Morristown Clinic Offering Free Speech Screenings Through June

MORRISTOWN, NJ— A Morristown clinic will offer free speech, language and fluency screenings to the public through June 2017.

Well Spoken Speech Therapy LLC is offering the screenings in honor of their second anniversary.

The screenings will look for any problems in a children's speech, language or communication skills, and are most appropriate for children who appear to lag behind their peers.

Parents unsure if a screening is necessary, can ask themselves three questions: Does my child follow directions? Is my child able to express his or her ideas? Can unfamiliar listeners understand what my child says?

“Unfortunately, some 60 percent of speech and language disorders go undiagnosed until a child attends school,” Joanne Summer, speech-language pathologist, said. “If only these problems were identified and addressed sooner, the child would be less likely to experience frustration, bullying, loss of self-esteem, and academic and social struggles. And in some cases, such as stuttering, early identification and intervention may even help prevent a lifelong condition.”

If a child needs speech or language therapy, Summer will refer parents to an experienced speech-language pathologists in the local area for an in-depth evaluation.

“Most schools do a great job identifying students who have speech and language deficiencies, but many children slip through the cracks because of limited resources,” she said. “Furthermore, schools are only obligated to provide therapy when a child’s speech or language deficiency can affect his or her academic performance and is significantly below the average range for his or her age on qualifying tests.”

To schedule an appointment for the complimentary screening, contact Well Spoken at wellspoken.nj@gmail.com or (201) 323-2686.

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