Speech and language problems can occur at birth or any age after illness, injury, disease or surgery. Weldon Rehabilitation Hospital’s speech-language pathologists have the training to provide assessment and personalized therapy for a wide range communication and swallowing disorders.

All of our Speech Pathologists are nationally certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and hold Massachusetts state licensure.

Comprehensive Help for Adults and Children

Weldon’s Pediatric Speech Pathologists provide services for the Children’s Outpatient Therapy. They offer comprehensive, family-oriented services for children including, articulation, oral-motor, social communication, and comprehension/auditory processing disorders. For more information see their web page or call 413-748-6855.

Weldon’s Adult Speech Pathologists provide services through both the Outpatient and Day Rehabilitation programs. They can provide detailed assessment and a broad range of therapy skills for those with speech, language, communications and swallowing disorders. See the Day Rehabilitation Program web page or call 413-748-6880 for more information about that program.

Aphasia

This serious condition often results from a stroke or brain injury which affects the ability to speak, read, write or understand speech. Aphasia results from damage to the parts of the brain that contain language.

Cognitive Communication Disorders

Traumatic Brain Injury, brain tumors, or right hemisphere stroke can cause problems with attention deficits, impaired memory, impaired problem solving and reasoning. Such problems create a breakdown in day to day communications. Speech therapy targeting these areas can help you return to normal daily interactions.

Articulation Disorders

Difficulty making sounds correctly may produce speech that is hard to understand. The two most common disorders are Apraxia and Dysarthria. Apraxia is caused by damage to the part of the brain that controls speech movement. People with Apraxia of Speech know what words to say but have difficulty coordinating the muscles to say the words.

Dysarthria results from the muscles of the mouth, face, throat, and respiratory system being too weak or stiff to produce clear sounds. This is often referred to as “slurred” speech.

Voice Disorders Program

Rehabilitation for injury or disorders involving the vocal system and/or upper airway (the Larynx) is a specialized area of Speech Pathology. Weldon offers speech therapists with extensive specialized training for working in this challenging area. We work closely with local and regional physicians to provide the most current evaluation and treatment options.

Services in this area include: Speech/voice rehabilitation for Vocal Nodules or Polyps, Post-surgical laryngeal rehabilitation, Chronic Hoarseness, and more.

Laryngeal Cancer voice recovery and Laryngectomy speech training.

Upper Airway Laryngeal disorders such as Paradoxical Vocal Fold Movement and Laryngospasm. Neurologic voice disorders such as Spasmodic Dysphonia, Vocal Fold Paralysis, Parkinson’s disease, and more.

Swallowing Disorders Program

Speech Pathologists are specially trained to assess and treat swallowing problems since many of the same physical systems used for speaking are also used for swallowing. Dysphagia is the medical term for difficulty swallowing. This can include difficulty chewing or moving food or liquid around your mouth or food “sticking” in your throat or “going down the wrong way”. Our Swallowing Disorders Program offers multiple assessment and therapy options, including E-Stim Swallow Therapy to meet your specific needs.