GBHS Programs & Services

Preschool Speech and Language Service

The Integrated Preschool Speech and Language Service provides assessment and intervention to preschool children throughout Grey and Bruce counties. It also provides clinical and educational support to parents and other care-providers in the community around issues related to speech and language development. The population served is defined as age 0-5 or not enrolled in a Kindergarten program.

Organization:

The Integrated Preschool Speech and Language Service is jointly funded by the Ministry of Community and Social Services and the Ministry of Health. The lead agency is the Grey Bruce Health Services. The GBHS is the sole employer for all of the staff in the service.

The Speech Pathologists are assigned to a geographic area within the region and are responsible for all of the cases referred from that area.

Service is provided through:

- Regular weekly appointments in our office closest to the child’s home.
- The Speech Pathologist will work on specific skill development, such as particular sound production, during these sessions.
- Home visits or at their day care on an intermittent basis.
- The Speech Pathologist will design a program with short-term goals and strategies for the family or care-provider to use on with the child on a daily basis during routine activities.
- The Speech Pathologist then provides follow consultation and revises the plan as the child progresses.
- Education to parents and care-givers through individual and group formats.
- The aim of these services is assist others in furthering their knowledge of issues and abilities related to speech and language development and improving their skill in facilitating them in preschool children.

Referral Procedure:

The Integrated Preschool Speech and Language Service has an open referral policy. Anyone can refer a child to the program. We do require parental consent before a child is seen for any services.

A referral can be made in writing or by telephone (our number is 519 376-2121 extension 2895). We then follow up on all calls or letters with a standard in-take form. No services are initiated until this form is returned.

Children with swallowing difficulty or who are reported to stutter are seen as priorities and are given the first available appointment. All other children are contacted for their initial appointment in the order that the referral was received.

This service is available at the following GBHS hospitals: