Blooming Brains Therapy
About us
Blooming Brains Therapy (BBT) is a private, pediatric speech therapy service delivered directly to your child in Allegheny and Washington counties. Services are provided in home, private school, preschool and childcare settings based on your child’s schedule and needs. We now also offer teletherapy! Using a holistic approach to therapy, with a focus on cognition, language and literacy, BBT enhances your child’s communication and learning abilities, while immersed in their daily environment.
Blooming Brains Therapy believes that…
your child is not defined by a label or diagnosis
therapy should never be a “one-size-fits-all” approach
your child deserves a chance to find their full potential
confidence with learning and communication increases independence
family and caregiver involvement is crucial to your child’s success
***Services are offered ONLY through private pay or school contracts at this time. ***
CONTACT US TODAY FOR A COMPLIMENTARY PHONE CONSULTATION
Rachel Kittka M.A., CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist & Owner
Hello and welcome! I’m Rachel and I have a sincere passion for the development of speech, language, literacy and cognitive skills. I have been helping my clients reach their full potential since 2013. I am a mom of three and an experienced pediatric and adolescent SLP with a desire to help children in the most important years of their lives. The time spent with children, during usual daily activities, is an ongoing (and excellent!) opportunity for communication, cognition and literacy growth. I strive to enthusiastically combine my own family experiences with the knowledge I have gained professionally. Blooming Brains Therapy, LLC was born out of a desire to work with my clients’ FUNCTIONAL NEEDS in a way that involves the client and their loved ones. BBT’s philosophy is that your child is NOT defined by their diagnosis, a test score, or comparison to other children. We work with you to determine your child’s strengths and where the best place is to start.
Professional Background:
Rachel is a certified Speech-Language Pathologist in the states of Pennsylvania and Ohio, with additional certification to work in the school setting. She has extensive experience with speech-sound production, language, cognitive communication and literacy. She has a diverse background working with ages across the lifespan. She has worked in a variety of settings including medical, home-health, private practice (birth-geriatric) and the public schools - providing both in person and teletherapy services. In the school setting, she serves children from pre-school to high-school. Rachel utilizes a cognitive approach to therapy to encourage clients to recognize areas of weakness and empower them to strengthen their skills.
Services
Speech sound disorders - Is your child having difficulty producing certain sounds? Is it difficult to understand your child? Is your child getting frustrated when speaking? Are you noticing errors in your child’s spelling or reading? Some sound errors are typical for children as they acquire spoken communication. Other errors may be structural in nature or related to a process/pattern that persists beyond when it should. Your child may have a speech sound disorder if they appear to have difficulty with producing speech sounds, recognizing sounds they hear, discriminating between sounds, or representating speech sounds in reading and writing.
Articulation - the physical ability to produce a sound
Phonology - understanding and appropriate use of the sound system in language
Motor speech programming - the process of turning linguistic plans in the brain into speech that is produced
Language - Language involves the understanding and use of communication in a variety of contexts. Language can be communicated via spoken, written or other modalities (symbols, pictures, etc). It involves receiving a message from others and expressing one’s self in some way. Your child may have difficulty with language if you notice trouble with…
Communicating basic wants and needs
Vocabulary - understanding or using of words
Asking and answering questions
Following directions
Appropriate conversation exchange
Using correct grammar when speaking and/or writing
Cognitive communication - Cognitive processes (attention, orientation, memory, thought organization, problem solving/reasoning and executive functions) underlie our communication abilities. They help us interact and function in meaningful ways. Your child may have difficulty with cognitive processes if they have trouble with…
Maintaining attention to a task or conversation
Processing or recalling information
Presenting ideas in a cohesive way that is understood by others
Getting the main idea or “big picture”
Initiating, persisting with or stopping a task or conversation
Adapting or being flexible in their thinking
Social communication - We can communicate a certain way in any given context to convey our thoughts and feelings. Social communication helps us attach meaning and emotions to our experiences. Your child may have difficulty with social communication if they cannot…
Understand and use nonverbal (gestures, facial expressions) communication
Interpret the feelings or perspective of another person
Understand what someone really means when they communicate
Adjust communication to a particular setting
Fluency - Fluency is the ability to speak without interruption in the flow of speech. Your child may be experiencing disfluencies (i.e. stuttering) if they…
Seem to speak at an atypical pace or out of rhythm
Repeat sounds, parts of words, whole words or phrases when speaking
Demonstrate breath holding, lack of breathing, or take breaths at unexpected times when speaking
Experience tension (in mouth, lips, tongue, face) when speaking
Demonstrate “secondary behaviors” when speaking. These are behaviors that appear to help your child get through moments of disfluency, though they don’t have anything to do with speech.
Reading/writing - Literacy begins very early in our lives and is necessary to function in daily activities. Early awareness of speech sounds and how they fit together form the foundation for successful reading and writing. Your child may benefit from strategies to use within the academic and home setting. Your child may have difficulty with literacy if they…
Have trouble understanding and using speech sounds and language effectively
Struggle to communicate thoughts and ideas through reading and writing
BBT works directly with schools (public, private, childcare, preschool, charter) to provide services. We offer initial screenings of students to preschools and childcare facilities. We work with families who are interested and provide results and recommendations following the screening.
SCHOOL CONTRACTS - Blooming Brains Therapy, LLC now offers school contracts for a variety of needs. Contact us today to set up a contract to address the area(s) your school needs assistance with.
Evaluations
Therapy - regularly scheduled and as needed options are available
Speech and Language screenings
** TELETHERAPY services are now being offered as well. If you wish to pursue speech therapy services using a HIPAA compliant platform, please contact us!
Contact us
Don’t worry! Your information will not be accessible to anyone outside of BBT. It will only be used to communicate with you about your inquiry.
PHONE CONSULTATIONS ARE COMPLIMENTARY
rachelk@bloomingbrainstherapyllc.com
(412) 212-6321
Blooming Brains Therapy
P.O. Box 321
Cecil, PA 15321