified by the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association.
All patients must have a physician referral. The Speech Therapy Department is located in the Thomas Hospital Wellness Center and may be reached at (251) 279-1640.
