All posts by Yasminah Abdullah, M.S., CCC-SLP

About Yasminah Abdullah, M.S., CCC-SLP

Ms.Yasminah Abdullah, M.S., CCC-SLP is a principal Speech-Language Pathologist at Total Speech Therapy

Speech pathology is the clinical practice specializing in the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of communication, cognitive communication, voice, and swallowing disorders. Speech pathology plays a critical role in the diagnosis and treatment of people along the autism spectrum. Not only focused on correcting a person’s sound articulation, speech pathologists address a broad scope of speech language, swallowing, and voice issues including the following:

 

  • Word finding and other semantic issues
  • Stuttering
  • Social communication skills
  • Autism
  • Swallowing disorders such as dysphagia and feeding issues
  • Apraxia of speech
  • Dysphonia, hypophonia and abnormal vocal quality
  • Language-based learning disabilities
  • Structural language impairments
  • Literacy impairments
  • Cognitive impairments 

Among the most effective and caring speech pathologists in Maryland, Total Speech Therapy’s highly experienced speech pathologists provide exceptional adult and pediatric speech therapy for patients throughout Maryland.

Children especially can sometimes experience difficulty understanding the uses of various parts of speech and master all the intricacies of the spoken word. A professional speech therapist addresses the parts of speech that are difficult for a child to comprehend and focuses on those areas that will enable the development of vocal and literacy skills as the child grows up. Total Speech Therapy’s speech pathologists are fully licensed, certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, and have received a certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology.

Understanding that not every patient can visit the offices for their treatments, Total Speech Therapy brings treatment to them. For homebound patients or those at adult living centers, in the hospital, or at school or daycare facilities without transportation, the practice visits patients where they are to deliver treatments and care.

Total Speech Therapy is a professional speech and language therapy practice located in Towson, Maryland. The innovative practice is committed to providing the best possible care and results for people who suffer from speech, language, cognitive, or swallowing disorders. Its team of experienced professionals offers individualized, comprehensive, top-quality outpatient services design to achieve optimum results.

The study of the disorders of speech, language, voice & swallowing and its corrective treatment is called speech and language therapy. These disorders are very common in children and adults also. There are several causes of speech and language disorders. These include hearing loss, brain injury at an early age, neurological disorders, and intellectual disabilities. People with these disorders must contact a speech therapist Maryland, a state in the United States of America having a population of 6.042 Million, has many children and adults suffering from speech and language disorders.

“Total Speech Therapy” provides the best possible care for people with speech, language, or swallowing disorders. Our team comprises of young, dedicated and professional speech and language therapists and speech pathologists. Led by Ms. Yasminah Abdullah, M.S. CCC-SLP, the team is committed to put in best efforts and cure speech and language disorders. Our team leader is our inspiration. She takes a personal interest in each case and tries to come up with the best solution.

Our team of speech therapists have eliminated geographical limitations. We reach our patients and bring therapy to them. Whether the patients are in school, daycare centers, or adult living centers we reach them to address their needs.

No two persons require the same type of treatment and we are aware of the fact. Our treatment plan is individualized and is designed in conjunction with other health care providers to ensure that the treatment suits best to the individual. Some therapists devise group treatment plans which may or may not cure the disorders.

In order to get the best services of speech pathologist Maryland you should contact us now. We also offer brain injury and stroke therapy, neurological disorder therapy, cleft lip, and palate therapy to the clients. Language and Speech disorders grow with the age and it becomes difficult to cure then. If there are signs that your child has these sorts of disorders, don’t take it as a cute thing. You should not waste time as this can become very serious and cause embarrassment to your child as he/she grows. It can easily be cured at an early age.

You can also contact us online or call 410-696-3301 to get an appointment. We can also guide you on call after knowing all the signs, if your child really needs a speech or language therapy. You can also visit our center in Maryland located at the York Road Towson.

Many parents worry about whether or not their children are developing according to standard guidelines; in some cases, it’s simply a case of being anxious about the potential for late development, and in other cases the child din question may actually benefit from the inter-vention of a speech therapist. Let’s take a closer look at 3 signs that your child may benefit from seeing a speech therapist.

Sign #1:Your toddler can’t be understood by you or other close relatives

If your child is aged 18 months to 2 years, you and your spouse should be able to understand what they are saying, along with anyone else who spends a significant amount of time with your child. But if you and other people familiar with your child are unable to understand what they say at this stage, it may indicate a speech disorder and a need for a speech therapist Maryland.

Sign #2:Your child can’t combine a pair of words

By the age of 2, children should be able to combine 2 words together; these combinations form the earliest forms of sentences for children. These combinations are usually expressions of what the child wants, as well as expressions of affection. Examples include: “Pick up,” “My toy,” “Love doggy,” and so on. Children who haven’t accomplished this by the age of 2 may be in need of a speech pathologist Maryland.

Sign #3:Your child has difficulty with certain sounds by the age of 4

By the age of 3 and 4, most children should be able to pronounce soft and hard sounds in a way that can be understood by adults, even if their pronunciation of the word is not exact. If your child is finding it difficult to pronounce these sounds at 3 or 4, they may benefit from seeing a speech therapist.

Speech therapy Owings Mills, MD is a vital part of overall stroke therapy adult Maryland; most adults who have had strokes will need to have some type of speech therapy incorporated into their overall stroke therapy as part of the recovery process. The reason for this is that the areas of the brain affected by a stroke can impact your ability to talk, communicate, as well as swallow and eat. The following are 3 common ways that speech therapy Owings Mills, MD can benefit stroke therapy adult Maryland.

Swallowing and eating

A stroke may affect a person’s ability to swallow and eat normally. Speech therapy can address and help alleviate swallowing and eating problems by helping that person gain more control over their ability to swallow. Other concerns that come along with difficulty swallowing, such as drooling, will also be addressed by this type of therapy.

Articulation

Another concern that many people who have had a stroke will face is difficulty articulating words; articulation problems are caused by difficulty formulating speech sounds which make up words. Therapy which targets articulation can help people who have had a stroke relearn how to formulate sounds and words, thus regaining the ability to express themselves.

Vocal control

Some people who have had a stroke may experience diminished vocal control, such as speaking loud and clear enough for other people to understand them. Therapy which targets difficulties with resonance and clarity can be used to help improve problems with diminished vocal control.

When you’re considering having your child see a speech therapist Owings Mills, MD, there are some things you need to know. The following are 3 important things to keep in mind when you are thinking about having your child visit a speech therapist Owings Mills, MD.

#1: You need to talk with your child’s therapist about expectations

It can be easy to have unrealistic expectations regarding speech therapy for children, but remember that every child is different. Each child may progress differently, and not every child will be able to benefit from certain types of therapy. Some children may require different approaches than others. It’s important to talk frequently with your child’s therapist about your expectations and potential goals for your child.

#2: Your health insurance may not cover sessions

Depending on what health insurance you have, your child’s condition, what (if any) therapy goals can be determined, and whether you are using a private or public speech therapist, your health insurance may not cover speech therapy sessions. You will need to consult with your insurance company about what they will cover.

#3: You will need to work with your child at home

Speech therapy doesn’t begin and end at the office. You will need to work with your child regularly at home to ensure that they are using and developing the skills they learned during their therapy sessions. This means you will need to make time during your day to work with your child on speech, so plan to schedule accordingly.

Are you a resident of Maryland and in need of speech therapy, or do you know someone who does? There is a team of speech therapists that have been doing an excellent job for the past several years. The speech therapists are ready to deploy their wealth of experience to serve you. Their areas of specialization are speech, language, cognitive and swallowing disorders.

While other speech pathologists in Maryland will have you come to them, this team of speech therapists is ready to come to you for your convenience. Whether it is your home, daycare facilities, assisted living, at school or even in the hospital, they will gladly travel to you upon your request.

The numerous benefits of speech therapy makes these speech pathologists in Maryland very important. Speech therapy helps to build a person’s communication skills. While many people think speech therapy is only about speech, it is also about language. It helps the patient to understand spoken language and to also express himself better.

Speech therapy also goes beyond articulation of speech. It also helps to develop the patient’s social skills. When the patient’s speech improves, good reading ability typically follows because both communication skills work together. Speech therapy also enhances alternative communication methods, such as using gestures, picture cards, communication books, or speech generating devices to communicate wants and needs.

This team of therapists is led by a highly experienced mobile therapist that has been providing speech therapy for over ten years. For several years she has been working with patients who suffer from speech and language impairment due to dysarthria, aphasia, dysphagia, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injuries, dementia and stroke with expertise, experience and in-depth knowledge of augmentative communication methods.

The lead pathologist offers several comprehensive treatment packages for geriatric patients and adults in the healthcare industry wherever they may be. Despite the high quality of their rehabilitation services, charges are reasonable. The speech therapists are result oriented and they have a proven track record within Maryland and beyond.

These speech therapists’ doors are always open for medical consultation whether you are their patient or not, you are free to contact them for consultation. Every patient has a unique case, so these speech therapists work in conjunction with other healthcare providers to deliver individualized treatment plans.

They are highly professional, courteous and respectful. They offer patients a great amount of empathy, understanding and emotional support.

Speech Therapy for Older Persons Living in Assisted-Living Homes

It is known too many healthcare providers who have worked with us in the past few years that Total Speech Therapy’s lead SLP Ms. Yasminah Abdullah’s has placed a particular focus on treating older indivisuals with speech irregularities or impairment. Because of Ms. Abdullah’s training, past work experience and community involvement we’ve been heavily involved in evaluating and treating patients in assisted-living communities and from the geriatric population.

The evaluation and treatment services we provide to adults in assisted-living homes covers diagnosis such as:

  • Stroke
  • Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
  • Neuromuscular speech disorders resulting from Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s Disease.
  • Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and other conditions (F e., Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome)
  • Geriatric-related conditions (patient/family education and counseling for Dementia)

We Understand our Patient’s Needs

Here at Total Speech therapy, we understand that the process of adapting to and overcoming communication challenges can seem overwhelming, both for the person dealing with the affliction, as well as for his or her family. This keen awareness is demonstrated in our compassion for people and trying our best to help them achieve optimum communication.
Through years of clinical experience, we’ve achieved excellent treatment results especially in the areas of the brain and nervous system disorders that inhibit communication, motor speech disorders, difficulties with swallowing, and cognitive-communication issues.
We Travel To You!

In our years of experience, we have seen significant treatment results when we are able to work with patients in their own environments. Traveling to the patient allows us to interact and work with them in a comfortable and familiar setting, which produces optimal results. Another benefit of having mobile therapists is that we have an opportunity to communicate with the primary healthcare providers, which enables us to work effectively within the targets set for the patient.
Credentials

Total Speech-Language Pathologists, hold the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s (ASHA’s) certification of clinical competence (CCC-SLP) and are licensed by the state of Maryland to provide speech-language pathology services, we participate in continuing education in order to ensure the most up-to-date knowledge, skills and abilities; in order to provide the highest quality therapy services.
Financial Arrangements

Total Speech Therapy Services participates in Medicare and most of the major insurance carriers, managed care organizations, etc. An office manager can answer any further questions patients/physicians have regarding insurance at the time of the referral.

Disorders that Require Speech Therapy?

Speech is an integral part of communication and without clear speech and voice, people find it hard to fit into the society. It makes them suffer from self-esteem issues along with many communication complexities as well. It may be inborn or caused by a physical injury, a disease or a disorder the person might be suffering from (e.g. stroke, autism, neurological issues etc). This is where a speech therapist can come to help.

Who needs speech therapy?
Voice, pitch, phonation, articulation, breathing, are all parts of speech. Problem with either one of them can affect the quality of the speech. So who really needs Speech Therapy Owings Mills MD?

People with voice disorders
These kinds of disorders occur when something causes the voice to sound breathy, harsh, and/or may affect its pitch and loudness too. Even speech therapy can be used to help with the voice’s resonance which may make people sound as if they are talking through their nose. The voice disorders often cause irritation and discomfort.

People with speech disorders
These problems may be inborn or caused due to some impairments in the vocal channels of the human body. In some cases of impairments that are affecting the speech, a surgical intervention is often needed which is followed by extensive speech therapy to help with the speech issues. Some of the most common speech disorders include articulation, dysarthria, fluency, oral feeding, and apraxia.

People with language disorders
Language disorders often causes problems in listening, expressing, and even remembering words. The speech therapy in such cases should be individualized, targeting the language needs and the condition of the person.

If you are looking for Speech Therapy Owings Mills MD then log in to our website. We provide a variety of speech therapy programs to adults and children.

Pediatric Speech Therapy

A Look At The Services Of A Pediatric Speech Therapist

During their developmental stages, children are learning the basic rules of communication; usage of words, expressions, pitch, and other speech and language rules. Some are quick to learn these techniques and catch up on the language barriers while other kids may take more time. A speech and/or language delay, if it prolongs for a long time, can be a cause of concern for the adults around. This is where a pediatric speech therapist can intervene to help speed things up and help to resolve the issues that are causing the speech and/or delay.

Issues that require speech therapy

Some of the most common issues that would require the help of pediatric speech therapy Maryland are:

Speech delay:
This is one of the most common reasons that would require the help of a pediatric speech therapist. It is however easily treatable and would require speech therapy sessions along with some home carryover of what is being learned in the speech her apt sessions. It is often caused when the child is experiencing developmental delays and/or when the child is learning at a rate slower than his peers.

Expressive language problems:
This happens when the child may be good with thinking and understanding things but has difficulty verbally expressing himself with proper usage of words, emotions and expressions. It is treatable and requires a help from pediatric speech therapy Maryland.

Receptive problems:
Here the child has issues associating words with directions and clearly understanding what is being said to him. These issues with understanding/comprehending spoken or written language would require speech therapy along with other targeting comprehension goals.

Autism:
It is a disorder that can cause a lot of developmental delays and issues in children ranging from speech delays to communication issues. The child would benefit from extensive speech therapy treatment to improve functional communication skills and carryover skills in multiple settings (i.e., school, home, therapy).

Intellectual limitations:
Cognitive limitations can lead to speech issues which would require skilled speech therapy sessions to identify and improve the communication problem.

Hearing loss:
Children who suffer from hearing loss or problems with the ear canal often need speech therapy sessions before and after the issue is resolved to fill up any gaps the hearing problem might have created in their development.

If your child suffers from any one of the above mentioned problems, then he or she might benefit from pediatric speech therapy Maryland. Log in to our website and have us help your child with our skilled speech and language therapy services.

Phonological Delay Therapy

A subgroup ın the articulation delay category is a phonological delay which means your child may be slower at going through the processes of speech development. For example, it is absolutely natural if your 12-month old says da instead of dad, however, if this dropping of the last consonant persists that means he is not developing his speech sounds at a normal pace. Speech therapy can assist you in helping your child catch up to where he should be in speech development.