Welcome to Fern Speech and Language Services

• Assessment and treatment of cognitive and communication difficulties, including attention, memory, word retrieval, organizing thoughts for speaking and writing, listening and reading comprehension, executive skills such as problem solving, planning, organization, and social communication
•  Return to learn support for students following concussion and brain injury
• Return to work support for managing communication demands in the workplace

• Assessment and treatment for preschool and school-aged children who are experiencing difficulty with the development of:
  • speech sounds and articulation
  • language development for understanding or expressing vocabulary and communicating ideas
  • literacy skills for reading and writing
• Collaboration with educators, school-based speech-language pathologists and rehabilitation and school teams, as required

• Assessment, coaching and intervention for the development of study skills and homework routines
• Skills addressed include:
  • planning and prioritization 
  • time management
  • developing a study plan
  •  creating study notes
  • test taking strategies 
  • note taking in class and from text books
  • project planning 
  • organization

This unique reading program focuses on teaching the early skills required for children to become skilled readers. Phonological awareness skills like rhyming, blending and segmentation are taught through games and activities. Children learn to identify sounds and letters and use word families to assist with decoding for the successful development of reading. The program is geared towards children ages 4-7 years, but can be adapted for older children who are struggling with learning how to read.

This is an early language and literacy program for toddlers and their caregivers. It is designed for 2 and 3 year olds and promotes early literacy development through stories, music and play. During each session toddlers are immersed in language-rich activities related to the book of the week. Caregivers are provided with resources and activities to continue language and literacy learning at home. It is a fun way for caregivers and toddlers to play and learn together!

Executive skills are essential for success in learning and life. They enable us to be effective and efficient in all that we do. If you or a loved one has weak executive skills you may notice the following signs: 

- Easily overwhelmed with tasks have multiple components

- Trouble managing emotions in order to get things done 

- Inflexible thinking that affects social relationships and/or learning

- Not able to accurately identify strengths and weaknesses

- Poor problem solving 

- Disorganized and has issues with time-management

- Lacks initiative or is impulsive

- Puts too much or too little effort into their work.

EXCEL provides students with the strategies and supports needed to compensate for challenges in executive skills (e.g., organization, focus, and self-regulation). EXCEL is for students with weaknesses in executive skills including those with learning disabilities, attention disorders, or brain injury/concussion.

Our online program offers 5, 45 minute sessions of one-on-one strategy instruction and supported strategy practice using the student's own schoolwork. Students will leave the program with personalized plans to address their executive skill weaknesses. EXCEL has been developed and is delivered by registered speech-language pathologists.

In partnership with Nicole Ferreira, Speech-Language Pathologist, Learning to Connect Programs are offered for young children (Ages 4-7 years), kids and tweens (Ages 8-12 years) and for teens and young adults. In these programs, our participants will learn social communication skills designed to improve their ability to connect with others.

While a diagnosis is not required for registration in the Learning to Connect programs, these groups are focused on improving social cognitive and social communication skills. Social-cognitive diagnoses may include: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Acquired Brain Injury (ABI). 

Learning to Connect programs are designed to improve our clients' ability to participate in social situations at home, at school and in the community. Social communication difficulties might include challenges with peer relationships, perspective taking, turn taking, misinterpretation of social cues, and difficulties managing the "hidden rules" of social interactions.

Parent and child groups are lead by our speech-language pathologists, who provide a safe and supportive environment for parents to learn more about the speech and language developmental milestones relevant to their baby, toddler or preschooler.  Social communication skills, literacy skills and play skills are incorporated into the weekly sessions. Parent education and resources are provided.