CHATTY CACTUS

Chatty Cactus was founded by Meliah Roman to provide a positive and individualized speech therapy experience. It is a privately owned speech therapy service that offers a range of services including feeding therapy, AAC therapy, speech therapy, and parent trainings. I accept patients of all ages in home, in the community, or via teletherapy.

Meet Meliah

Hi, I’m Meliah! I'm a certified speech language pathologist with expertise in feeding, AAC devices, complex disabilities, early language skills, social skills, parent training, and articulation/phonology. My experience spans across schools, clinics, skilled nursing facilities, and home health, working with children of all ages. Outside of my professional life, I find joy in hiking, reading, and spending quality time with family and friends. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, I'm now happily based in Phoenix, AZ.

SERVICES

Speech therapists play a crucial role in supporting various aspects of a child's communication development. They provide:

Articulation Therapy: Helping children improve their pronunciation and speech clarity by addressing specific sound errors.

Receptive/Expressive Language Skills: Working on understanding and using language, encompassing vocabulary, grammar, and comprehension.

Social Skills Training: Assisting children in developing effective communication and interaction with others, fostering social competence.

Early Language Skills: Supporting the foundational elements of language acquisition, including vocabulary building, basic grammar, and communication initiation.

AAC stands for Augmentative and Alternative Communication. It's a set of tools and strategies that support communication for individuals with speech or language difficulties. AAC can include gestures, sign language, communication boards, or electronic devices with language systems such as TouchChat, LAMP WFL, TD Snap, GoTalk Now, Proloquo2go, etc. It helps individuals express themselves and interact with others, particularly beneficial for those who may have challenges with verbal communication.

Feeding therapy, provided by a speech therapist, focuses on addressing difficulties related to eating, drinking, and swallowing. The therapist assesses and helps children overcome challenges such as sensory aversions, oral motor issues, or difficulty coordinating the muscles involved in eating. The goal is to improve a child's ability to safely and comfortably consume a variety of foods, promoting overall oral and nutritional health.

Speech therapists offer parent training as an essential component of their services. This typically involves:

Education on Communication Development: Providing parents with a better understanding of typical communication milestones, helping them recognize their child's strengths and areas that may need support.
Demonstration of Techniques: Teaching parents specific strategies and exercises to practice with their child at home. This may include articulation exercises, language-building activities, or social interaction techniques.
Setting Realistic Expectations: Helping parents establish realistic expectations for their child's progress, considering individual differences and the gradual nature of language development.
Creating a Supportive Environment: Guiding parents on creating an environment that fosters communication, such as incorporating language-rich activities into daily routines.
AAC Training: If applicable, training parents on the use of augmentative and alternative communication methods, ensuring effective communication with their child.
Monitoring Progress: Instructing parents on how to observe and track their child's progress, enabling them to actively participate in the therapeutic process.

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