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Communication
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Specialized stuttering treatment and speech therapy to help adults, teens and children communicate confidently and effectively.
Our Services
Expert Speech Therapy
At Speech Express, we specialize in transforming communication for adults, teens and children. With a focus on stuttering and a commitment to individualized care, our evidence-based approaches build confidence, fluency, and lasting benefits. Explore how we can support you in reaching your desired communication destination.
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Specialized Stuttering Treatment
Stuttering is characterized by involuntary interruptions in speech, including repetitions, prolongations, and blocks. These disruptions can occur individually or in combination. Stuttering may be accompanied by physical behaviors such as eye-blinking, grimacing, or muscle tension. Additional coping mechanisms and unhelpful beliefs may also develop, making communication more challenging in social, academic, or professional settings.
We provide individualized stuttering therapy with a focus on developing ease of speech, confidence, and effective communication strategies. Our evidence-based approaches address both the physical and emotional aspects of stuttering, helping clients manage symptoms and thrive in their everyday lives.
Adults may have mispronunciations that reduce speech clarity.
These difficulties may be based on speech patterns developed in childhood, dental issues or rapid speech. With practice, adults can change how they speak to be better understood.
People who clutter report frustration at frequent requests to repeat what they say.
They are often perceived as fast speakers and told that they mumble. They are often uncertain how to pronounce longer words and may have many hesitations in their speech, along with difficulty providing concise explanations. People who clutter can learn to speak so that they will be understood more consistently and gain confidence in their communication abilities.
People with a tongue thrust place their tongue incorrectly at rest and when swallowing.
This habit may lead to speech difficulties, such as lisping, as well as to misaligned teeth requiring braces. If the person who has a tongue thrust is undergoing orthodontic treatment already, braces or retainers may be ineffective if the tongue thrust is not corrected.
Adults with Parkinson’s Disease suffer from a degenerative disorder that affects muscle movement.
They may experience increasing difficulty speaking loudly and articulating clearly. Their speech becomes soft, slurred and unintelligible. These changes make communication challenging as listeners have more and more trouble understanding the person with Parkinson’s Disease as the disorder progresses.
The child with an articulation delay/disorder has difficulty pronouncing speech sounds as expected for their age.
For example, sounds that are more challenging for children to master are “s” and “r”.
Speech therapy involves using fun activities to teach correct pronunciation. Therapy then focuses on helping children use their corrected speech sounds in everyday life.
Children with phonological disorders are difficult for others to understand. They display patterns of speech sound errors that serve to simplify their speech.
These simplifications become problematic when children do not outgrow them. For example, a child might say “top” for “stop” because pronouncing “s” and “t” together is too difficult, even though they may be able to say the “s” in a word like “sun”. This error pattern is considered typical of younger children but should no longer be present after a certain age.
Children with CAS know what they want to say but have difficulty organizing and sequencing the complex muscle movements needed to talk.
The child may not talk at all or speech may be effortful and hard to understand. Therapy to improve clarity of speech involves repetitive practice of speech movement patterns that are challenging for the child.
About Us
Welcome Aboard Speech Express
As our name implies, we value service provided in a timely, efficient and effective manner. We understand that clients do not want to be put on lengthy waiting lists when they are ready to be seen by a speech-language pathologist. This is why the mission of Speech Express is to offer professional, caring and individualized services right away when they are needed.
- Specialized, experienced treatment of stuttering across all ages
- Professional, individualized speech therapy
- Services in a caring, efficient and timely manner
- Motivating, enjoyable sessions for clients
- Strategies to assist clients to be the best communicators possible
Why Speech Express?
Our clinic is highly specialized so that we can provide the best treatment possible for the disorders within our areas of expertise. If you have concerns about stuttering and/or communication abilities, give us a call to gain up-to-date information and help.
JoAnne Wilding
I am a McGill University graduate and member of the OOAQ. I specialize in stuttering and speech sound disorders, offering speech therapy in both English and French.
- Specialize in stuttering
- Provide therapy for speech sound disorders
- Bilingual – English and French
Christina Lattermann
I am McGill University graduate and member of the OOAQ. I hold a doctoral degree in stuttering and I am an assistant professor at McGill.
- Specialize in stuttering
- Provide therapy for myofunctional disorders and voice disorders related to Parkinson’s Disease
- Bilingual – English and German
Get On Track Today
Resources
FAQs and links related to your communication destination
FAQ
Is speech therapy covered by RAMQ?
Speech Express is a fee for service clinic and is not part of the public system. If you have insurance through work, private speech therapy is often covered. Speech therapy is considered a medical expense that can be deducted when completing your annual tax return.
What are your rates?
Rates vary depending on the service provided and we will provide you with our complete fee schedule prior to your first appointment. Rates for assessment vary depending on the number of sessions required to evaluate the client, analyze the findings and write an evaluation report. Rates for treatment depend on the time spent in the session.
Do you work on evenings and week-ends?
Occasionally we will schedule a single appointment on the week-end for clients who have difficulty accessing in-person sessions during the week. We have some evening hours that we offer to our adult clients.
Do you provide therapy on-line?
Clients with Parkinson’s Disease always have the option to receive treatment via telehealth (eLSVT). We provide tele-therapy – or a hybrid of in-person and on-line sessions – where that format will be beneficial. We generally prefer in-person treatment because speech therapy provided on-line can take longer and be more challenging.
When should I consult for stuttering?
- If you are an adult: it is never too late to seek help! Speech therapy aims to reduce the negative impact stuttering might have on overall quality of life. Treatment involves learning speaking techniques and other strategies to better manage stuttering in order to become a successful communicator. Clients also benefit from addressing speaking fears, negative emotions and avoidance behaviours that have become obstacles to achieving social and professional goals.
- If you are a parent of a child: it is never too early to seek help! You may have received the advice to “Wait and See”. This advice is based on the finding that many children outgrow their stuttering without treatment. However, a percentage of children continue to stutter into adulthood. We can answer your questions and provide advice about how to best support your child to promote recovery and reduce negative impact. We can help you determine if and when treatment is warranted.
When should I consult for pronunciation?
If it is difficult for others to understand you or your child, communication can become frustrating for all. Articulation errors such as a lisp may have little impact on being understood, but they can make the speaker feel self-conscious. There are a variety of reasons why a person might have difficulty learning certain speech sounds or patterns of sounds. At Speech Express, we can determine the nature of the speech problem and the best therapy approach to help improve pronunciation.
Can speech therapy help with Parkinson's Disease?
- Is it difficult for you to make yourself heard?
- Does speech feel tiring, especially when there is background noise?
- Do you have difficulty understanding a family member with Parkinson’s Disease?
There is therapy available that can improve speech clarity, loudness, overall communication skills and quality of life. The Lee Silverman Voice Treatment is an evidence-based treatment offered in-person at Speech Express and via telehealth. Treatment involves individualized counseling and problem solving for the client and family members to help manage the disorder.
When should I consult for tongue thrust?
If you or your orthodontist have concerns about the way that you chew, swallow or articulate speech sounds, we can help at Speech Express.
Your orthodontist might suggest tongue thrust treatment (also called myofunctional therapy), to correct tongue resting position, mouth breathing, and incorrect chewing/swallowing patterns. If uncorrected, these issues may prevent orthodontic work from being successful. They can also cause articulation errors and permanent changes in facial structure.
Links
Provincial and National Speech-Language Associations
Stuttering
Parkinson’s Disease
Cluttering
Contact
How can we help you?
We can help you take the first step toward effective communication. Reach out to us for inquiries, appointments, or more information.
Phone
514-336-1726
speechexpressparole@gmail.com
Address