Anna Rooney Speech Therapy       

In-Home Speech Therapy in Chicago

Anna Rooney is a dedicated, experienced, licensed speech language pathologist who provides in-home or in-daycare speech therapy in Chicago's near north and north side.  She provides speech therapy for children of all ages who have a wide variety of speech-language needs.  She uses motivating technology like iPad applications and videotaping.  Anna is an in-network provider for Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO insurance.  She is an early intervention specialist who is committed to helping young children become successful communicators.  Anna is Hanen® certified so parents play a very important role in speech language therapy.  She partners with parents to encourage communication development.  Anna believes that social emotional development is the basis for all development.  Children learn more when they are having fun and they feel secure.

Anna Rooney’s speech services include:

• A comprehensive speech language assessment that will include a parent interview, child-observation, and formal testing.
• A written assessment report and therapy plan.
• Consistent therapy services in your child’s home or daycare.
• Personalized, one-on-one therapy sessions. 
• A home therapy program that will include communication strategies.
• Continuing family support and family education.
• Consultation with other professionals who help your child, such as; teachers and caregivers. 

It is recommended that your toddler have a speech and language evaluation between the ages of 18 and 24 months if he or she does any of the following:

• Does not appear to be progressing with his/her communication skills from month to month.
• Does not initiate communication with others.not talking or saying very little.talking mostly in vowels (e.g., “ah” for ball) 
• Using one catch-all sound or syllable to represent many words.
• Using single words and not yet sentences.not waving “bye” or playing “peek-a-boo”.
• Not reacting typically to sounds (e.g., not responding to hearing his/her name).
• Not responding to simple requests or commands like “come here”.not pointing to named objects in picture books (e.g., “Where is the ball?”

It is recommended that your school age child have a speech and language evaluation if he or she has difficulty in the following areas:

• Expressing ideas clearly, as if the words needed are on the tip of the tongue but won't come out. What the child says can be vague and difficult to understand (e.g., using unspecific vocabulary, such as "thing" or "stuff" to replace words that cannot be remembered). Filler words like "um" may be used to take up time while the child tries to remember a word.
• Learning new vocabulary that the child hears (e.g., taught in lectures/lessons) and/or sees (e.g., in books).
• Understanding questions and following directions that are heard and/or read.
• Understanding and retaining the details of a story's plot or a classroom lecture.
• Reading and comprehending material
• Pronouncing words clearly.

For a free telephone or e-mail consultation, please contact Anna.