Speech & Language Therapy


The ability to communicate is essential to learning, working and social interactions.

Speech and Language disorders:

  • significantly interfere with education and limit or eliminate employment
  • isolate a person from family, friends and society
  • impact upon the whole development of the child
  • can be a symptom of more serious disorders
  • may not resolve without professional help


The speech and language department at RVH is staffed by a speech-language pathologist who is registered with the College of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists of Ontario. Services are offered to adults and preschool children.

 

Office Hours

Wednesdays 8:30-4:30
Thursdays 8:30-4:30
Fridays 8:30-12:00

Telephone:  613-432-4851, ext. 186


Service for Preschool Children

  • This service is provided in partnership with First Words Ottawa and Renfrew County (formerly Sprouting Speech).
  • All preschool referrals are processed at 1-866-994-8124, ext 5905.
  • Referrals are accepted from parents and health care providers.  Referrals from daycare centres and schools are only processed once parental consent is obtained.  
  • Intervention may take the form of parent training, home program, individual intervention, group intervention or a combination of these forms.

When to make a referral:

  • a child is not making cooing and babbling sounds as an infant or toddler
  • a child is not interacting socially or is not communicating using sounds or gestures as an infant or toddler
  • a child is not following directions or understanding what is said
  • a child is not saying any words by age of 18 months
  • a child says fewer than 50 words by age 2
  • a child is still not using two and three word sentences by age 3
  • a child's speech is difficult to understand after age 3
  • a child is leaving off many beginning or final consonants after age 3
  • a child is self-conscious about his/her speech
  • a child avoids communicating with others
  • a child repeats words or sounds when trying to speak (stuttering)

Services for Adults

  • Consultation regarding communication difficulties resulting from stroke, head injury, Parkinson’s Disease, ALS, multiple sclerosis, etc. (referral by physician or speech-language pathologist)
  • Swallowing assessments (physician referral required)

 Useful links: