Speech Therapists
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Speech therapist for stuttering?
Mar 2012
My six year old son has a stutter. I'm looking for a really good speech therapist who
specializes in stuttering. Any recommendations? He has speech therapy at his school,
but I don't feel the therapist is dealing with the issue adaquently.
Thanks for any help.
anon
All the speech therapists at Word Works are wonderful. Gage Herman in
particular is a shining star and she can also help you get the most out of the
speech therapist you're working with through the school district.
www.wordworkstherapy.com
Lisa
Your prayers have been answered - see link
A Teen's Painful Stuttering Ends - ABC News
abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=125601&page=1 - Similarto A Teen's Painful
Stuttering Ends - ABC News
A Teen's Painful Stuttering Ends. Nov. 14. Share. Email. Comments. Print.
Single Page. Font Sizes. The story Dr. Joe Kalinowski shared with ABCNEWS' Good
Morning America..
I lived next door to Tony Kalinowski growing up in the Boston area and know
first hand of his struggles with stuttering. His struggle prompted him to
become a successful doctor and inventing a device that helps 90% of stutters
imediately after inserting the device.
I hope your son is one of the 90% that have experienced this miracle. Good luck
ej
Alternatives to school district's 30 min/week?
Nov 2011
Hi, my son has special needs, and this semester he started receiving
speech therapy from the school district. He is only getting 30 minutes a
week. When we go for his sessions, it feels like as soon as we get there
its time to leave. I understand the financial strain that the school
district is under, but I feel that 30 minutes a week is just not enough.
Does anyone know of any other alternatives for speech therapy.
Thank You
anon
I have posted here several times that I think that Faltz
Associates on Piedmont (Oakland) has been an important
support for my grandson who has serious speech processing
problems. He goes once a week and his therapist helps him
work on strategies for learning. She also attends his IEP
meetings and helps his parent advocate for him because it is
difficult to get adequate support through the public schools.
anonymous
Hi-
Anon- Do you have medical coverage? If so, you may be able
to use your health insurance to supplement your child's
current speech services. Please feel free to email me for
more information. I work for a local nonprofit (Easter Seals
Bay Area) and we take many private insurances and work with
many families who are also receiving therapies through their
school district. You should look into your policy.
Also, I saw your question about getting a diagnosis for your
child... There are two options of places you can contact:
Regional Center of the East Bay (www.rceb.org) or a local
developmental pediatrician. There are several in the area.
Feel free to email me if you have other questions.
Take care,
Annie
Fun and effective speech therapist for 1st grader?
Nov 2011
We're looking for a fun and effective speech therapist for
our daughter, age 6, entering 1st grade. Our daughter needs
to work on word recall and expression, and articulation issues.
We've had a few recommendations and are wondering if anyone
knows any of these therapists. We're open to other ideas as
well. We'd really appreciate any thoughts --
My grandson, who is 13, has been tutored by Amy Faltz for
the last two years. Her identification of his speech
processing issues and intervention has raised his academic
level significantly. The other associates in the Piedmont
office seem to see the younger children--I'm not sure who
Hilda is, but the two associates whom I see when I wait for
my grandson seem to have very good rapport with the
children. The very young children seem happy and
comfortable while waiting, entering the tutors office or
leaving.
Anonymous
Experience with speech therapist Gerry Fabella?
August 2011
Does anyone have any experience with Gerry Fabella as a ST for their child?
anon
I am hugely grateful for Gerry Fabella's work with my child. She was
engaging and attentive to my kid, who made great progress with her,
and Also a resource to me about child development overall. I highly
recommend her.
Mom of a talker
Gerry Fabella is awesome! She worked with my apraxic toddler for the
better part of a year and helped him go from making monosyllabic
utterances to speaking real words. It was a long process, and my
child also has the benefit of working with another very good
therapist at Communication Works in Oakland. Still, when Gerry
became part of my child's team, I believe that her firm approach was
the catalist for us to begin experiencing break through after break
through. She is throughly knowledgeable and capable of providing
excellent speech therapy. In my opinion, your child would be very
lucky to work with Gerry. I only have praises for her! I am happy to
talk with you about my experiences further if you are interested.
Just ask the moderator for my email address.
Happy mom of a talker
Speech therapy for 20-year-old?
July 2011
Our now 20-year old daughter has always had problems
speaking clearly. Both my wife and I can only understand her
maybe 50% of the time. Part of this is just because she
speaks quickly but she also has severe articulation
problems. We were hoping that when she went away to college
that this would get better, but it hasn't. We think she's
now becoming aware of how serious this is and how it will
effect her future.
We're looking for recommendations for a speech therapist who
specializes in teenagers and older, and who has dealt with
problems like this before.
Concerned
While the conventional advice is for children to get speech
therapy as soon as possible, I have seen quite a number of
students, high school age and older, who were finally ready
to address their speech issues and to put in the practice it
takes to change longstanding habits. After an assessment to
determine just what it is that's getting in her way, this
would be the key to your daughter developing clearer speech.
Please feel free to email me if you are interested in her
working locally or in how to find resources near her college. Carol
Lamorinda Speech Therapist for 5-year-old
April 2011
I have a five-year old son who has been in speech therapy since age two. He
will be starting kindergarten in the fall. His current therapy is provided
through the school district, but they do not offer the option of continuing
through the summer. I hate to lose the progress that we've made throughout
the year and would love it if he could progress out of needing therapy before
school starts. I am looking for a private speech therapist to carry on his
therapy through the summer break. Can anyone recommend a speech therapist in
the Lamorinda area?
Speechless for the Summer
My grandson lives in the Lamorinda area but his speech
therapist is on Piedmont in Oakland. Check Amy Faltz
Associates Inc's site: www.faltzassociates.com or call
510-654-3381.
Anonymous
I would recommend the Speech Pathology Group in Walnut
Creek. Pamela Bloch there is excellent.
anon
Private pay or Cameron School for 3 y.o. ?
Feb 2011
My son just turned 3. He was in Early Intervention through
LIFT program at Cameron school due to a mild expressive
speech delay. He also had mild hearing loss due to fluid
in his ears. His adenoids were removed and ear tubes put
in 11/10. He is cogitively ''normal'' and has caught up in
terms of expressive language. He is at or above age level
for everything but articulation, for which he is moderatly
delayed. He was made eligible for group speech therapy
twice a week through WCCUSD/Cameron School in El Cerrito.
However, I have concerns about going through WCCUSD for
speech therapy, as I was told that they are over-loaded and
may not necessarily have an appropriate group for him right
away. Also, while they try to make a good match, he may
not necessarily be grouped with children who are at his
level developmentally or behaviorally. Services are not
available durning the school breaks. I am therefore
concerned about the quality of the therapy he will be
getting.
Is group speech therapy as good as 1:1 therapy for speech
articulation problems in a 3 y.o.? Has anyone had
experience with WCCUSD/Cameron school group speech therapy
for pre-schoolers? Are we better off paying for therapy
privately? What does individual speech therapy cost for
something like an articulation delay?
If we don't pay now will we pay later?
Our child received speech therapy through Cameron School
from age 3-5 and it was excellent. For a few months prior
to starting at Cameron he had received private speech
therapy, and we were pleased to learn that the therapist he
had at Cameron was contracted through the same clinic he had
previously attended. It is true that the therapy is in
small groups (I think we had a group of 3 one year and a
group of 4 another year) as opposed to one-on-one, but an
added benefit is that if your child still needs services in
kindergarten, they prepare a complete transition plan with
you and it helps immensely once your child enters elementary
school. My suggestion would be to try it, and if you feel
that you need to supplement with private therapy, you can
always do it then. Cameron School is a real gem in the
district!
former Cameron parent
My son attended Cameron School for the 2009-2010 school
year. He was 3 and also being treated for articulation
issues. I would recomend that you give the school a try--
it did wonders for my son. At the end of the year, he had
imporoved so much that he was no longer eligible for
services. He was placed in a group for 3-4 other kids, and
I think that they were all a bit more delayed than he was,
but that didn't seem to slow down his progress at all (and
as I'm sure you know, in many preschool settings, kids of
different ages and abilities are deliberately grouped
together).
It was distressing that there were so many days that the
school was not open, but two times a week is a pretty
significant amount of time when the school is in session.
I wil also tell you that when he ''graduated,'' our Cameron
teacher suggested that he get private therapy to give him
that last nudge to complete mastery. We saw Frances
Grahamjones in Albany (510-524-0350), who I've recommended
elswhere on BPN. She was wonderful; her rate was $100/hr.
If you want more info, feel free to ask the moderator for
my contact info-- good luck!
Susan
Our experience with Cameron School & speech for our 3 year old was mediocre.
This was 8 years ago, but with budget cuts in schools . . . I am not sure what
insurance will pay for now, but we got a referral from our primary physician and
our HMO paid for speech therapy 1:1 sessions and the improvement for our
child was really amazing. Unfortunately this was through Children's Hospital,
but this department has been eliminated through budget cuts. I imagine your
child's primary physician will know who to refer to for your insurance. I know
that at times you have to push & speak up to get what you want, but it is worth it
as our son does not have any problems with speech now. Children who wait
until they are older have a much harder time in correcting speech problems, so I
am so glad you are on top of it now. If you have to pay private, it is worth it, but
try for a referral first.
Parent who has been there
Speech Therapy in El Cerrito, Richmond, Albany
Jan 2011
My three year old son has been evaluated as having an expressive language
delay. He is eligible to attend Cameron School, but the times available
are during his nap time.
If you are a parent of a toddler who has had a positive experience with a
speech therapist in the El Cerrito, Richmond, Albany area please respond
and include contact details.
Getting Beyond Delay
My son saw a wonderful speech therapist, Frances Grahamjones. He
had problems with his articulation and attended Cameron School
from 2009-2010. He was then assessed as being ineligble for
further services but his teacher privately told me that he would
benefit from further therapy. I found Frances through BPN and he
saw her for about 8 months-- until just after Christmas 2010, when
she told us that he is now right where he should be in terms of
his speech.
I can't say enough good things about Frances-- she is patient,
thoughtful, and determined. She was also very flexible with our
schedule. I feel that she tailors her approach to the interests
and personality of each child she sees. She was also very helpful
in giving us things to work on at home, which I think contributed
to my son's progress.
Frances is on Solano Ave just off of San Pablo in Albany; her
phone number is 510-524-0350. Ask the moderator for my info if you
have any further questions.
PS: You might also try being persistent with Cameron School re
schedule. We had only a few days/times that would work for us and
they were able to accommodate us after some back-
and-forth. I did think it was helpful for my son to be in the
group/class setting.
Susan
Speech Therapist for 18 Month Old
Dec 2010
I am looking for a speech therapist for my 18 month old that is covered
by United Healthcare. Ideally I'd like someone who could do home visits.
Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated!
Sarah
I highly recommend Shannon Kong of Spencer and Kong. She is
excellent. She has been working with my daughter for a few months.
Originally we were using a different therapist who was very good,
but for some reason my daughter would not open up with her and was
never comfortable. We switched because of this and had the good
fortune to meet Shannon. My daughter looks forward to seeing her
and playing games with her. She has really come a long way with
Shannon.
She can be reached at: ofc 415-469-4988, cell 925-708-
9020 and shannon@spencerandkong.com
Best of luck to you.
Roger
Speech therapist for 3-year-old
Aug 2010
Hello everyone. My wife and I are proud parents of 3 year
old twins. Our little boy has been diagnosed with ''A
Language Disorder with Social Pragmatic Component''. It
has been made abundantly clear that he needs speech
therapy training as soon as possible. We've just been
told that our insurance will not cover this treatment
however. So we are anxious to find an exceptional speech
therapist with expertise in this area that provides these
kinds of services at a reasonable cost. We are in the
Rockridge section of Oakland. Many thanks in advance for
your thoughts and suggestions!
A Concerned Pop
I would try the professionals at Communication Works in
Oakland. I am in an allied field and have been very
impressed with their knowledge base and their committment
to helping kids develop social thinking. They offer
workshops periodically and consult with some east bay
schools. Elizabeth Sautter is one of the directors of the
group practice. www.cwtherapy.com
An east bay educational therapist
You probably already know this, but your school district has an early
intervention
program that will diagnose and help your child.
The reason I mention this is because I had no idea this resource existed in CA.
My first child had speech problems and I didn't know the help was free and
located in my own community.
My second child also has some speech issues, and I got in touch with my school
district and was referred to The Cameron School in WCCUSD. I was and am
delighted by the teachers and the class. My child improved a lot.
Good Luck
Speech therapy at BUSD
April 2010
My 3.5 year old recently had a speech therapy evaluation and it was
recommended that he receive therapy. He has also had vision/hearing exams. I
am looking into our options for therapy would like to hear if anyone has
experience (good/bad) with the services provided through BUSD. I'm also
interested in information on other facility's that could provide speech therapy.
A mom who wants to understand
I would strongly advise against BUSD's early childhood
services. My child was recently assessed through BUSD and
I have opted to figure out how to pay for services myself
rather than deal with the condescending and developmentally
inappropriate case manager and specialist with whom I met in
BUSD. I was shocked by the condescension and lack of
professionalism I encountered and, while I am sure that
there are great individual speech therapists in the
district, I was again so surprised by how poorly my child
and I were treated that I am considering moving to another
school district if my child attends public school. I know
that I could legally file a complaint and just don't have
the energy. My advice: don't do it.
Paying out of pocket to avoid BUSD
If you want to supplement by going the private route, I
would highly recommend The Speech Pathology Group in
Berkeley. I've been extremely happy with my son's
experience there and am watching him make great improvements.
There website is www.speechpathologygroup.com
Mary
Good Speech Therapist who takes Medi-Cal
Feb 2010
I'm looking for a speech therapist to help my
about-to-turn-three-year-old continue developing
articulation, and I need someone who takes Medi-Cal. We
have had a GREAT speech therapist through East Bay Regional
Center, but my kid will age into the school district this
spring at birthday #3. BUSD does not offer speech therapy in
the summer, and I'd love to continue. Any ideas? Children's
Hospital has cut its formerly excellent speech therapy program.
worried mama
Did RCEB provide year round services? Can you get
documentation from them that your child needs service
throughout the summer? If so, the district is legally
required to offer a program that fits your child's ''unique
needs,'' which would require them to pay for it. It wouldn't
be *easy*, but IEPs are supposed to be data-driven and if
you have the data (i.e., evidence of clinical need), it's
*possible*. It's good you're asking now.
Dana
Speech therapist thru BUSD for private school kid?
Jan 2010
My six year old is in need of speech therapy. She was
evaluated in the first percentile thru Herrick, and for the
last two months I've been getting the run-around from the
BUSD regarding any services that she might be entitled to.
We are Berkeley residents but attending a private school.
Are we eligible for services, and if so, how do I negotiate
the BUSD to get them. Thanks for any help.
If you can afford private school, you can afford a speech
therapist if your child really needs one. The amount of
money it would cost BUSD to fund a speech therapist for
your child off-site is ridiculous. That money comes
straight out of the budget for kids who can't afford
private school. When our schools are struggling under
slashed budgets with astronomical special ed costs, you
should be ashamed of yourself for even considering it. Try
supporting public education instead.
Shocked Taxpayer
I am not sure about speech therapy but I wanted to respond
to "shocked taxpayer": Dear Shocked Taxpayer, the person who posted is also a
taxpayer who lives in Berkeley. They are paying the same
taxes as you, possibly more, yet they are not receiving
any benefit from the education system like you are, because
their child doesn't go to public school. Why shouldn't they
use the special education services offered by the school
district that they pay for?
I didn't respond at first, because my information about speech and language
services through the BUSD is a few years old. Having seen the one judgmental
non-answer you received, I'll try to help. Several years ago, public school
districts were responsible for serving children in private schools. Since then
the law has changed, and I've heard inconsistent opinions about the current
situation. You should be able to get a definitive answer from the special
education advocates at DREDF: www.dredf.org/programs/PTI.shtml. Even if
it's possible to get speech therapy through the public schools, it could take a
long time to arrange. Speech and language services are accessed through the
special education process, and although laws or regulations dictate how
quickly this is supposed to proceed, in our personal experience the process
tended to drag on for many months. Things seemed to happen more quickly
when a teacher or administrator initiated the process based on their
experience with the student, rather than when a parent initiated it on the
basis of a outside (non-district) evaluation. When we were dealing with the
BUSD, I heard there weren't always enough speech and language therapists
and that some students had to wait for promised services, although we never
had to. Sorry I don't have more recent information, but DREDF could probably
offer advice here, too. Depending on what type of support your child needs,
there may be waiting lists to see someone privately, but if it were my child I'd
start looking for private speech therapy.
good luck
Sliding scale or university clinics for speech therapy?
Jan 2010
I am wondering if anyone knows of any sliding scale or university clinics
where I might get more speech therapy for my daughter. She started speech
therapy last year in April (through regional center) and had it once a week up
until this December. It was cut due to the fact that she has speech therapy
through the George Miller Center (which she and I LOVE!), but it's broken into
two 1/2 hour sessions, and it's with one or two other children. She's 2 yrs 7
months, and her only words are ''apple'' and ''up'', and these are recent
developments. She was diagnosed by regional center as being autistic, but I
think that it is a misdiagnosis, as does our pediatrician, our O.T., her
teachers, our former speech therapist and friends that have kids on the
spectrum. Whether she is in fact autistic doesn't matter to me in terms of
acceptance- I accept who she is, and wouldn't change a thing about her! I
just want her specific needs to be addressed, and I'm running into dead ends
everywhere I look. I do think that she has apraxia, as well as sensory
integration disorder. I know that apraxia requires intensive, one on one
speech therapy, but Alta Bates has a waiting list until July, and I don't feel
that this can wait that long. We can't afford private sessions. Any advice on
where to find more speech therapy would be greatly appreciated!
proud mama of my special needs child
You can try Cal State East Bay or San Francisco State for
reduced fee therapy in their graduate school programs. I
don't know what their waiting lists are like, but since
their semesters must already be underway, and since it
sounds like you want something now to cover you until the
school district kicks in at age three, then I would look
into that option quickly. Otherwise, have you checked yet
if your insurance will cover you? With the diagnosis of
autism your child has been given it might be easier to get
coverage, though that can take some time to determine. I
know you said you can't afford the private route, but I
did want to let you know that private therapy doesn't
necessarily have to mean paying $100+ per session: I'm a
speech therapist at The Speech Pathology Group Clinic in
Walnut Creek and Berkeley, and we have started offering 30
minute sessions for $65 for children under age three.
This was in direct response to recent Regional Center
budget cuts which have resulted in many children no longer
qualifying for services, and families suddenly having to
face paying out of pocket until the school district can
take over.
Good luck to you and your daughter-
Pamela
Speech therapist for 4-year-old
Oct 2009
Looking for a good speech therapist for my almost 4-year old.
This person must be willing to come to her preschool, located in
Dublin.
anon
We used Kim Scott in San Francisco. She worked with my daughter
in pre-school as well as elementary school. My daughter made
lots of progress with her. We went through four different
therapist who did not make very much progress. Even now, the
school speech therapist doesn't do as well with my daughter as
Kim so that we are considering going to back to her on our own.
She came to my child's school to work with her and that was in El
Cerrito.
Kim has offices in the Marina, her number is (415) 713-9011.
Good Luck
Juliet
My son saw Louise Fender for two years. She is azmazing, and I
can't recommend her highly enough. At the time, Louise was
part of the Berkeley School District's special education team.
My son't preschool teacher told us that he will need to be in
special ed for good. He's in 3rd grade now, and is one of the
top students in his class - and language/writing is his
strength.
We all thank Louise for that. Not only she helped him with his
speech, but at the same time prepared him for kindergarten.
She also taught us, parents, to continuously develop his
language skills. It's one thing to drop your kid off to a
therapy session and then go on with your usual routine. I sat
through many sesions with my son and Louise, and learned some
invaluable lessons from her, just by watching her work. I
believe that a therapy lesson doesn't end with the child
leaving the office. It's up to a parent to continue on with it
by weaving the lessons learned into the daily routine.
Regards,
mother of a non-stop talker:)
Lisping 7-year-old
June 2009
My 7-year-old first-grader has had a lisp ever since he could speak;
otherwise he has no other speech issues. In kindergarten last year,
we asked the school speech therapist about the lisp, and she suggested
waiting until first grade to see if it would correct itself
(apparently the head and jaw are still changing in kids of this age).
We waited, but the lisp is still there, seemingly unchanged. He still
has all but two of his baby teeth, so I imagine there is still more
jaw-change to come. I imagine the speech therapist could validly make
the same argument as last year. However, I'm wondering if we should
be pursuing a speech therapist outside of the school at this point. I
personally find the lisp really endearing and will be sad to see it
go, but I am reluctant to keep waiting indefinitely because it seems
likely that it will be even harder to correct the older he gets.
Any BTDT experience with this? Should we be seeking another opinion,
or just keep waiting it out?
Anon
Our daughter had a lisp when she was young too, and it seemed
endearing to me, however I imagined her as a 35 year old woman
with a lisp and knew we needed to take care of it. I asked the
speech therapist at our school to see her and I think they met 2
or 3 times over a couple of weeks. It was corrected so quickly
and she was about your child's age.
lark
I love that you love the lisp! Very cute! I was raised in the
70's with a ''why be normal?'' attitude but my poor sibling
suffered terribly with his lisp by the 4th grade. Kids are cruel
when they get into their tweens, so I would encourage you to
positively pursue therapy when appropriate. BTW, my sibling's
lisp--gone within months upon starting therapy.
Sibling of lisper
As a former speech therapist, I would like to encourage you not
to delay getting help in correcting your child's lisp. Even
though it seems ''cute'' to you now, a lisp is conspicuous and
unattractive in the speech of an older child or adult. The
longer you delay, the harder it will be to correct. The length
of time needed to correct it is hard to predict and will be a
function of the nature and severity of the lisp, your child's
responsiveness to therapy, and your support of the therapist's
efforts (including having a positive and cooperative
attitude). I hope you can abandon the idea that the lisp
is ''cute.'' Sometimes a child who persists with immature
articulation has a parent or grandma who thinks it is ''cute,''
which makes a therapist's job much harder.
The good news is that it is the beginning of the summer and you
have an opportunity to accelerate progress by concentrating
more attention on it than might be possible during the school
year.
Jane
Speech therapist for 3-y-o who's not extremely expensive?
May 2009
Can anyone recommend a good speech therapist that is also not extremely
expensive in Walnut Creek/San Ramon area? Looking to supplement the school
district therapy. Most of the places I called were charging 100-120/hr,
and no one can afford that. They also want to do their own evaluations,
which run $200-$300. There has to be something less expensive!
A little frustrated
If you don't mind going to Cal State Hayward, you could check
out their clinics:
http://class.csuhayward.edu/commsci/howgetsl.htm. I believe
they are free, but you would work with a different student
clinician (under supervision, of course) each quarter. Good
luck!
anon
I would recommend The Speech Pathology Group. They have
offices in Walnut Creek and Berkeley. Pamela Bloch is great
and works in both offices. I also know that they will waive
the eval. if you have had one (by the school, I am guessing)
within the last year. You can reach them at 925-945-1474.
Mary
Stuttering Help needed for 3-year-old
May 2009
My almost 3 year old son has been stuttering for more than 6
months. We talked to a speech pathologist who gave us some
suggestions for helping him -- slowing down our speech, repeating
back what he said, etc. -- which has helped some, but he's still
doing it. Initially the speech pathologist suggested waiting to
talk to someone but now its been long enough that he says we might
want to find a pathologist who specializes in stuttering. Has
anyone gone to a speech pathologist they liked?
Worried for my son
Kris Baines is a speech therapist who has made stuttering therapy
her specialty for years. You'll find her very experienced and
knowledgable. I'm sure she's in the yellow pages/you can find her
online. Also, I know that Brittany Struve, with the Speech
Pathology Group (Berkeley and Walnut Creek offices) has a lot of
experience doing fluency therapy and has a fun and gentle
approach...www.speechpathologygroup.com has her bio. Good luck!
Anonymous
Speech therapist for 4-year-old
May 2009
Our 4 yr old son stutters or elongates the first syllable of his
words, especially when he is feeling anxious or in a new
situation. It can get pretty frustrating for him and other kids
are starting to tease him. His vocabulary is good and he forms
complex sentences; it just takes a long time to get them out.
We were evaluated by the OUSD and did get an IEP for speech but
it will not start until this fall. In the meantime, we are
paying out of pocket for someone but it does not seem like a
good fit. Her technique seems very repetitive and not creative
or exciting for him (he usually is not interesting in going).
Any recommendations for a good speech therapist who is not super
expensive and is very engaging for this particular speech
problem?
Thank you.
I have been really happy with Pamela Bloch at the Speech Pathology
Group. My daughter sees her in the Berkeley office but they also
have an office in Walnut Creek. Pamela is experienced and has been
so effective. She is extremely engaging with kids as well. I don't
think you could go wrong with her. Their number is 925-945-1474.
anon
My son has been going to Faltz Associates on Piedmont Avenue for
language therapy for almost two years and we have been very happy.
In addition to language therapy they do speech therapy.
pleased parent
Childhood Apraxia Specialist in Bay Area
April 2009
Our 3-year old son has been diagnosed with Apraxia, and I am
interested in finding a specialist in the Bay Area with extensive
experience in evaluating and/or working with apraxic children. He is
not on the autism spectrum, and it appears at this point to be an
expressive speech issue only. Does anyone have a recommendation?
Any advice/leads would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
Concerned Mom
My 3-year-old has extremely severe apraxia and we worked with two speech
therapists before we found somebody who specializes in it--Gage Herman at
WordWorks in Oakland. Her decades of experience have made a huge difference. You
don't say where you're located but if it's Marin, I can connect you with somebody
there as well. If your child's delay is significant enough, your school district
is required by law to provide you with services which do not come cheap,
particularly because best practices for the treatment of apraxia are 3 to 5
one-on- one sessions a week. If you're looking for a preschool where your child
will feel supported, check out Sunshine Preschool in Berkeley. They offer a
bilingual program in sign language and spoken English and I believe one of the
speech therapists they have on staff is also an expert in apraxia. The Signing
Time DVDs have also been wonderful for our son. Good luck!
Lisa
Speech therapist for 6 year-old
April 2009
Our 6yo has been diagnosed with articulation problems. He is
receiving speech therapy through OUSD, although I'm not sure how
effective it is. We are doing the drills daily which I understand is
key to progress. The problem is that I'm not so sure we're so
effective either at helping him learn the physiologically correct way
of articulating. And the speech therapist hasn't been able to give
us any tricks to help with the drills. The teacher even suggested
that we seek treatment privately.
Does anyone have any recommendations? We did do an eval with Alta
Bates (Meredith Trowbridte) a while ago although I'm not sure she
connected w/my son and he's not so eager to go back.
I've also heard about Faltz and Assoc. on Piedmont Avenue. Has
anyone had any good/bad experiences with them?
anon
I highly recommend Gerry Fabella (510)684-7659. She has worked for years with
children, both privately and with many agencies including Children's Hospital,
RCEB, and school districts. All of her therapy is done in your home...good luck!
anonymous
Cameron School in El Cerrito is a gem!
7140 Gladys Ave.
El Cerrito, CA 94530
510-233-1955
My son--now 6 years old--was referred to Cameron when he was in preschool for
''bumpy'' speech. They are truly an amazing school with tremendous resources, and
well known throughout Contra Costa County as a leader in childrens' speech issues.
Love, love Cameron School
Speech therapy for 3 year old - weekends?
Jan 2009
I am looking for a speech therapist for my 3 year old son
who has has a speech delay. Unfortunately since I work 9 to
5 M thru F, my schedule is limited and I'm looking for SLP
that might be able to do visits to his school, our home or
has office open on weekends. We live in El Cerrito and his
school is in Kensington, we would appreciate any
recommendations. We have looked into the school district and
prefer to go privately. Thanks!
anon
Geri Fabella, gerfab@mac.com, is a great speech pathologist. She
has worked with many children with various speech issues in our
infant toddler center and preschool. She comes to the school for
therapy sessions and meets with the parents periodically. I
recommend Geri highly.
Liisa
Speech therapy for 2 year old
Jan 2009
My two year old son is speech delayed. We have had him tested
with The Regional Center and he qualifies for speech therapy
paid by them but they have no therapist available to see us
during a time that works. I was going to Alta Bates, but I am
very unsatisfied with the quality of care there and am looking
for an alternative. Does anyone know of another speech therapist
group for very young children. One of the things that was bad
about ALta Bates was the room were the therapy was done was
tiny, and the toys were old and broken. Kids are smart, they
don't want to sit in a tiny room and play with a car that has
three wheels. I am looking for a happy fun environment for him
to learn in.
help please
Speech Inc has an office in Oakland and they are very good. My 2
yo son recently began ST in their SF office. I know they work with
the Regional Center because we went through them to get him
qualified.
Good Luck!
Jill
First of all, kuddos to you as a parent, for pursuing services for
your child at such a young age. Many families have not been
informed or do not realize the importance that early intervention
services can have on their child and thus, tend not to pursue them
until later in the developmental process. We, at Communication
Works (CW), which is a speech pathology private practice in the
Oakland Hills, have a long history of working with very young
children to provide quality services. Not only do we identify and
work with each child's individual strengths to facilitate growth
in the areas in which a child exhibit challenges, but we also work
with parents/family members to provide a natural environment in
which generalization of skills can occur. We teach the best ways
to incorporate communication strategies into a child's daily
routine. We utilize therapy materials that are not only in
excellent condition, but are current, many of which have been
highly rated as top picks in parent magazines. CW is an exclusive
provider of speech and language services for various public and
private center-based early intervention programs in the East Bay
and surrounding areas, so we are more than familiar with types of
materials and intervention methods that should be used with a
young population. Additionally, we are affiliated with training
programs which bring in cutting-edge methodologies and concepts
throughout the field of Speech Pathology. If you are interested
in finding out more about our services for your son, do not
hesitate to contact us at 510-639-2929 or visit our website to
fill out an intake form: www.cwtherapy.com.
Audra
Speech therapist for 3-year-old
Dec 2008
Does anyone know of a good speech therapist in the East Bay? I have a 3
year old daughter who seems to be meeting all of the development
milestones, but isn't talking as much as her peers her age. I'm worried.
Any advice?
Anon
Angela Korpela & Meredith Trowbridge at Herrick
Hospital/Alta Bates Pediatric Speech (located on Dwight at
Milvia in Berkeley) are both excellent, 510-204-6729. My
child completed a successful course of speech therapy with
them, and I was very impressed. I talked to a number of
speech therapy outfits in the area and thought Herrick was
the best. They also do evaluations, which is the place to
start. Ask your pediatrician for a referral/authorization
for the initial evaluation, your insurance should cover it.
If you are with Kaiser, they likely have in-house pediatric
speech evaluation. Do the evaluation, and the evaluator
will give you a detailed explanation of what's going on &
where to go from there.
been there, got through it.
Pediatric speech therapist for 4 year old
Oct 2008
Our 4 year-old daughter was recently diagnosed with a mild-to-moderate
language delay. We would like a recommendation for a speech therapist who
is warm-hearted and cheerful and can attune to our daughter's playful
personality. We are particularly interested in feedback about Angela
Korpula at Alta Bates Herrick and about Amy Faltz at Faltz & Associates.
Thank you!
Anon
Both of our exeriences were productive and positive below:
Angela Korpela treated our son for 3 years. She's very enthusiastic (eg.
high energy) and experienced. We also spent 2 years at Word Works in
Oakland http://wordworkstherapy.com until our therapist left the practice.
*SPT Lifer*
I highly recommend Faltz & Associates. Our daughter, who has an
auditory processing disorder, worked with Amy Faltz and Hilda Mann
(another specialist in the office). We began when she was first
diagnosed in the fifth grade, and continued with them through her senior
year in high school. They are both warm, knowledgeable, and easy to
work with.
I can speak to your question about Angela Korpela. My elder son had a
speech delay and he was with Angela Korpela at Alta Bates/Herrick for a
year. She diagnosed him with Chilhood Apraxia of Speech, and came up
with a plan to help him learn to develop his oral motor skills. My son,
husband, and I all really liked her (and still do!), and we only left
her care because my son turned 3 and his speech therapy became the
responsibility of our school district. Angela is intelligent,
forthright, and direct. She is wonderful at answering questions and
messages ASAP. When my son turned 4, his speech therapist at the local
school wanted to terminate his therapy. We asked Angela for a second
opinion, which she gave, along with a thorough report and recommendation
for follow-up before kindergarten. She is great with kids, but not
incredibly touchy-feely with adults. Best of all, she will work with
you, your insurance, and your pediatrician to come up with the best plan
for you and your !
child.
Fan of Angela
Speech therapist for 7-year-old
May 2008
My son has some speech issues - pronouncing R's and L's and some
other things. He has been in therapy in school this past year,
but I do not think it is wise to leave him fallow for the summer.
Can someone recommend a therapist for summer visits?
North Berkeley/El Cerrito location ideal, but not necessary.
Thank you.
Meredith Trowbridge or Angela Korpela at Herrick Pediatric
Speech (Associated with Alta Bates), located on Dwight Way.
They are both fantastic. My 7 year old completed a successful
course of articulatory therapy for a difficult issue with
Meredith in only 4.5 months, mostly over the summer in fact
(better time to concentrate, less distraction from school). The
phone # of their scheduler is 204-6729. (One tip: work hard on
the daily homework drills, that's where most of the progress
takes place.)
Been there.
Feb 2008
Hi,
After the exam by an audiologist she recommended a few speech pathologists
for an evaluation. I do not see any reviews so if anyone has experience
with the ones listed below I would appreciate the feedback.
Speech Pathology Group
WC,
Jakubowitz Associates
San Ramon
,
Joan Chomak
Orinda
,
Mary McPherson
Orinda
,
Thank you in advance
I would go with Walnut Creek Speech Pathology Group. They are
very experienced therapists and work very well with kids. I
would not recommend Jakubowitz. They have a few good
therapists but they have a high turn over rate and are not
consistent.
I am not familiar with the other therapists you listed.
Good luck.
anonymous
May 2007
Our daughter had been receiving speech therapy thru OUSD, but due
to budget constraints, they have ''cut her loose'' (her speech
issues were not 'affecting her ability to learn', so they felt
she did not qualify for their limited resources). Yes, I can
challenge this thru the District, but I wanted to also pursue
other options.
Do any of you have reommendations/suggestions for speech
therapists who work successfully with classic lisping, among
other, related speech issues? My child dreams of being on stage,
and while she is not inhibited by her speech issues, she really
does need help w/ her enunciation. I would certainly foresee
this being a much bigger issue as she hits her teen years, so I'd
like to be proactive NOW.
Thanks!
Concerned Mom of lisp-er
Have you looked into Cal State University East Bay Speech Langauge and
Hearing Clinic. Your daughter sounds motivated and that is a key factor
in what they look for in new clients. A plus is that it is much more
affordable then traditional speech therapy, but you should consider that
you are working with students (grad and undergrad). Good luck!
anon
I really liked Hilary Kissack. She does individual speech therapy and
does groups as well for some kid's needs. You can email me for
particulars if you'd like. Her phone number is 925-324-0158. Her email
is hilary[at]cwtherapy.com and her website is cwtherapy.com.
Feb 2007
Our 7 year old son needs some speech therapy for a lateral
lisp due to a short frenulum at birth. He has some anxieties
about the therapy (''What if I won't like the way I sound when
it's done?''). Since the success of the speech therapy
depends greatly on his cooperation and motivation, we
sense that the personality of the therapist will matter a great
deal. We're looking for someone he would click with - he's
an extremely bright and creative/imaginative boy who would
need someone who would make the therapy games
interesting on an intellectual level and engagingly
imaginative. He would also respond well to someone with
a very cheerful demeanor and a lot of patience. If you have
experience with any of the following, could you comment:
Katie Pengilly (and any other therapists at Speech Inc.), Amy
Faultz, Patricia Dodd, Nicole Karvalo (at Faultz Associates),
Herrick Speech, Children's Hospital speech therapy on
Clarement Ave, Word Works, Communication Associates
(Alameda), Susan Diamond (Alameda). Thanks for any
help.
To the parent looking for speech therapy, I would absolutely stay
away from all practitioners at Faultz Associates. We took our
son there for a short time and were horrified at how he was
treated. One example- he was chastised for not having his
homework done and he was only four years of age. Additionally,
the therapist would meet with my son for about 12 minutes of the
30 minutes. She spent the rest of the time letting him play or
bringing him into the waiting room 7 minutes early. For $50.
per/ 30 minutes I expected a lot more.
Anon
I missed the original post but I had to write after reading a review of
Faltz & Associates. My son (then age 5) saw Amy Faltz for several
months because he was repeating many syllables & words. Amy is
extremely professional and engaged and I believe that she truly cares
about my kid. My son loved spending time with Amy; he knew she was
really listening to him and present for him. I am so grateful for her
efforts to help my family-- she observed my son & talked to him about
his ''bumpy words'' and she helped my husband and me support him at
home. In fact, just today, a few months after my last visit, I got an
e-mail inquiry from Amy asking how my son was doing. Amy Faltz is a
gem. I recommend her wholeheartedly!!!
Anon for the sake of my son
Dec 2006
Looking for a speech therapist for our six year old daughter to help her learn ''l's, r's, and
assorted other sounds. We have Blue Cross thru UC,
but will pay out of pocket if we have to. Looking for someone who connects well with children
(our daughter is not excited about getting help with this issue), so a wonderful speech
therapist in Oakland is what we are looking for
kelly
You are entitled to speech therapy through your school district. Though I don't have
experience with OUSD speech therapists I have had good experiences with both WCCUSD and BUSD.
Speech therapy is offered from early education through 12th grade. You can receive these
services by first testing and then getting an IEP (individualized education plan) for you
child.
We had a wonderful experience with Sarah Thompson at WordWorks in Oakland--at 318 27th Street (corner of
Broadway, where the VW dealership is). Tamara Mueller is also excellent. Tel: 433-0123. Good luck!
anon
Try Faltz Associates. Amy Faltz is the owner. She specializes in Pediatric Speech Therapy. I don't have
her number but she is probably in the phone book. I believe her office is on Piedmont Ave.
Is your daughter's school addressing her speech issues? If they brought this to your attention, they
should have a speech therapist assess her.
good luck
Anonymous
Kelly,
I am usually too jammed to respond to most of these inquiries unless I am passionate about a
recommendation and one that is soooo important! It is an emotional process to handle a child who is
falling behind in their communication...for both the kid and parents. I got teary thinking about my son
falling behind. But, lo and behold, I was given the recommendation for Speech Inc, from my neighbor at the
time, who is a very respected Pre School teacher at Lakeshore Pre School. She told me of the near miracles
they'd made with kids she'd referred. Because I had such a trusted source I felt great relief knowing that
this part of the process was secure: I had found a great partnership with the therapists at Speech Inc.
Apparently they are so good that people from the east bay had been driving to SF (typically twice a
week!!) for their help. Last year they decided to help their clientelle out this way by opening up an
office on Grand Avenue! They have done marvels with our son who adores them and runs into the office to
begin their play! Wishing you well, comfort and the relief of progression! Their number in SF is
415-563-6541
geri
April 2004
Looking for speech therapist who can also do
diagnosis/evaluation. I've checked the archives, but there's
not much there. Thanks!
I took my 5 year old son to Robin Sperry in Oakland. She did a
initial evaluation and discussed further tretment options. He
is not currently seeing her as a patient. We were able to go
through the school district which is a lot cheaper. I liked
that she suggested that over having to pay her a lot of $$$$.
I believe she is on Broadway. There is also a facility in
Hayward through the college that sounded interesting.
klyn
the Alameda County has many options: here are a few-
- Children's Hospital in Oakland
- Faltz Associates on Piedmont Ave. in Oakland
- Alta Bates Medical Center, Herrick Campus on Dwight
in Berkeley
If the child is age three or above, evaluations can
also be done through the local school system. Call
the office of special services/special education and
request an appointment for an evaluation.
If the child is below age three, ask your pediatrician
for a referral (perhaps to one of the centers listed
above). If your concerns are speech/lang. related and
another concern (example, movement, social skills,
eating) you may want to look into Early Start or
Regional Center of the East Bay. Discuss these with
your child's doctor.
March 2004
Hello all -- this is a follow-up request for a recommendation
for a speech therapist who works well with teens. I may have
missed it, but I don't think I saw any referrals for a
speech, voice, or diction coach -- or even some advice about
where to look for such a person -- who has success helping
teens with a speech articulation disorder. We are past the
games and sticker rewards that are used with younger
children. Thanks for the help!
for the person looking for teen speech (voice) therapist. My
daughter (16) has been seeing Dr. Rhoda Agin on Solano Ave.
in Albany. Dr. Agin does not work on pragmatic speech, but
on voice, articulation, prosody, etc. She deals nicely with
teens. She meets with my daughter once a week and gives her
daily exercises to do at home. My daughter progressed very
nicely. Dr. Agin's numcer is 510-549-1359. She'll be away in
April.
Varda
Jan. 2004
I'd love to hear updated recommendations for speech therapists specializing in
dysfluency (stuttering). The website listings are a little old and tend to pertain
to younger children -- I'm looking on behalf of a nine-year-old.
We had a visit with Kris Baines in Walnut Creek and liked her very much, but
couldn't mesh our schedules (we're on her wait-list, though). We're looking for
someone who is pragmatically oriented, as she seems to be.
Mary Gage Herman's name keeps coming up -- do people still like her, and/or
is it impossible to get on her schedule? Does she work outside the Children's
Hospital environment (private practice)? I think that our health insurance won't
work with Children's.
Also, several years back I heard that the then-departing speech therapist at
Easter Seals in Oakland was really great -- any leads on that person, or the
current speech therapist at Easter Seals? We were pleased with the OT we got
there at that time.
Finally, any more thoughts/recommendations for the Scottish Rite program
that is mentioned on the website?
Thanks in advance --
We worked with Kris Baines for a year or so when my son was
younger, then with Sara Thompson at Faltz Associates. Both were
excellent. There is also a fabulous private practitioner, Martha
Wagele. My son's concerns were not with stuttering but rather
with pragmatic language and general delays, but I would go to
Martha again in a New York minute.
Good luck.
Nancy
Nov. 2003
I'm looking for a speech therapist near Kensington for my 6 y.o.
He's been stuck on the ''r'' for several years now, and it's time
to get him some help. The website lists Oakland area folks -
anyone nearer? We'll probably have to self-pay, so affordable
would help too. Thanks
Valerie
Try Faltz and Associates for speech therapy. They have an
office on Solano, I believe.
The number here is for their main office in Oakland.
510-654-3381
S A
Louise Fender, who comes to your home, is FABULOUS! her # is
655-2175. She has a different activity suited to your child's
interests for every week, and has helped my 6-year-old son make
great progress with his r's.
April 2003
Looking for a speech therapist to deal with a lisp and foreign
accent reduction in an adult.
Thanks
Lisa
I am an active member of the Voice and Speech Trainers
Association, not a ''speech therapist,'' but I have specialized in
accent reduction for many years, as do many voice teachers.
Also, true that a ''lisp'' is most often the territory of
a ''therapist,'' but in the context of working with the voice in
general I have incidentally had good luck in correcting a lisp.
Let me know if you'd like to brainstorm a bit about how you
might proceed. The Voice and Speech Trainers Association is at
http://www.vasta.org/ and my website is at www.interarts-training.org. Good luck.
April 2003
Has anyone enrolled their child in the Fast Forward program? Was
it worth the cost? Did your child improve their reading skills?
Thanks.
A.M.
Years ago I considered Fast Forward for my child who has
auditory processing/expressive language problems. The reason I
did not pursue this program was that there was very little
specific data to show how effective the program was for
remediating specific language issues. In contrast, the Linda-
Mood Bell programs give a lot of data supporting the
effectiveness of their (expensive) programs. Another factor
that we considered was how well our child could sit at the
computer each day. The years when we considered the program
were when my child was young: preschool and beginning
elementary, when the necessary 90 minutes per day seemed too
long for his attention span. Good luck.
Kathy
Nov 1999
For speech therapy the Scottish Rite Speech and Language Clinic offers
testing and speech and language therapy, including language-related
reading problems. They are funded by the Masons and all services are free.
Call them at 839-1513 (510) The Director's name is Jane Gould-Caulfield.
Nov 1999
Kaiser Oakland referred us to Faltz Associates on Piedmont Avenue for
our then 4 year old son who needed work on his articulation. They did
not have speech therapists on staff for his level of problems (or
possibly any at all-sorry I don't remember.) At Faltz Associates we
dealt with Martha Wagele whom we all really liked. My son was sorry to
'graduate' this summer. Dealing with the speech problem has done
wonders for his self esteem and was well worth it. Faltz 510-654-3381
April 1999
Faltz Associates on Piedmont Ave. in Oakland, specifically Martha Wagele.
My developmentally disabled daughter sees her twice a week and Martha is
excellent. She is a private speech therapist.
If you want the school district to pay for it, you will need to contact
the school district so your daughter can be evaluated. If the evaluation
determines she should receive speech therapy, you will have an IEP meeting
(Individual Education Plan) with Oakland to setup services. The speech
would be provided by a speech therapist contracted by the school district.
I hope this helps.
Susan
April 1999
Our daughter needed speech therapy, she was 4 at the time, and she had
terrific results with Louise Fender. Louise works out of Le Conte school in
Berkeley, but also sees kids privately who are out of district (our case).
She is absolutely wonderful with little ones, our daughter loves her and has
responded wonderfully with her. Stephanie
April 1999
My daughter (now 6) was part of the early intervention speech therapy
program at SFUSD when she was 4 & 5. I don't know if Oakland Public
Schools has one but you should definately check into it. She saw 2
different speech therapists, the first was not a good match for her,
wanting her to sit still for long periods, not playful enough, she began
to dread going. I then went to the head of speech therapy for the
entire district and asked for a different referral and she saw a
fantastic pre-school speech therapist Jane Johnson, I cannot say enough
about Jane, my daughter was always excited to go to see her, they did
small art projects, played games, read books, etc. Be sure to find
someone good to work with your child and be your child's advocate
throughout the process. The testing was relatively simple word
questions and matching geared for the specific age level.
April 1999
Gage Herman is a genius, a wonderful person, and extremely supportive to
me when I brought my daughter in for speech therapy. I cannot say
enough about her. Kathy
April 1998
We used Gage Herman at Children's Hospital. I highly recommend her.
Jean
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