We are committed to providing services of the highest quality and many who have received our services would agree. We are unique, not only in our areas of specialization – aural habilitation and tongue thrust, but we also recognize that parents/caregivers involvement is essential, especially with infants and toddlers. Family participation is crucial in order for children to achieve their full communication potential
Butkus and Associates in Houston provides a full range of diagnostic testing and therapy for children:
- Pediatric Speech Therapy
Many people are surprised to learn that Speech Language Pathologists work with children as early as infancy, when feeding difficulties first become apparent. Delays in language development and social interaction can often be diagnosed before the age of two. As soon as a diagnosis is made, it is appropriate to begin therapy. Research shows that intervention at an early age leads to better outcomes. School age children covered by Medicaid and CHIP may also be eligible for individual speech therapy sessions in their home or a clinic setting in addition to any services provided by the public schools. It is also possible for children to receive speech therapy with Butkus and Associates even though they might not have qualified for speech therapy in the public schools.
- Fluency disorders
Our therapists work with fluency disorders, (typically thought of as stuttering). Left untreated, fluency disorders can become severe, causing serious problems, impacting social development and progress in school. Parents often notice very young children moving into a period when they seem to be stuttering. Only a Speech Pathologist can determine if this is part of normal development or is, in fact, the beginning stages of a fluency disorder. Treatment in younger children generally involves significant family and caregiver education, while older children require direct, ongoing treatment.
- Assessment and Diagnosis of Language, Articulation, Voice, Fluency, and Oral Motor Disorders
Careful assessment and diagnosis are essential before a treatment plan can be developed. Sometimes children do not progress in articulation therapy because an underlying oral motor deficit was not recognized and fully addressed. Other problems, such as pragmatic language disorders found in high functioning Autism, may involve collaboration between professionals. Formal diagnostic tests combined with informal assessment measures and the skilled observations of a seasoned, evaluating therapist are all a part of the assessment process.
- Pragmatic Language / Autism Spectrum Disorders
Pragmatic language skills include all the ways language is used to interact with others, read social situations and use our thought processes to understand the interests, view-points and actions of others. It encompasses emotional learning, empathy and even the nonverbal aspects of interaction such as body language, social distance and comfort levels around others.
The assessment of pragmatic language examines a range of skills such as how well a child is able to initiate interaction, listen with the whole body, employ abstract thinking, comprehend nonliteral language, inference and idioms and utilize perspective taking to understand the underlying concepts in situations. These and other elements of pragmatic understanding represent important aspects of social interaction while also contributing to a child’s ability to function in the academic setting.
- Home based speech therapy services
Butkus and Associates has teams working throughout the greater Houston area treating children in their homes, private schools and child care settings. This is especially beneficial for younger children who are more comfortable in their own environment. Working in the natural setting of a home also affords greater interaction with the family and caregivers and facilitates carryover. In-home care benefits families whose children are medically fragile as well as those with limited means of transportation.
- Payment
We accept all forms of Medicaid including Traditional Medicaid, Texas Children’s Health Plan, Community Health Choice, Molina Healthcare, Amerigroup, and Evercare of Texas. We also accept CHIP and some forms of private insurance. Private pay patients are accepted as well.
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