The UB Clinic provides services for patients with a variety of speech, language, and hearing difficulties. Members of the clinic and academic faculty offer specialty clinics in their respective areas of expertise.
While the CDS department boasts specialty clinics, traditional areas of speech- language and hearing treatment are mastered and offered as a service such as therapy for: articulation and language development.
Accent Management for ESL Speakers
The University at Buffalo Speech –Language and Hearing Clinic offers a program which focuses on accent managment for English as a Second Language (ESL) Speakers. We offer an affordable program during the semester open to community members and UB international faculty and students.
Having an accent is a normal part of the language acquisition process especially if you’ve learned a second language beyond the first few years of life. For many individuals they find that their “accent” may be an obstacle for professional and educational growth and overall communication effectiveness. At the UB Speech-Language and Hearing Clinic we offer individualized programming for each participant depending upon their speech and language needs. We strive to not ‘get rid’ of accent but to improve overall speech intelligibility and comprehensibility. Different from an ESL program, our program is recommended for individuals who have good oral English proficiency skills but still struggle with specific sounds or language use. Our program begins with a mandatory comprehensive evaluation to assess speech and language intelligibility and comprehensibility in multiple contexts. In our sessions we focus on learning the differences between a participant’s native language and Standard American English (SAE) sounds. Session objectives may focus on differences in stress patterns, intonation, phonological rules, speech rate, articulation, auditory discrimination and listening comprehension. Language may be addressed in areas such as grammatical use, pragmatic use, and professional or functional vocabulary. To learn more about Accent Modification and how a Speech-Language Pathologist can help see; http://www.asha.org/public/speech/development/accent-modification/
For more information including pricing on this program contact the clinic office at 716-829-3980.
Adult Language Program-Neurological Basis
Aphasia is a communication disability caused by damage to the language centers of the brain, usually as the result of a stroke or head injury. It is not a loss of intelligence. Depending on where and to what extent the brain is injured, each person with aphasia has a unique set of language competencies and disabilities. While intelligence remains intact, abilities to speak, understand spoken language, read, or write may be reduced or eliminated.
Adult and Child Language Services-Language, Learning, or Auditory Processing Basis
The University at Buffalo Speech-Language and Hearing Clinic has a unique therapy program for adults and children who have been diagnosed with an auditory processing or language learning problem.
People who have been diagnosed with a central auditory processing disorder often exhibit one or more of the following difficulties:
• Needing extra time to respond
• Trouble with reading comprehension
• Difficulty with writing
• Difficulty sounding out or writing new words
• Inconsistent ability to comprehend oral or written language
• Trouble coming up with words in conversation
• Trouble formulating sentences
• Poor short term memory
• Sensitivity to noise
• Difficulty comprehending in noise
• Easily distracted
• Trouble with organizational tasks
• Trouble in educational, work or social settings
To determine the nature of an individual’s difficulties an auditory processing evaluation and a speech-language evaluation may be necessary before determining a proper course of therapy.
You may call the clinic office to make those appointments at 716-829-3980.
Adult – Speech, Voice, and Swallowing Disorder Programs
The University at Buffalo Speech –Language and Hearing Clinic offers specialty services to adults with dysarthria (motor speech disorder), dysphonia (voice disorder), and dysphagia (swallowing disorder). For individuals diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease who demonstrate difficulties with speech and voice, we offer the SPEAK OUT!® and LOUD Crowd® programs. For more information about these programs, please visit our website at https://arts-sciences.buffalo.edu/cds/clinics/the-speak-loud-and-the-loud-crowd-clinics.html
In addition, we offer comprehensive evaluation and treatment services for those with dysarthria and dysphonia from other causes, such as stroke, neurological conditions, aging, or other structural/physiological differences.
Upon an outside referral from a physician as well as an instrumental swallowing evaluation such as a Modified Barium Swallow (MBS) or Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES), we are able to provide screening and treatment for oral and pharyngeal swallowing disorders. Based on the results and recommendations of the instrumental swallowing evaluation, the services we offer may include dietary consistency counseling, compensatory strategy usage, retraining of swallowing musculature/timing using exercise-science based treatments, as well as noninvasive biofeedback using surface electromyography (sEMG), which allows individuals to visualize their muscle strength during swallowing exercises.
For more information about the adult speech, voice, and swallowing services we provide, please contact the clinic office at 716-829-3980.
Aphasia Therapy
Aphasia is a communication impairment caused by damage to the language centers of the brain, usually as the result of a stroke or head injury. Aphasia can cause changes to auditory comprehension, verbal expression, reading and writing skills. While aphasia causes changes to communication abilities, it does not impact a person’s intelligence. Depending on where and to what extent the brain is injured, each person with aphasia has a unique language profile with different communication strengths and weaknesses.
At the UB Speech-Language and Hearing Clinic, we offer comprehensive evaluations and treatment for clients who have aphasia. Treatment for aphasia targets the specific communication skills which have been impacted. Additionally, treatment typically addresses the use of compensatory strategies which can help make communication more effective and efficient for the person with aphasia. We know that family members and other communication partners play an important role in aphasia recovery. At UB, our team can provide family/caregivers with training in the use of effective communication strategies to facilitate communication with their loved one who has aphasia.
Prior to initiating a treatment plan, an SLP usually completes a thorough evaluation to learn more about a person’s aphasia profile, as well as their specific communication strengths/weaknesses. We work collaboratively with clients and their families to develop treatment goals. Based on the evaluation results, our SLPs may recommend individual therapy, group therapy, or a plan that involves both of these treatment options to maximize outcomes. If you would like to schedule an evaluation, please call the clinic at (716) 829-3980.
Group Treatment for Aphasia
Group treatment can be an effective treatment modality for individuals with aphasia. Treatment groups allow clients with aphasia to practice use of communication strategies with different communication partners across varied topics of conversation. Group therapy also allows people with aphasia to connect and offer support to each other through shared experience. The UB Speech-Language and Hearing Clinic offers aphasia group treatment on a semester to semester basis, depending on participant needs. To learn more about group treatment for aphasia at UB, please call the clinic at (716) 829-3980.
Cognitive-Communication Impairment: Evaluation and Treatment
Cognitive-Communication Impairment involves deficits in aspects of thinking skills which also involve communication abilities. Cognitive-communication impairment can arise following any injury to the brain. Examples of injuries that may cause cognitive-communication impairment include: stroke, acquired or traumatic brain injury, post-concussive syndrome and progressive neurologic disorders. Cognitive-communication impairments can present with a wide range of severities and characteristics, depending on the area of the brain that was impacted and the extent of the injury. Deficits arising from a cognitive-communication impairment can include:
· Difficulty with memory
· Attention deficits
· Executive function deficits, which may cause a person to have difficulty planning, organizing and following through on complex tasks
· Difficulty with reading or writing secondary to deficits in memory or attention skills
· Impairments in social-pragmatic use of language (such as using language appropriate to the context, taking turns in conversation, etc.)
At the UB Speech-Language and Hearing Clinic, we offer comprehensive evaluations for cognitive-communication impairments as well as high individualized treatment plans. If you would like to schedule an evaluation, please call the clinic at (716) 829-3980.
Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC): Evaluation and Therapy (Preschool-Adult)
Our university clinic offers services ranging from initial evaluations, therapy, and family/caregiver/school training for individuals with Complex Communication Needs (CCN) who an AAC system to replace or support verbal speech. Upon an initial evaluation, recommendations will be made to determine the best course of action to learning and acquiring a speech generating device (SGD). Regular therapy for AAC trials, consultations with area school districts, and medical justification reports for insurance to purchase a SGD will be included as determined by the evaluation team. The above services are provided upon availability during UB semesters.
For more information or to be placed on waiting list, please call the clinic office at 716-829-3980.
Voice/Message Banking and AAC:
Our university clinic offers a unique voice/message banking program for individuals who have an acquired neurodegenerative disease. We work collaboratively with Model Talker for voice banking, which is a part of the Nemours Speech Research Laboratory located at the Alfred duPont Hospital for Children (https://www.modeltalker.org/). This program is designed to create a synthesized (computer-like) voice that is personalized and recognizable to the client. The goal of the voice banking program is to both complete the voice banking process and to help the client to trial, select, and learn appropriate speech generating technologies to meet their changing communication needs. This also includes message banking training, where single messages are recorded in real time. Medical justification reports for insurance to purchase speech generating devices will be written on case by case basis, depending on what technologies are recommended.
For more information or to be placed on waiting list, please call the clinic office at 716-829-3980.
Aural Rehabilitation/Speech-Language Therapy after a Cochlear Implant
The University offers a program to both children and adults who have had a cochlear implant due to significant hearing loss or deafness. The program focuses on improving the person’s ability to interpret the auditory information that they are receiving through the implant. Auditory training of individual speech sounds, word discrimination and identification as well as conversational skills are developed through an individualized therapy program. The client’s personal interests and goals are incorporated into sessions. Speech therapy, telephone training and music recognition are areas that may be developed. Self-advocacy skills are discussed and applied in practical situations.
Sessions are conducted in an individual or group setting depending on client needs.
Childhood Apraxia of Speech
The University clinic offers specialized diagnostic and treatment services for those children who are suspected of having, or have been diagnosed as having, a motor speech sound disorder such as childhood apraxia of speech (CAS). Evaluation of children 3 years of age and older offers the best diagnostic outcomes for providing a differential diagnosis of a child's speech sound disorder. Therapy services at the UB Clinic are typically provided as a supplemental intervention source for those children with CAS who already receive therapy through preschool/school-based speech-language services.
Play Based Language Therapy for Young Children
The University at Buffalo Speech-Language and Hearing Clinic offers services to help children ages 18-months to 8-years develop appropriate play skills while developing their overall language and joint attention skills. For more information on this program contact the clinic office at 716-829-3980.
Social/Pragmatic Language - Individual and Group Services:
The University at Buffalo Speech-Language and Hearing Clinic offers services to help adults and children develop pragmatic language skills within individual and/or group sessions. Therapy focuses on social concept and vocabulary development, asking and answering questions, storytelling, listening comprehension, greetings, conversational skills, turn-taking, and social story writing to lessen idiosyncratic behaviors.
For more information on this program contact the clinic office at 716-829-3980.
Stuttering Program for Children and Adults that Stutter
The University offers programs for both children and adults who stutter. The program addresses education about stuttering, encourages communication challenges, addresses emotional, social and cognitive aspects of stuttering, incorporates fluency enhancing and modification strategies, and encourages individuals to break-down communication fears to be a more confident and effective communicator.
National Stuttering Association (NSA) Support Group
The University at Buffalo hosts the Buffalo Adult Chapter of the NSA. This is a free monthly support group that is open to our clients and anyone in the community. Currently, we meet every third Monday of each month during the semester in the UB Speech-Language & Hearing Clinic (or virtually), 52 Biomedical Education Building on the South Campus.
For more information and to register for the group call the clinic office at 716-829-3980 or contact the Chapter Leaders here; https://westutter.org/find-nsa-meeting-near/new-york/
Tinnitus/Hyperacusis Management Program
Tinnitus is the perception of a sound in the ears or head that is unrelated to any actual physical sound. Hyperacusis is an abnormal sensitivity to the loudness of sound. Although there is no cure for either of these conditions, there are effective treatments to help lessen and manage the effects. The audiologists at our clinic have been specializing in the management of tinnitus and hyperacusis for 20 years. Our hearing research center has been conducting research in these disorders for even longer. We have found that a combination of sound therapy and counseling is very effective in helping the majority of patients. Sound therapy means using other sound to make the tinnitus less perceptible and to desensitize the auditory system. Our counseling programs include educational/informational counseling, cognitive restructuring, attention control/imagery training, mindfulness and relaxation training. With each patient, we listen carefully to understand how the problem is affecting you, perform a thorough evaluation, explain our findings and offer management options that are customized to your particular situation. We continue to explore new possible treatments for these conditions and can sometimes offer participation in a clinical trial.
Transgender Voice & Communication: Individual & Group Services
UB offers voice and communication services for Transgender or NonBinary Individuals looking to modify their Voice and Communication to better align with their Gender identify and expression. Speech-Language Pathologists have voice and communication training to support individuals along their communication journey to get closer to their authentic voice. Typical targets during sessions include modifications in pitch, resonance, tension management, vocal health, articulation, and non-verbal communication. The clinic has also started a UB Voice and Communication Group (UB VAC) that meets weekly for these individuals to have a supportive space to practice targets.
Toddler/Pre-School Speech-Language Therapy
The University offers services for pre-school children with speech or language needs. Individual and group services are provided upon availability throughout the year. Pre-school services are often a good clinical alternative for young children who do not qualify for services through the county or the school district, but still present with communication delays.
If you would like to schedule an evaluation call the clinic at (716) 829-3980.
