BERLIN — It’s easy to take communication for granted but for many people the simple acts of understanding and being understood can be a challenge. Joscelyn Apple, owner of CommYOUnicate Speech Therapy in Berlin, is looking to open up that world of communication.
As a Speech Language Pathologist (SLP), Apple offers lessons on everything from basic articulation to language development and comprehension. Speech therapy can be beneficial for any age and across a wide spectrum of issues and offers options for both verbal and non-verbal communication.
“I can work with a wide range of ages. It can be literally anyone as young as infant up to someone who is elderly, who has had a stroke, and basically work on expressing language, working on receptive language,” said Apple.
Regular speech therapy can be used to help children when they are first learning how to talk or adults who are dealing with health problems like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s. It can even prove beneficial for less extreme cases where someone with existing communication skills just wants to improve their articulation.
Techniques for improving communication vary but most of Apple’s sessions are generally for between 30 minutes and an hour. During that time, she works on improving aspects such as recognizing and replicating speech sounds and the social role of language. Technology plays a big part in what a SPL does with Apple using computer programs and smart device applications in her sessions. The programs can help with visual identification and word/sound association and are highly interactive.
“I cannot say enough about technology and speech therapy,” said Apple. “It just goes hand-in-hand for helping everybody find the means to communicate … The iPad is amazing for people that are non-verbal.”
Some of the most common recipients of speech therapy are children. The act of learning to speak varies from child-to-child. Some have special needs and require a different approach than most people expect. Apple has roughly a decade of experience working in both Worcester and Wicomico County school systems.
“I worked at Cedar Chapel Special School [in Worcester County]. I cannot say enough about that school. It’s amazing. It’s where I learned everything, more than I learned even in college, because it’s that hands-on experience,” Apple said.
Though working in schools was rewarding, Apple launched CommYOUnicate this spring so that her schedule could remain flexible while her family grows. Berlin is the perfect area for a private speech therapy practice in her opinion. Currently, Apple is in her Broad Street office on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays but wants to stay flexible as the business grows. Her hours are generally based on clients’ needs.
CommYOUnicate might still be in its infancy, but Apple is optimistic about its future in Berlin. Opening the practice has been a dream, she said, since it allows her time to spend with her family while still being able to assist people.
“This is just my passion. Everybody is entitled to communicate. It is a basic human need and human right and I think that we take it for granted,” people that can successfully do it and don’t have any articulation errors or language difficulties,” said Apple.
For more information, like CommYOUnicate Speech Therapy on Facebook, visit www.commYOUnicatespeechtherapy.com or call 607-743-1888