INFANT AND PEDIATRIC
Lingua specializes in a wide range of pediatric therapy services able to be provided in clinic, in home (pending location), and from the comfort of your home using teletherapy.
Infant Massage
Provide massage techniques to maximize sleep, comfort, digestion, and neurodevelopment outcomes.
Lingua holds a Neonatal Touch & Massage Certification® (NTMC). This is a one-of-a-kind certification for neonatal healthcare providers. NTMC™ combines a holistic, neonatal and systems theory approach to massage, with an emphasis on families and nurturing opportunities. This massage is provided in person or via ZOOM teaching families how to utilize.
Breast or Bottle Feeding
From breastfeeding to bottle feeding, infants can benefit from a trained lactation counselor and speech - language pathology evaluation.
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As a Certified Lactation Counselor, Lingua has a passion to restore the appreciation and benefits of breastfeeding. Despite it being a natural process, we know it can be hard and are here to help. If your baby has trouble latching, clicks or comes off the breast often, has difficulty taking a bottle as you prepare to turn to work, or unsure how to introduce puree foods, this therapy is for you.
Orofacial Myology ( Myofunctional Therapy)
Tongue, lip, and, cheek ties (Ankyloglossia) can be debilitating to breast/bottle feeding, speech development, dentition, and facial growth.
Tethered oral tissues (TOTs), otherwise known as tongue/lip/buccal ties, affect appropriate movements of oral structures for breastfeeding or bottle-feeding as an infant. This can linger into childhood causing poor food management, decreased swallowing efficiency, dental deficits, and distorted speech production. TOTs are also present in adults, manifesting as jaw pain, muscle tension in the neck, headaches, and more.
Pediatric Feeding
Starting solids can be difficult. Avoidant behaviors in childhood are hard. Feeding therapy can help families love mealtime again.
Feeding difficulties lead to problems including weight loss, nutritional deficiency, or problems with daily functioning. Whether your child tubefed dependent or has trouble eating a variety of foods, a comprehensive evaluation will be completed.
Voice Therapy
Voice therapy is provided to individuals who demonstrate a hoarse, raspy, or breathy voice quality.
Some children have an underlying medical condition which is causing their voice quality to be compromised (e.g. tracheostomy)Â however, many needing voice therapy are vocal abusers. Vocal abusers are those individuals who talk or yell often (e.g. in a loud classroom, with siblings, car/animal noises) and therefore damage their vocal cords. If you notice your child has a raspy voice, off-pitch sound for their age or gender, or loses their voice frequently, this therapy is designed for you.
Myofascial Release Therapy
Myofascial Release (MFR) is a manual or massage therapy technique utilized to involves applying gentle sustained pressure into the connective tissue restrictions to eliminate pain and restore motion.
MFR is utilized for infants and children who have a wide range of dysfunctions. Infants who suffer from reflux, have a tongue tie, or present with favored side positions often need myofascial. Tethered oral tissue, muscle tension dysphonia, muscle tension dysphagia, jaw pain, and globus sensation are some of the most common disorders treated. Posture that plays a role in voice production or swallowing, like in children with Cerebral Palsy, Brain Injury, Movement Disorders, can benefit from manual therapy.  MFR can be utilized to aid in most speech, swallowing, respiratory, or voice dysfunctions.
Medically Complex Pediatrics
Whether your child is tracheostomy dependent, utilizes a ventilator, has a feeding tube, or has multiple diagnoses, Lingua is here to help.
Passy Muir Valve or other speaking valves for tracheostomy is largely promoted at Lingua. Speaking valves allow children to have increased oral sensation, enhanced pressures for swallowing, and the ability to produce voice, amongst other things. AAC devices are high tech or low tech communication tools that many medically complex children utilize. Lingua will coordinate care with your ongoing medical teams and provide the most appropriate evaluation and treatment for your child.
Oral Habit Cessation
Pacifier sucking, nail-biting, and thumb sucking can be damaging to developmental growth.
While sucking and biting can bring a soothing nature, it can also have a significant impact on the development of the face, mouth, airway, and dentition. Proper education on weaning of oral habits is provided to families. Efficient elimination plans are created based on age and severity. If your child is beyond 10 months and still utilizing pacifier or your child is beyond 12 months and finger/thumb sucking, this therapy is for you.
Speech and Language
Speech and language deficits are the most common of childhood disabilities and affect about 1 in 12 children
A complete evaluation is needed determine the impact of the speech and/or language deficits. This will also be an important tool in deciding what type of therapy is needed and how often the child needs to be seen. From late talkers to specific disorders such as Autism, Lingua can aid in improving skills needed to succeed.