Speech Language Pathology

The Alexander T. Augusta Military Medical Center Speech Pathology Clinic provides high-quality consultations, evaluations, and treatment of speech/language/cognitive disorders, voice disorders, and swallowing/feeding disorders for adult and pediatric patients.

We serve active duty service members, TRICARE Prime, and TRICARE Plus beneficiaries, and special program referrals. Both inpatient and outpatient populations are served using a multi-disciplinary approach to assessment and treatment. Initial access to the Speech Language Pathology is by referral or consult.

Services Offered

• Communication Disorder Assessment and Treatment
  • These are available in the areas of articulation/phonology, fluency/rate of speech, and language (both receptive and expressive), which may include aphasia, language learning disability, dysarthria, apraxia, or stuttering/cluttering. Pragmatics, or social speech disorders, are also addressed
• Feeding/Swallowing Assessment
  • Subjective clinical evaluations as well as objective instrumental swallowing evaluations are offered. Instrumental swallow evaluations offered are Modified Barium Swallow Studies (coming soon) and Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallow (FEES)
• Cognitive-Communication
  • Assessment and treatment cognitive evaluation and therapy is offered to include deficits in memory, planning/organizational skills, and task monitoring. Such deficits can be caused by varied etiologies to include Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Referrals will be reviewed and deferred
• Voice Disorders
  • Voice treatment is coordinated with Otolaryngology to provide assessment and treatment of dysphonia and aphonia. Perceptual and acoustic voice measures are obtained along with laryngeal videostroboscopy evaluation of the vocal folds. Special voice therapy programs are offered such as the Lee Silverman Voice Therapy (LSVT) program for patients with Parkinson’s Disease or individualized voice therapy programs for the Artist Voice (military vocalists)
• Vocal Cord Dysfunction (VCD)/Paradoxical Vocal Cord Dysfunction
  • A multidisciplinary approach to evaluation and treatment of VCD is used, including Pulmonology, Otolaryngology, Allergy and Behavioral Health clinics
• Tumor Clinic/Tumor Conference Support
  • Tumor Conference Support Oral motor, communication, and swallow/feeding difficulties are addressed for the FBCH Tumor Conference
• Accent Modification/Reduction
  • Although accent is not considered a speech disorder, this clinic provides limited evaluation and therapy to address accent modification/reduction when the active-duty military member’s job performance is negatively impacted
• Fitness for Duty Communication Evaluation
  • Consults are accepted from military medical boards or physicians to evaluate a military applicant’s articulation / fluency / voice upon request. The clinic also provides support to military medical boards for assessments in the areas of communication and dysphagia during medical discharge consideration
• Augmentative and Alternative Communication
  • Limited appointments are available for AAC evaluation and programming of aided communication devices. AAC includes all forms of communication outside of oral speech that are used to express thoughts, needs, wants, and ideas
• Inpatient Services
  • Inpatient referrals typically address communication and swallowing or feeding difficulties, though all services offered by this clinic are available for inpatients
• In-Services
  • Education is offered in the areas of assessment and treatment for all hospital medical staff