Speech-Language Center
Clinical Speech and Language Services at Northeastern
Communication is vital to every aspect of life. If you, your child, or loved one struggles with any aspect of communication or has unanswered concerns, the Speech-Language Center at Northeastern University in Charlotte is here to help.
With appointments scheduled between 8:30 am and 5:00 pm, we are a convenient location for daytime and after school sessions. We offer both telepractice and in-person appointments.
We currently have openings for evaluations and treatment.
Our staff members are certified by the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association (ASHA) and licensed by the North Carolina Board of Examiners for Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists.
State-of-the-Art Care Free of Charge
To better serve the community, The Speech-Language Center has adopted a no cost for services, Pro Bono model. This means that all therapy and evaluations are provided free of charge, with no out of pocket costs to all individuals – a first in the Charlotte region. This includes parking.
Clinic Hours and Location
Hours
8:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Monday to Friday
University semester schedule: Fall, spring, and summer
Contact
Dr. Toya Foggie, Clinic Director & Assistant Clinical Professor
Telephone: 704-378-8166
Fax: 980-224-8472
Location
Speech-Language Center
2151 Hawkins St
8th Floor
Charlotte, NC 28203
We can help you with…
Aphasia & Related Disorders
Aphasia is a communication disorder that results from neurological damage to the language areas of the brain (typically in the left hemisphere). Aphasia may cause difficulties in speaking, listening, reading, and writing.
Services for individuals with aphasia focus on activities to improve specific language skills and develop strategies to improve overall communication in a variety of situations. The NUSLHC offers individual sessions, as well as group therapy services for individuals with aphasia who wish to work with and learn from others with similar language difficulties.
Articulation & Phonological Disorders
A speech sound disorder/delay occurs when the speech sound mistakes that children make as they are learning new words continue past an appropriate age. Speech sound disorders include problems with articulation (producing certain sounds) and phonological patterns (speech sound patterns).
Services for speech sound disorders and delays involve models of how to produce the sound correctly, teaching to recognize the difference between correct and incorrect sounds, practicing sounds in different contexts, and teaching the rules and sound patterns of speech to support correct productions.
Augmentative & Alternative Communication
We provide comprehensive augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) evaluations including:
- Caregiver interview
- Review of past evaluations
- Observations of unaided modes of communication
- Feature matching of the individual’s strengths and needs to specific features of an AAC system
We conduct trials with speech generating devices (SGDs) and provide an AAC evaluation report that can be submitted to third-party funders (e.g., private insurance companies).
At our clinic, we take an unusual approach to AAC evaluations. We carefully consider how the individual communicates across all modes of communication including gestures, facial expressions, and guiding people’s hands.
We access parent expertise during the interview process and incorporate family perspectives throughout the assessment process. We take the time to review what has been tried in the past through parent interview and record review. Finally, we consciously consider the best language representation methods for the individual to provide efficient access to a robust vocabulary to meet their needs.
Aural Rehabilitation & Speech Reading
Aural Rehabilitation (AR) is for individuals with hearing loss, including those who wear hearing aids and/or have cochlear implants.
AR services include helping individuals adjust to hearing loss, learn communication strategies to manage conversations, learn speechreading skills, practice self-advocacy skills, get support from others, and maximize and explore the use of assistive listening devices.
Dysfluency (Stuttering)
Stuttering affects the fluency (smoothness/flow) of speech. It begins during childhood and sometimes lasts throughout life. The disorder is characterized by disruptions in production of speech sounds, also called “dysfluencies.” Dysfluencies can have a negative impact on a person’s communication with others if the frequency of occurrence is great, or the nature of dysfluency is severe.
Services for people who stutter include teaching and practicing a range of specific strategies to improve fluency during oral communication.
Expressive/Receptive Language Delays & Disorders
Expressive language refers to an individual’s production (output/talking) of language and receptive language refers to an individual’s understanding (input/listening) of other’s language. Deficits in these areas may indicate a language delay or disorder. Individuals with a language delay/disorder may have difficulty with a variety of language tasks such as following directions, answering questions, naming objects, or putting words together into sentences.
Interventions include teaching and practicing language skills to increase an individual’s understanding of and production of language.
Literacy & Reading Disorders
Literacy disorders can include difficulties in any of the following areas: phonological awareness, phonological processing, decoding, word reading/recognition, listening and reading comprehension. These difficulties can present as dyslexia, comprehension disorders, and mixed and non-specified reading disorders.
Interventions for literacy disorders include providing individuals with the necessary strategies to acquire skills for decoding and encoding of written text, as well as comprehension and formulation of language in a variety of contexts.
Pragmatic & Social Communication Disorders
People with pragmatic language and social communication disorders may have difficulty using language in various social situations, particularly in knowing what to say, how to say it, when to say it, and generally how to “act” around other people.
Services for pragmatic language disorders focus on explicit teaching of these skills for use in social situations that the individual encounters every day, in addition to practicing these skills in functional situations to ensure carry-over.
Stroke, Head Injury, & Progressive Neurological-Related Disorders
An injury, insult, or infarct to your brain can happen from a bump or blow to the head or when an object goes through the skull and into the brain, a stroke, or a progressive disorder such as Parkinson’s. No matter what type of damage you sustain to your brain the injury can cause speech, language, thinking, and swallowing problems. These problems can affect you in school, at work, and in everyday activities.
Depending on your needs, intervention may help you improve speech to make it clearer; express thoughts more effectively; improve problem-solving, planning, and organization skills; work on social skills, including reading social cues and taking turns in conversation; and learn ways to swallow safely.
Voice & Resonance Disorders
A voice disorder occurs when voice quality, pitch, and loudness differ or are inappropriate for an individual’s age, gender, cultural background, or geographic location.
Intervention focuses on evaluating voice use and function to determine the cause of reported symptoms and select treatment methods for improving voice production and coordination of respiration and laryngeal valving.
Scheduling Appointments
Prior to starting therapy, you must have had an evaluation completed within the last six months and recommendations for services.
We currently have openings for evaluations and treatment. To secure a slot please do as follows:
Step 1
Complete one of the application forms. If you completing this for an individual under the age of 18, please fill out the Child Application Form. Answer all the questions as completely as you can; the information on this form will be confidential.
Step 2
Please email your completed form to [email protected]. Please be sure to include any recent evaluation reports or relevant documentation along with your application form.
If you’re completing the form by hand, kindly choose and fax the Application Form — Fax to 980-224-8472.
Step 3
Once we receive your form, we will begin the process of scheduling and planning an appointment for you/your child. If there are any difficulties opening the links, please call the Center at 704-378-8166.
Initial Appointments for Evaluations
Initial evaluation appointments take about two hours. After the evaluation, information regarding recommendations will be provided, which may include therapy, additional testing, or seeking out other resources outside the Center.
Further inquiries can be directed to:
Dr. Toya Foggie
Clinic Director & Assistant Clinical Professor