Our Speech-Language Pathology Treatments

The act of swallowing may seem natural, but for 15 million Americans, acute or chronic swallowing disorders – also known as “dysphagia” – can be a struggle. An additional 10 million people may have a related communications disorder – such as speaking, understanding the speech of others, reading and writing.

People of all ages may experience communication (speech, language) or swallowing disorders.

Causes may include neurological disorders, such as stroke or Parkinson Disease, or mechanical disorders, such as those related to head/neck surgery. In children, causes may be related to prematurity or developmental delays and disorders.

Maimonides Speech-Language Pathology is the first dedicated service for communications and swallowing disorders in Brooklyn, and one of only a few in New York City. It is an expansion of our Orthopedics & Rehabilitation Center services.

Our program incorporates the expertise of professionals from a variety of disciplines to provide the latest available techniques for evaluation and treatment of swallowing and communication (speech and/or language) disorders. These specialties include speech-language pathology, neurology, gastroenterology, otolaryngology, clinical nutrition, radiology, nursing, respiratory therapy, occupational therapy, and pulmonology, among others.

Conditions

Our speech-language pathologists treat patients with a variety of conditions including:

• Chronic cough
• Voice disorders
• Swallowing disorders
• Respiratory/airway disorders
• Neurologenic disorders affecting speech, language, cognition and swallowing
• Head/neck cancer, including alaryngeal voice restoration

Evaluation & Assessment

The Speech-Language Pathology team at Maimonides provides evaluation and treatment services to patients in the hospital and on an outpatient basis. Specialists who work with children are also available.

Our diagnostic services include:

• Swallowing evaluation for assessment of dysphagia. This may include a clinical examination followed by an instrumental exam such as:
  • Videofluoroscopy/modified barium swallow (an x-ray for swallowing)
  • Fiberoptic endoscopy (FEES)
  • Other exams
• Speech-language evaluation to assess language, motor speech, voice and other communication disorders.

Treatments & Therapies

• Swallowing Therapy – we provide direct neuromuscular treatment and use state-of-the-art biofeedback equipment to achieve the best outcomes.
• Speech-Language Therapy to treat a variety of disorders of communication. Specialized services include augmentative communication devices, as well as the Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT) technique.

All speech-language pathology staff are certified in LSVT and trained on the latest equipment available for assessment, treatment and management of swallowing and communication disorders, including:

• Expiratory muscle strength training (EMST)
• IOPI – used for the evaluation and treatment of tongue strength deficits
• Acoustic analysis for voice disorders in adults and children
• Specialized practice for working with children with cleft palate/craniofacial disorders

Our clinicians are international experts in the field of  Speech-Language Pathology, active in research and authors of studies in some of the country’s leading peer review journals. Each has presented at local, national and international conferences.

All services are provided within a culturally sensitive environment, and  bilingual/multicultural staff are also available: English, Spanish, Russian. Because Maimonides is a teaching hospital, access to student clinicians that speak a variety of other languages are also available.