Your child's speech-language needs are my priority! I value the relationships I form with each child and his/her family, and I believe that goes a long way in improving therapy outcomes. I provide therapy in the comfort of your home, daycare, or school. NOW OFFERING VIRTUAL THERAPY! Please contact me for a free 20-minute phone consultation.
"I have found Mrs. Jennifer Gaum to be professional, introspective, knowledgeable, and personal. I needed a speech therapist for my daughter and after researching for the "right" person for the needs of our family, I finally found Jennifer. She offered us clarity on the needs of my daughter as well as a strong commitment to her profession, which she has clearly mastered at all levels. She is well educated, experienced, and has a gift with the children who are her clients, which is an important component when looking for someone to work work with on a regular basis." -JS
"I have a six year old daughter who absolutely loves Jen. And considering how much she hates speech homework, that says a lot. My daughter's speech has improved so much due to Jen's lessons and homework, we are very lucky to have found her. It's not easy to make speech therapy fun for kids, but she does a fantastic job!" -KD
"So glad we found Ms. Gaum! We were in need of a speech therapist to supplement the speech therapy my son receives at school. This is exactly the type of one-on-one work he thrives on. Ms. Gaum has clearly worked with a variety of children, & seems very able to quickly identify core areas of need. And I really liked how she emphasized the importance of determining how best my child will learn. This is key! My son also liked her approach. She is very warm & patient. He was very much at ease, fully engaged, enjoying himself, & wondering when we get to see "Miss Jen" again!" -LP
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Children's Speech Therapy Services
In-Home & In-School Speech-Language Therapy
(and virtual therapy)
in lower Montgomery County, Maryland
(Bethesda, Chevy Chase, N. Bethesda,
Kensington, and Potomac)
Speech & Language Evaluation
An evaluation is a comprehensive assessment of your child’s speech and language abilities. Information will be collected from parents/family members, other service providers, and/or teachers. Standardized testing and observations, as needed, will be used to determine eligibility for speech and language services. Findings are then synthesized and discussed with the parent/family member in order to establish an intervention plan. A full written report is provided.
Areas of assessment may include:
• Vocabulary
• Grammar/Syntax
• Listening Comprehension
• Language Formulation & Organization
• Social Pragmatics
• Problem Solving
• Articulation & Oral-Motor Skills
Articulation or Speech Therapy
Articulation or speech therapy services help your child produce and shape age appropriate speech sounds accurately. Children may substitute, omit, add, or change various speech sounds or entire speech sound patterns. For example, your child may produce "ouse" instead of “house,” or substitute sounds that are made in the back of the mouth (e.g., “k” and “g”) with sounds that are made in the front of the mouth (e.g., “t” and “d”).
Language Skills Therapy
Oral language is composed of both expressive and receptive language. Therapy for expressive language focuses on your child’s ability to express their thoughts and feelings through communication. Expressive language also includes your child’s use of vocabulary and grammar. Therapy for receptive language focuses on your child’s ability to understand spoken language and follow directions. Receptive language refers to your child’s ability to attend to, process, comprehend, retain, or integrate spoken language.
Social Skills Therapy
Development of social skills or pragmatic language use usually occurs throughout a child’s lifetime, however, it is most crucial during the earlier years. Social skills include using age-appropriate social language in a variety of contexts as well as interpreting non-verbal cues (such as facial expressions, tone of speech and body language). Interacting with peers necessitates an understanding of how to initiate, maintain, and end conversations and how to play appropriately. Specific instruction of social skills can be incorporated into therapy goals.
