The Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing

(718) 240-6426

The Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing provides audiology and speech-language pathology services to patients in the hospital, residents of the Schulman and Schachne Institute and community residents. Its primary goal is to identify and treat symptoms of communications disorders as early as possible, and to prevent those disabilities from progressing. Services are available to people of all ages.

What is a communication disorder?
A communication disorder is a speech, language, or hearing problem that calls attention to itself, and that causes an individual to feel uncomfortable about the way in which he or she speaks, understands, reads, or writes.

How do communication disorders come about?
Communication disorders may occur because of hearing loss, laryngeal disease, learning disorders, cleft palate, mental retardation, brain injury, emotional problems, medical necessity of tracheostomy placement or other pathologies.

What are the symptoms of a communication disorder?
1) Difficulties in understanding and/or producing speech and language.
a) A person who cannot hear or understand speech and language will have difficulty speaking.

2) Language-learning disabilities.
a) Children and adults who have had difficulties learning to speak may also have problems learning to read, write, spell, do arithmetic, and follow conversations.

3) Problems with swallowing (dysphagia) and/or feeding.
a) Infants who have motor (movement) impairment, such as difficulty in feeding and swallowing, may have future problems in speaking.
b) Anyone may have similar problems after an accident or a stroke.

4) Dysfluent speech (stuttering).
a) Parents first notice stuttering when a child starts putting words together. In some instances, the stuttering comes and goes; it may become more severe and persistent.
b) Adults may experience stuttering following an accident, stroke, neurologic disease, or a period of severe emotional upset.

5) Stroke and head trauma.
a) Individuals may have difficulty talking, understanding, remembering, reading and writing, and doing simple arithmetic.
b) Eating and swallowing may be a problem.

6) Loudness/softness, hoarseness, harshness of voice.
a) The voice can be damaged by disease, stroke, smoking, alcohol, shouting for long periods of time, or inappropriate use.
b) Therapy is often effective. However, some illnesses may require medical or surgical treatment.

7) Congenital and acquired hearing loss and deafness.
a) Hearing impairment is a leading cause of speech, language, and learning problems in infants and children.
b) Hearing loss in older people affects listening and understanding.
c) Early treatment can prevent serious problems.

What services are provided?

Audiology:

• Comprehensive hearing assessment.
• Hearing aid evaluation and fitting.
• Auditory training and speech reading.
• Counseling
• Central auditory processing (CAP) testing

Comprehensive speech-language diagnostic services:

• Assessment of the individual's ability to understand and produce speech and language and written communication.
• Assessment of the communication problems caused by stroke, head trauma, and dementias.

Individual and group therapy.

How can I learn more about the program?
For information, or to make an appointment, please call the Department of Speech, Language, Hearing, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., at (718) 240-6426.

The Department of Speech, Language, Hearing is headed by a director who holds a MS with 15 years experience in Speech and Hearing Sciences, and is staffed by clinical personnel holding either MA or MS degrees. All speech-language pathologists and audiologists are certified in their specialty by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), and are licensed by the State of New York.