Speech, Language & Swallowing Therapy

Therapist working with patient wearing headphones

If you have trouble speaking or swallowing, turn to the speech-language pathologists (SLPs) at Burke Rehabilitation. We can help you communicate, improve your thinking skills, and safely get the nourishment you need, so you enjoy a better quality of life.

Conditions We Treat

Speech or swallowing therapy can help you if you are experiencing or have had:

Aphasia (a language disorder due to stroke or brain injury)
Apraxia of Speech (trouble using voice muscles to make the right sounds)
Dysarthria (weakness or discoordination of the speech muscles)
Dysphagia (trouble swallowing)
Dysphonia (a voice disorder)
Neurodegenerative movement problems (such as Parkinson’s or ALS)
Cognitive impairment (due to traumatic brain injury or disease)

Qualifications of an SLP

Speech-language pathologists (“speech therapists”) must have a master’s degree in speech-language pathology or communication sciences, and may also have specialized certifications in treating one or more conditions. Speech therapists who work at Burke are highly trained and often collaborate with other health professionals such as occupational and physical therapists, social workers and neuropsychologists, to help you achieve the best outcomes.

Your Evaluation

All new patients receive an evaluation before beginning treatment to provide personalized care. The evaluation will include:

Your medical history and specific communication needs
Informal assessment of your conversational speech
Standardized tests of communication and thinking skills
Clinical or instrumental swallowing assessment (if needed)

Your Burke Rehab Journey

Receive compassionate nursing and medical care 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You’ll benefit from:

Medical and functional evaluation

Goal setting and a recovery plan unique to your needs

Daily therapy sessions averaging three hours per day

Opportunities to participate in additional therapeutic activities

Education and support for you and your loved ones

Family and caregiver support

Discharge planning to help you prepare for life after inpatient rehabilitation

Learn what you can expect at Burke Rehabilitation—from the time you arrive to when you are discharged:

For information on admissions, call our screening department at (914) 597-2800.

If you need a rehabilitation doctor to evaluate your therapy needs, please consider scheduling an appointment in our Outpatient Physician Practice.

Outpatient Therapy Care

To continue your recovery, your doctor may prescribe one or more outpatient therapies after you return home from the hospital.

Continue building strength following an inpatient rehabilitation stay at one of our convenient outpatient locations in Westchester, the Hudson Valley, or the Bronx. Meet your goals with:

LSVT LOUD Therapy for Parkinson’s Disease

If you have Parkinson’s disease, you may benefit from Lee Silverman Voice Treatment.

Speech Therapy vs. Occupational Therapy

Depending on your needs, you may work on thinking skills with both an occupational therapist and a speech therapist. Occupational therapy focuses on using thinking skills to do everyday tasks. Speech therapy focuses on thinking skills that help you process and remember what you read and hear, improve your written and verbal word-finding, and solve problems in an organized manner. These are referred to as “executive functions.” You may receive care from one or both professionals to achieve your goals.

Biofeedback

Biofeedback shows whether you make the right muscle movements in your mouth or throat when speaking or swallowing. Your therapist places small, sticky electrode patches on your skin. These patches send information about your muscles’ activity to a screen that you watch. You’ll see when you need to adjust your technique to speak, eat or drink more easily.

Speech therapists recommend a number of treatment sessions based upon their clinical expertise, not upon patients’ ability to pay.