Social Skills Therapy in Austin, TX

FAQs

Do I need a referral from a doctor to start speech therapy?

You do not need a referral from a doctor to begin speech therapy. A doctor may recommend speech therapy, but no note or signature is needed.

What is Speech-Language Pathologist?

A speech-language pathologist or SLP is a professional with expertise in communication. SLP’s have a master’s degree that includes extensive work experience in a variety of settings (e.g., hospitals, schools, rehabilitation centers, private practices, etc.) while being supervised by a senior clinician. The following is a list of challenges SLPs can treat:

Speech sounds – (how sounds are produced and heard)
Language – how we understand what we hear and read (receptive language) and how we use language to tell others what we are thinking (expressive language)
Social Communication – how we interact with the world socially
Cognitive Communication – executive functioning skills such as attention, problem solving, organization, and memory
Voice – how our voices sound
Fluency – also called stuttering
Feeding and swallowing

What are the benefits of virtual therapy?

Working with a Licensed and Certified Speech Pathologist who specializes in specific areas of need
Time saving – no more rushing around trying to get all the way across town
You can participate from anywhere.
It’s more comfortable to be in a familiar environment
Access to individuals working on similar goals – the opportunity to create bonds
Parents, loved ones and caregivers can be easily involved
It’s easier to develop meaningful generalization of skills learned in therapy to the home environment

Why is social communication therapy important?

Social communication skills are crucial for children and adolescents as they explore peer relationships and learn about friendship, loyalty, and individual differences (Seltzer, 2009). Social communication skills remain important into adulthood – in college, on the job, and in social settings. Connecting socially with others is an important part of being human and one of the special aspects that makes us different from other species. If concerns are left untreated it can lead to low self-esteem, trouble participating in social environments, depression, building friendships and other relationships, arrested academic success, and it can prevent you from advancing in your career.

Would I benefit from social communication therapy?

The best way to determine if you would be a good candidate for speech and language therapy is to perform a self-check. Ask yourself how you feel about communicating with other people. Do social interactions make you feel good or bad? Do you avoid conversations? Do you have difficulty knowing what to say and when or if to add your thoughts to a conversation? Do you experience difficulties with some of the following?

using appropriate greetings;
changing language and communication style based on setting or partner;
telling and understanding stories;
engaging in conversation (e.g., initiating or entering a conversation, maintaining the topic, taking turns);
repairing communication breakdowns (e.g., rephrasing when misunderstood);
using appropriate verbal (e.g., prosodic) and nonverbal (e.g., gestures) signals to regulate an interaction;
interpreting the verbal and nonverbal signals of others during an interaction;
understanding ambiguous or figurative language;
understanding information not explicitly stated (inferring);
making and keeping close friendships.

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Would my child benefit from social communication therapy?

Children develop and change so quickly that it can be easy for parents to notice a potential cognitive concern and immediately begin endless searches for solutions. To determine if your child may have a social communication disorder, you can read about expected milestones for social communication here. Speech and language therapy may be beneficial for those with an autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, or a language impairment which often accompany difficulties in social communication. Finally, therapy may be helpful to your child if you notice consistent problems with:

social interactions across all settings;
making and keeping friends;
using appropriate greetings;
distinguishing good friends from acquaintances;
understanding nonverbal communication;
difficulty understanding figurative language;
following school rules;
self regulation;
social cognition (the ability to understand their own emotions and emotional state of others, take the perspective of others, problem solve, etc.).

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Don’t people learn social communication in the same way?

The short answer is no. Math and spelling and reading and writing are all taught to us in school, but we don’t all learn to master those subjects or learn them in the same ways. Many brains benefit from direct instruction of social communication skills and competencies.

Check out my interview with Communication Intelligence for more on ethical and compassionate communication with neurodiverse people:

Read the interview.

What is social communication?

The American Speech and Hearing Association or ASHA defines social communication as “the use of language in social contexts. It encompasses social interaction, social cognition, pragmatics, and language processing.”

This means communicating socially is complex and involves skills that are rarely taught. These include taking the perspective of others, the ability to comprehend and employ rules for verbal and nonverbal communication, when to vary our speech style, and how to use the structural aspects of language to accomplish these goals. There are no standards to define what is socially acceptable which adds complication. There is a wide, varied range of what individuals, families, and cultures deem socially appropriate.

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Improving social communication through speech and language therapy.

Navigating the Social World

Building Confidence and Connection

Celebrating Strengths

Services Provided

Indvidual therapy

Group Therapy

Personalized Assessment

New clients receive a FREE 20 minute consultation.

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