Jennifer C. Lalor, M.S., CCC-SLP is a speech-language pathologist currently evaluating and treating children in New York and Connecticut, with a private practice here in Wilton. She has worked in the field for the past 16 years in a variety of settings, including early intervention (in home and center-based); schools; an outpatient care facility; and at The Speech and Hearing Clinic at Iona College as a supervisor.
Lalor will be contributing to GOOD Morning Wilton over the summer with some advice and guidance for parents about children and speech issues. We kick things off with our “5 Questions With…” series to get to know a little more about Lalor.
1. What does a speech-language pathologist (SLP) do?
SLPs work with children and adults evaluating and treating a variety of delays and disorders. Frequently, these categories include pragmatics (social language – eye contact, turn taking, how to carry on a conversation); receptive (what a person understands) and expressive (what a person says) language; cognitive (memory, attention, problem solving); articulation (how a person says his/her sounds/words); voice (nasal, hoarse, volume); fluency (stuttering); and oral motor/feeding (chewing and swallowing different types of food safely).
2. What is the age range for children to work with a speech-language pathologist?
Birth to 21 years of age. In Connecticut, the state offers the “Birth to Three” system which services children under age 3. The public school system services ages 3-21.
3. When should parents consider consulting with a speech-language pathologist?
Any time they have concerns regarding their child’s speech and language development. For example, there may be concerns that a child is having difficulty socializing with his/her peers; doesn’t seem to understand what a parent is saying; is having difficulty following directions; is not talking yet; is not producing his/her sounds correctly; or isn’t understood by others.
4. Do you collaborate with school programs?
Yes, providing in-services and working with preschool programs is one of my favorite parts of my job. Working with schools to discuss speech and language milestones, to help teachers recognize the “red flags” of when to refer, or to provide strategies for them to try with students who might need a little extra help are areas that might be addressed.
5. What are some questions parents should ask when choosing a speech-language pathologist?
Where do you work? Do you work with kids or adults? If kids, what age group do you work with? Do you have any specialty areas?
The most important thing for a parent to ask is, does that therapist have experience with the age group of his/her child, and does the SLP have experience in his/her area of concern?