Therapy Services

San Juanita specializes in assisting dyads, infants, and their feeding caregivers in enhancing feeding skills with a tailored assessment of oral motor skills, symptoms of tethered oral tissues such as tongue, lip, and buccal ties, and the unique needs of each patient. If dysphagia is present, data from swallow studies are used, with therapy aimed at improving the infant's swallowing while reducing the risk of aspiration. Additionally, for infants using alternative methods like g-tubes or ng-tubes, San Juanita works closely with other healthcare providers to ensure a team approach that promotes safe, joyful, and positive oral feeding experiences. Recognizing the stress difficulties can cause for both infants and caregivers, San Juanita prioritizes integrating family values and cultures, healthcare, and evidence-based practices to support infants on their feeding.

Childhood Apraxia of Speech is a multifaceted diagnosis and a neurological disorder that impacts a child's ability to perform the motor plans necessary for speech production. CAS is diagnosed by specialized trained speech language pathologists. San Juanita conducts dynamic assessments for patients suspected of having this condition and applies motor planning principles, which is the most effective therapeutic approach for CAS. With extensive training in diagnosing CAS, she employs the best treatment methods to help these patients improve their verbal speech productions. San Juanita also works closely with families to assist in implementing strategies at home and select key words and phrases to focus on during therapy. She encourages parents and caregivers to attend sessions to learn how to effectively use these strategies.

Speech sound disorders affect a person's ability to communicate clearly with both familiar and unfamiliar listeners. These disorders can lead to reduced intelligibility due to speech sound errors in single words and during conversations. San Juanita and Daneeth dedicate themselves to assessing each patient and creating a tailored plan of care that assists children in distinguishing between the target sound and the error sound, understanding how these errors can alter word meanings, and mastering the correct placement of their articulators for accurate sound productions. The therapy is designed to be enjoyable and engaging, keeping children motivated to practice and improve their speech skills effectively. For more information on speech sound developmental milestones, take a look at the links provided under our resources tab. 

Myofunctional disorders are affecting more and more children every day. When the muscles of the face and mouth do not function optimally, children begin to compensate. This impacts their sleep, breathing, feeding, swallow, and speech in various ways. It is important for children to learn how to breathe nasally and rest their tongue correctly in order to facilitate it. The tongue is the strongest muscle of our body and it is attached to the rest of our body which is why when it does not function correctly, it affects the whole body. San Juanita is a qualified orofacial myologist highly trained in assessing and treating myofunctional disorders and collaborating with other medical professionals in order to take a team approach to better treat her patients. 

Sensory feeding difficulties are common among children, often leading parents and caregivers to feel frustrated and blame themselves for their child's refusal to eat. However, these sensory preferences can be challenging to address. San Juanita aids her patients in developing positive food experiences by emphasizing non-eating activities like food-related games (e., sorting by color, size, or shape), creating (e.g., painting), and exploring food through touch, smell, and description. It is crucial for children to feel safe around food without pressure to eat what's presented. Positive interactions with food can encourage children to engage more willingly, whether by looking, smelling, touching, or eventually tasting. San Juanita dedicates time to understanding her patients' food consumption, the frequency of food and drink offerings at home, and what holds cultural significance for families. During therapy, she encourages families to apply strategies daily at home and to bring familiar foods to sessions, ensuring children are exposed to relevant options they see daily at home. While this journey can be challenging and lengthy, it is also incredibly rewarding, especially  when children start to enjoy meals at home during mealtimes, family gatherings, and at restaurants.

Autism spectrum disorder can affect a child's development in numerous ways. For parents, obtaining a diagnosis often proves to be a lengthy process, and they frequently lack the necessary information regarding their child’s condition. San Juanita and Daneeth have heard many stories from parents seeking guidance, feeling overwhelmed how to support their child, which therapy services are most appropriate, and how to resources that promote success in communication, daily living skills, and academics. Our therapists prioritize involving parents in the treatment process, creating plans that address the family's concerns while focusing on the child's needs. They are dedicated to exploring the best communication strategies for your child, advocating for your family, and helping you find the resources you need. Please feel free reach out to us for support—you are not alone in this journey!

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Effective communication skills are essential. Understanding is key to using it, and our therapists have expertise in both receptive and expressive language development. Our evaluations carefully assess the root causes of communication breakdowns to create a tailored treatment plan aimed at enhancing patients' language comprehension. This supports them in following directions, expanding their vocabulary, engaging in conversations, and identifying objects as they learn to use them. On the expressive side, children will develop the ability to use language for communication by broadening  their vocabulary, participating in discussions, responding to WH questions, and utilizing academic language. In therapy, our goal is to empower with functional communication skills, enabling them to express their needs, ideas, feelings, and personal information during emergencies, while also participating in simple conversations.

Augmentative and alternative communication plays a vital role in speech therapy for many children. Various diagnoses can hinder the development of verbal speech, leading to non-speaking conditions. San Juanita and Daneeth are dedicated to identifying the most suitable communication system for each patient to fulfill their communication needs. With extensive experience in eye-gaze devices, Daneeth supports children who are unable to use their hands to interact with communication tools. Together, they are committed to assisting families in connecting with their children and empowering patients to find their voice. They will provide the necessary resources, education, and support to advocate for your needs and help you and your child effectively communicate. San Juanita and Daneeth will also equip you with the skills to utilize communication devices and integrate them into your daily routines so don't let them intimidate you!