Rick Carpenter
M.S., CCC-SLP
Speech and Language Therapy for Children
Your child’s communication involves so much of who they are: their interests, relationships, thinking skills, emotions, and control of their body. I use a highly individualized approach that takes all of this into account, putting your child’s strengths and personality at the center. Children with communication difficulties often experience challenging negative emotions, and difficult behaviors may result. My goal is to help your child’s communication grow, and to help them use their new skills to achieve greater feelings of mastery, pride and social connection.
What you will see in your child's therapy
I use fun, natural play activities that are based on your child’s interests and preferences. Each activity is structured with a clear beginning, middle and end, with pictures and other supports to keep your child on track. Within each activity, I use research-based techniques that focus on spontaneous, child-initiated communication. As a parent, you are involved in the session to whatever degree that makes sense for your child.
Play with a Purpose
Depending on your child's needs, sessions are designed to address one or a variety of communication skills:
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clarity of speech
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vocabulary and sentence length
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social use of language
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understanding skills, and/or
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non-verbal skills (including for some children, ASL signs or picture communication)
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attention, problem-solving, and play skill
Beyond the Session
From the start, I focus on skills that will enhance the your child’s life. By emphasizing functional, child-initiated communication, skills learned will naturally apply beyond the session. In addition, I provide activities to do at home, and will visit your child at home or in other settings as necessary.
Contact
A free phone consultation is available to discuss your concerns and wishes for your child. Call me at the number below, send an email, or simply fill out the contact form.
Tel: 413-530-4925
Fax: 888-651-4629
email: RickCarpenterSLP@gmail.com
Address:
13 Old South Street
Suite 2J
Northampton, MA. 01060