Westchester Community Health Center

formerly Mount Vernon Neighborhood Health Center

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Home | Medical Services | Specialists | Speech-Language Pathology

Speech-Language Pathology

Our Speech-Language Pathology Specialist can help your child develop and learn clear communication skills as early as possible.

Being able to communicate can make all the difference.

People experiencing developmental delays or neurological speech disorders often become frustrated and embarrassed in school and social settings. Our experienced Board-Certified Speech Language Pathologist specializes in intervention and evaluation of speech issues. Our goal is to help our patients develop and learn clear communication skills, as early as possible. Speech-Language Pathology services are only available by referral from a healthcare provider.

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Speech Pathology Services

The Westchester Community Health Center provides a wide variety of services to adults, adolescents, and children with speech, voice, language, hearing, and swallowing disorders. Our Speech-Language Pathologist can evaluate and treat speech, language, cognitive-communication, voice, swallowing, fluency disorders, and other related conditions. Treatment depends on the nature and severity of the speech disorder; however, the goals of every speech-related treatment program are to:

  • Fully assess each patient and develop a comprehensive plan of care.
  • Help each patient to understand his or her condition and to achieve a comfortable level of communication in personal and professional settings.
  • Encourage each patient to practice preventive measures and continue with a long-term home program to support progress.
  • Educate and train family/caregiver to ease carryover.

We offer a comprehensive range of outpatient speech-language pathology services for individuals from birth through geriatrics

What We Do …

Our outpatient speech-language pathologist evaluates and treats patients of all ages with the following conditions:

  • Speech and Language delays
  • Delays associated with Autism
  • Stroke
  • Swallowing disorders
  • Traumatic brain injury and post-concussive syndrome
  • Neuromuscular speech disorders resulting from multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s Disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and other conditions
  • Encephalopathy
  • Head/neck cancer
  • Communication and articulation disorders

Communication disorders can be a result of a stroke, traumatic brain injury, head and neck cancer, neurological disorders, and other medical conditions. They include:

  • Aphasia, an acquired language disorder characterized by impaired comprehension and production of language because of brain damage (most often because of a stroke). It can dramatically impair a person’s ability to communicate. The main symptom of aphasia is impairment in the ability to speak, while the understanding of speech, reading, and writing can also be impaired.
  • Dysarthria, a speech disorder that results from weakness, paralysis, or incoordination of the muscles that control speech, resulting from neurological diseases and injuries. Dysarthria can result from progressive types of neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s Disease. It can also result from an injury to the brain, such as a stroke or head injury.
  • Voice disorders, characterized by an abnormality in the pitch, loudness, duration, or quality of the voice. Hoarseness caused by vocal abuse or misuse is the most common voice disorder; however, infection, trauma, reflux, and cancer can also cause voice disorders. Cancer or trauma can result in a total laryngectomy: the removal of the entire voice box or larynx. Removal of the larynx results in a complete loss of voice. In some cases, only part of the larynx is removed (partial laryngectomy), which leaves the patient with an abnormal voice quality.
  • Cognitive-linguistic disorders, characterized by problems with attention, memory, organization, reasoning, and social skills that affect communication. A cognitive-linguistic disorder can be a result of a traumatic brain injury or stroke.

Swallowing Disorders

Your doctor or healthcare provider may have referred or recommended that you be evaluated by a speech-language pathologist for a swallowing disorder, also called dysphagia. This condition can occur because of stroke, traumatic brain injury, Parkinson’s disease, dementia, or other neurological disorders. Swallowing disorders can also occur after treatment for head and neck cancers.

Concerned about paying for your care?

We understand. We aim to be as flexible as we can to accommodate your ability to pay and to provide you with the care that you need.

Our center accepts a range of health insurance plans including Child Health Plus, Medicare, and Medicaid. If you don’t have health insurance, we can help you find and enroll in an affordable plan that meets your needs and budget. For individuals or families who do not qualify for health insurance, we offer a sliding fee program for essential services as well as payment plans.

HOW TO PAY FOR YOUR CARE