Speech Therapy
Improve your communication and well-being with Pascale Amberger
Dear parents, welcome to the Speech Therapy – Logopedics area of Rhône Dental Kids. In addition to dental care for your children, we offer assessment, prevention and treatment consultations with our specialist speech therapist. Does your child have a problem with swallowing, articulation or language? Don’t hesitate to have it checked now!
From the very first appointment, you’ll have the answers to all your questions!
Swallowing
Primary or infantile swallowing is the action of sucking. It is normal for infants and very young children, but becomes pathological from the age of 3. It is generally seen in children who have sucked on a finger or pacifier, and can lead to significant changes in the skeleton of the jaw and the positioning of the teeth. If primary swallowing persists at the age of 4 or 5, it is important to carry out re-education to prevent or limit deformation of the dental arch. Count on 3 to 4 sessions, spaced out according to the child’s needs.
Orthodontics
For children requiring orthodontic treatment, it is essential to carry out swallowing re-education before wearing braces, or in parallel with dental treatment, to ensure that teeth remain correctly aligned at the end of treatment.
Articulation
A swallowing disorder is often associated with an articulation disorder on one or more sounds, which are generally: ch, s , j , z . During treatment sessions, articulation is retrained at the same time as swallowing.
Articulation disorders may not be associated with swallowing disorders, and can mainly be found in letter mix-ups with similar sounds or spelling: c/g , p/b , t/d , tr/cr .
From an early age, our speech therapist combines phonetic re-education of each sound with its visual representation, so that the child can identify the letter being worked on. If possible, articulation should be re-educated before learning to read, to avoid letter confusion and difficulties at school.
Count on 2 to 3 sessions per sound.
Course of sessions
Sessions take place in the presence of a parent and are adapted to the child’s age and degree of maturity. Sessions are fun, to ensure that rehabilitation progresses in the best possible conditions. The child can be in a chair or on the parent’s lap. During the first session, the speech therapist checks the mouth, lips, teeth and tongue. She assesses swallowing and articulation, and answers any questions the parent may have.
During the first swallowing session, the child copies the speech therapist’s movements with the lips and tongue. In subsequent sessions, the child learns to swallow correctly: exercises are performed with petits-suisses, cookies, milk or fruit juice.
For articulation sessions, the parent actively participates, so as to be able to carry out the exercises with the child.
If possible, the child should do exercises at home between sessions. The exercises and their frequency are adapted to the child’s abilities and the parent’s availability. If there is an articulation problem associated with a swallowing problem, these are rehabilitated in parallel.
Speech therapy assessment
Rhône Dental Kids Geneva offers logopedic assessments for children aged between 2.5 and 8 years – it’s our specialty!
The assessment is carried out by a qualified Speech-Language Pathologist and can be done in French, English or Spanish.
This assessment corresponds to the WHO / ICD – 10 international classification.
Tests are performed according to the child’s age and needs:
F80.0 : Specific articulation acquisition disorder.
F80.1: Language acquisition disorder.
F81.0 : Specific reading disorder (up to age 8)
F81.1 : Specific spelling disorder ( up to 8 years ).
The assessment is carried out in the presence of one or both parents. At the end of the assessment, the results sheet is given to the parents, and the speech therapist presents the different possibilities for helping the child.
Would you like to make an appointment for a consultation? During the first session, we’ll be able to determine the best speech therapy treatment based on a precise and effective assessment. You’ll know the treatment plan, the expected duration and the approximate cost.
The Rhône Dental Kids is the space for our little patients, but our speech therapist is also happy to welcome their parents, or any adult or teenager wishing to improve articulation, swallowing or wearing braces.
Drop in for a visit, or call us on 022 310 50 77 to arrange a consultation for your child!
Career path
Education and qualifications:
I hold a Master’s degree in Speech Therapy, with a Certificat de Capacité d’Orthophonie from the Faculté de Médecine Paris VI, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière. My rigorous and comprehensive training has enabled me to acquire a solid knowledge base in the field of communication and to develop specialized skills to meet the specific needs of my patients.
Clinical experience:
Over the course of my career, I have gained valuable experience in several areas of communication rehabilitation. I have specialized in voice rehabilitation at Hôpital Lariboisière, swallowing rehabilitation at Hôpital St-Vincent-de-Paul, and articulation rehabilitation at Hôpital St-Antoine. I also worked in the ENT department at Geneva University Hospital for four years, before setting up my own private practice in Geneva.
Scientific activity:
I am passionate about research and sharing my knowledge to improve speech therapy practices. I have run training seminars for speech therapy students at the University of Geneva (UNIGE) and lectured to speech therapy students at the University of Neuchâtel (UNINeuchâtel). I have also trained nurses at the HESGE (Haute École de Santé de Genève) to raise their awareness of communication disorders. In addition, I took part in Structural Osteopathy in Atypical Swallowing workshops in Geneva, which enabled me to broaden my skills and adopt a multidisciplinary approach in my practice. My research work has been published in the Swiss Medical Journal, and I have also contributed to humanitarian projects with the NGO 2nd-chance.org.
Session sequence
During your initial consultation, we’ll assess your specific needs together and establish a personalized rehabilitation plan. Speech therapy sessions are tailored to each individual and can include a variety of exercises, techniques and interactive games to improve your communication, swallowing or articulation, depending on your goals. I’ll ensure that each session is stimulating and enjoyable, encouraging your motivation and progress.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me to make an appointment or to find out more about my services. I look forward to meeting you and helping you regain optimal communication for a better quality of life.
My work philosophy is based on a global and personalized approach, taking into account your individual situation and expectations.
I’m committed to creating a warm, respectful and caring environment, where you’ll feel comfortable expressing your difficulties and your progress.
My aim is to accompany you on your journey towards more fluent, confident and fulfilling communication.
