Phone: 805-603-3947
Fax: 805-830-1821
Bilingual Speech Therapy
for Children Ages Birth to 18
Serving Ventura County & Surrounding Areas
Helping Every Child Reach Their Highest Potential
Welcome to
SPEECHCARE PEDIATRICS, LLC
Bilingual Speech, Language, Social Skills, and Feeding Therapy
I am so happy you are here! My name is Helen Rodriguez and I am a bilingual speech-language pathologist with over 26 years of pediatric speech therapy experience. At SpeechCare Pediatrics, I specialize in serving Spanish- and English-speaking children and their families who are experiencing communication, social skills, or feeding challenges. My approach to therapy is child and family-centered and I value collaboration with parents to ensure the services I provide align with family values and preferences. Every session incorporates evidence-based therapy with unique lesson plans to keep your child engaged and having fun while learning new skills.
Accessing Our Services
THERAPY WHERE IT WORKS FOR YOU!
In-Home • Clinic • School • Teletherapy
SpeechCare evaluations and therapy services are offered in-home, at your child's preschool or daycare, in our Oxnard, CA clinic, and online. In order to offer the highest quality of care to each child, I work with parents to determine the most appropriate setting for therapy. Community-based services are available to families located in and around Ventura County and teletherapy is offered to families located anywhere in the State of California or Georgia.
Bilingual Evaluation & Therapy Services
SPEECH AND LANGUAGE
Late Talkers • Articulation • Phonological Disorders • Childhood Apraxia of Speech
Stuttering & Cluttering • Expressive & Receptive Language
Taking a child-centered and evidence-based approach to therapy, every session is designed to keep children engaged in the learning process. Games, books, puzzles, imaginary play, and crafts are just a few of the ways I target speech and language goals in a way that is meaningful to your child.
The length and frequency of our therapy sessions are determined in collaboration with parents and are based on each child's unique goals. Therapy is offered in-home, in our clinic, and online via teletherapy.
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I always invite families into our sessions, so parents and caregivers can learn how to continue practicing skills at home.
SpeechCare Pediatrics specializes in working with children to address communication challenges in the following areas:
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Early intervention for late talkers
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Speech that is hard to understand
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Difficulty saying certain sounds
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A limited repertoire of sounds
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Fluency/stuttering
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Limited words or vocabulary
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Speaking in single words or short phrases
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Difficulty following directions
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Trouble understanding and/or answering questions
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Difficulty retelling a story
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Using vague, non-descriptive language
Speech & Language Therapy with a Bilingual Child
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Exposure to more than one language does not cause and will not increase the likelihood of a communication disorder
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Communication milestones are the same across languages and should be assessed in the child's dominant language
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If a bilingual child is diagnosed with a delay or disorder, parents should not discontinue using their native language at home and/or with the child
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Therapy in the child's dominant language will have positive impacts in both languages
SOCIAL COMMUNICATION
Social skills therapy helps children build skills in the areas of play, emotional regulation, peer relationships, communication, and executive functioning. Each session is personalized to your child's unique strengths and abilities and will incorporate interactive activities to target developmentally appropriate skills.
We encourage parents and family (even siblings!) to participate in our sessions and learn how to continuing supporting social skills practice at home.
SpeechCare Pediatrics specializes in working with children to support children in developing social communication skills such as:
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Expand play skills
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Understand and recognizing emotions
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Develop turn-taking skills in play
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Engage in back-and-forth conversation
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Understanding personal space
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Ability to initiate interactions with others
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Understand body language and facial expressions
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Comprehend non-literal language
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Confidence in social situations
Social Communication Skills Therapy for Bilingual Children
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Exposure to more than one language does not cause and will not increase the likelihood of a social communication disorder
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Some children will experience a "silent period" when a child is first introduced to the second language. In the absence of other social skills concerns, this period does not warrant therapy
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Social skills therapy can be provided in both the dominant and second language ā
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Social communication goals are developed with respect to a child's cultural and linguistic diversity, family values, and current functional skills
FEEDING AND SWALLOWING
Using evidence-based strategies and a whole-child approach, feeding therapy helps a child increase oral food intake by creating a welcoming environment for food exploration. There are many reasons a child may benefit from feeding therapy, including sensory aversions, extreme picky eating habits, weaning from tube feedings, oral motor skills delays, etc. Feeding and swallowing therapy is always individualized to the child's unique goals, family preferences, and medical and developmental history.
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Helen is also trained in the SOS Approach to Feeding and the Food Chaining approach.
A feeding evaluation is recommended for children experiencing the following:
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Low weight gain or difficulty getting proper nutrition from oral intakeā
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Persistent avoidance of certain foods due to texture, color, and/or smellā
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Challenging mealtime behavior ā
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Eating a limited number of foodsā and/or eliminating foods that were previously eatenā
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Repeated choking, gagging, or vomiting when eating or drinkingā
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Weaning from tube feedingā
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Challenges with bottle or infant feeding
PARENT COACHING WITH THE HANEN PROGRAMS
MORE THAN WORDS® &
IT TAKES TWO TO TALK®
SpeechCare pediatrics provides direct caregiver coaching services to teach parents/caregivers strategies to support their child's development at home and in the community. Parent coaching is also a great option for children who are not ready for direct therapy. Helen is also trained in delivering the following Hanen programs for caregiver coaching:
More Than Words®
An evidence-based program designed specifically for parents of autistic children ages 5 and under. More Than Words® is a step-by-step program that empowers parents with the skills to:
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Identify what motivates your child to engage and communicate
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Engage your child in longer back-and-forth interactions and communication exchanges
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Communicate with your child in a way that increases their understanding
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Support your child's play skills and understand ways to help your child make friends
It Takes Two to Talk®
This evidence-based program empowers parents with the skills to become their child's most important language teacher. In this program, parents of children 18-month to 5 years who are experiencing a communication delay will learn:
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Practical strategies to support communication during everyday routines and activities
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How to engage your child in back and forth communication exchanges, even before he or she can talk
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How to identify what motivates your child to communicate
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Ways to interact with your child to increase back-and-forth communication
Meet Helen
Helen Rodriguez, M.S., CCC-SLP
Owner, Bilingual Speech-Language Pathologist
Helen received her bachelor’s degree in Speech-Language and Hearing Sciences from Rutgers University and her master’s degree in speech-language pathology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Helen brings over 26 years of experience in early intervention, speech-language delays, neurological disorders, social skills, and feeding to SpeechCare. She has supported children across multiple settings, including public schools, in-patient hospitals, and private outpatient clinics.
Helen opened SpeechCare in 2004 while living in the bay area, as a way to increase access to high-quality speech therapy services to bilingual children. As a bilingual speaker herself, Helen understands the importance of establishing communication skills in a family's native language. Helen grew up in New Jersey with her parents and grandparents speaking Spanish. Cultural and linguistic diversity is to be celebrated and honored, and Helen is committed to educating families about the benefits of speaking more than one language.
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Helen is a down-to-earth and fun-loving speech therapist that truly loves her career and working with children. She is passionate about creating treatment plans that are multi-sensory, comprehensive, and individualized for each child.
Helen is also an avid golfer and an active member in the philanthropic Beta Sigma Phi, an international womens' friendship sorority.
ADVANCED TRAINING & CERTIFICATIONS
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SOS Approach to Feeding: empowers parents with strategies for picky eaters
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Food Chaining: a therapy approach that helps introduce new foods while building on the child's current and past successful eating experiences
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The Hanen Programs: More Than Words®, It Takes Two To Talk®, and TalkAbility®
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DIR®/Floortime™: an early intervention program for parents of autistic children
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PROMPT: Prompts for Restructuring Oral Muscular Phonetic Targets, a multidimensional approach for motor speech disorders
Getting Started with SpeechCare Pediatrics
Getting Started with SpeechCare Pediatrics is easy and we accept referrals directly from parents!
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We are currently accepting new referrals for clients located in California and Georgia. Depending on the families location and the needs of the child, services are offered in-person or online.
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Give SpeechCare Pediatrics a call! You will speak directly with me, Helen, to discuss your concerns and have your questions answered. During the call, if we recommend an evaluation or therapy, we will walk you through the intake process and schedule your initial session.
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During our initial session, we will review your child's developmental, medical, and speech therapy history. I will then engage your child in activities that will assess their current abilities and challenges. Results and recommendations will be reviewed, and together we will develop a treatment plan and appropriate goals.
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Therapy sessions vary in length from 30-60 minutes. I typically work with clients 1-2 times a week, depending on the child's needs. Once therapy begins, I take regular data to ensure your child is making progress on their goals. My goal is to support children in achieving developmentally-appropriate skills that will lead to lifelong success.
"Don’t let what you can’t do stop you from doing what you can do."
-John Wooden
Contact Us
SpeechCare Pediatrics
Office:
300 East Esplanade Drive 9th Floor
Oxnard, CA 93036
Providing pediatric speech, language, social skills, and feeding therapy. In-home services are available in Ventura County, Camarillo, Oxnard, Thousand Oak, and Santa Barbara. Teletherapy is available to clients located anywhere in California or Georgia.