Literacy refers to reading and writing skills.  People with speech and language difficulties often experience challenges with literacy skills as well.  Individuals who have difficulty pronouncing or understanding particular speech sounds can have difficulty with reading and writing these sounds as well.  This may lead to trouble decoding or ‘sounding out’ words.  People with language difficulties may not fully understand all parts of language, such as semantics (meanings), syntax (grammar), morphology (word parts), etc.  This can sometimes lead to problems understanding written text or putting one’s ideas into writing in a logical manner.

There are several ways speech-language pathologists work on improving literacy skills.  The first method is to improve underlying speech and language problems.  For example, working on correct production and use of speech sounds can help when decoding (sounding out) or encoding (spelling) words.  Working on grammar may help a child use those grammatical markers correctly during reading and writing tasks. Addressing language difficulties such as figurative language and making inferences can often improve the broader skill of reading comprehension.  

The second way to improve literacy skills is to teach and practice decoding and spelling skills systematically and explicitly. Dyslexia is a word-reading difficulty often caused by a deficit in the phonological component of language. In other words, the person has difficulty understanding how sounds go together to create words. This makes it difficult for these individuals to decode a printed word (sound out the letters and put them together to form a word) as well as to encode (spell) words. Speech-language therapy can assist people experiencing reading difficulties by improving their overall phonological (sound) systems and understand how sounds and associated spellings go together to make words.

I have a particular interest in addressing the link between oral and written language. Through comprehensive, research-based diagnostics and individualized interventions, I am able to address all aspects of language: listening, talking, reading, spelling and writing.  I diagnose and treat many students with language-based learning challenges, particularly those with dyslexia.

Language and literacy skills are critically related to success in all academic subject areas. Even subtle language problems can have a detrimental effect on many aspects of learning, including attention, executive function, memory and social communication. I frequently work one-on-one with students and provide individualized speech-language and literacy intervention based on each child’s unique needs. I also strive to collaborate with parents, educators and related professionals to promote optimal growth for my clients and their families.