Pediatric Speech Therapy Center in New Jersey
Communication, feeding, and swallowing skills are a major part of a child’s development, independence, confidence, and quality of life. At New Jersey Pediatric Neuroscience Institute, our pediatric speech therapy services support infants, toddlers, children, and adolescents with speech, language, feeding, swallowing, cognitive-communication, and complex communication needs.
Our program is especially helpful for children with neurological, developmental, motor-speech, feeding, swallowing, and medically complex needs.
Quick Answer for Parents
Pediatric speech therapy helps children communicate, understand language, use words or communication systems, speak more clearly, think and communicate effectively, and safely eat or drink when feeding or swallowing is difficult.
At NJPNI, therapy is individualized, family-centered, and designed around each child’s developmental level, medical history, strengths, and daily needs.
What Is Pediatric Speech Therapy?
Pediatric speech-language therapy evaluates and treats children who have difficulty communicating, understanding or using language, producing clear speech, thinking and communicating effectively, or safely eating and drinking.
Speech therapy is not only for children who are not talking. It can also help children with speech clarity, motor planning, social communication, feeding, swallowing, attention, memory, organization, problem solving, and the need for alternative communication tools.
Speech and language
Therapy may help children understand language, use words and sentences, improve speech clarity, build vocabulary, follow directions, answer questions, and communicate more effectively at home, school, and in the community.
Feeding and swallowing
Some children need help with safe eating, drinking, oral-motor skills, texture transitions, bottle or cup drinking, chewing, swallowing, or feeding development after medical or neurological concerns.
Communication after neurological illness, injury, or surgery
Children may need speech therapy after concussion, traumatic brain injury, pediatric stroke, brain tumor treatment, neurosurgery, hospitalization, or neurological regression when communication, cognition, feeding, or swallowing changes occur.
Meet Our Pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist
NJPNI’s pediatric speech therapy program is led by Meredith Lubliner, MS, CCC-SLP, a licensed and nationally certified speech-language pathologist with experience treating children with neurological, developmental, motor-speech, feeding, swallowing, and complex communication needs.
Meredith provides engaging, functional, evidence-based care that is tailored to each child’s developmental level, diagnosis, medical history, and family priorities.
Coordinated care matters. Meredith works closely with NJPNI’s pediatric neurologists, neurosurgeons, physical therapists, dietitians, genetic counselors, and other specialists to support children who need more than one type of care.
Speech, Language, Feeding, and Communication Concerns We Treat
Many children benefit from speech therapy as part of a broader medical or developmental treatment plan. NJPNI supports children with developmental, neurological, motor-speech, feeding, swallowing, and complex communication needs.
Speech and language delays
- Developmental speech and language delays
- Receptive and expressive language concerns
- Speech intelligibility concerns
- Social communication difficulties
- Neurological regression or changes in communication
Motor-speech disorders
- Childhood apraxia of speech
- Acquired apraxia of speech
- Pediatric dysarthria
- Speech motor-planning concerns
- Craniofacial speech and resonance needs
Feeding and swallowing
- Pediatric feeding difficulties
- Feeding and swallowing disorders
- Oral-motor and pre-feeding difficulties
- Orofacial myofunctional disorders when clinically appropriate
- High-risk infant feeding development
AAC and complex communication
- Augmentative and alternative communication needs
- AAC evaluation and treatment
- Low-tech and high-tech communication systems
- Speech-generating device support
- Eye-gaze and switch-access support
Neurological conditions
- Concussion and traumatic brain injury
- Pediatric stroke
- Brain tumors and pediatric oncology needs
- Epilepsy and seizure disorders
- Hydrocephalus
Developmental and medical needs
- Autism spectrum disorder
- Cerebral palsy
- Genetic and neurodevelopmental disorders
- Craniofacial conditions
- Prematurity and high-risk infant development
Pediatric Speech Therapy Services at NJPNI
Each child receives an individualized evaluation and treatment program based on their diagnosis, strengths, challenges, and family goals.
Comprehensive speech and language evaluation
Evaluation may include standardized diagnostic testing, caregiver interviews, clinical observation, play-based assessment, and review of your child’s medical and developmental history.
Speech, language, and early communication therapy
Therapy may target receptive language, expressive language, early communication, speech intelligibility, social communication, and functional communication skills for daily life.
Motor-speech treatment
NJPNI provides evaluation and treatment for childhood apraxia of speech, acquired apraxia of speech, pediatric dysarthria, and other motor-speech needs.
Pediatric feeding and swallowing therapy
Services may include feeding and swallowing evaluation, oral-motor development, pre-feeding support, texture progression, caregiver coaching, and referral for instrumental swallowing assessment when indicated.
AAC and augmentative communication support
AAC support may include low-tech and high-tech communication systems, speech-generating devices, eye-gaze access, switch-access support, and caregiver training to help children communicate more effectively.
Post-acute and neurological rehabilitation
Speech therapy may support children after concussion, brain injury, stroke, brain tumor treatment, neurological illness, hospitalization, or neurosurgery when communication, cognition, feeding, or swallowing changes occur.
What to Expect During Your Child’s Visit
Your child’s first visit includes a comprehensive evaluation based on their individual concerns. The goal is to understand your child’s strengths, needs, medical history, developmental level, and family priorities.
The evaluation may look at:
- Understanding and use of language
- Early communication and developmental milestones
- Speech production, intelligibility, and motor planning
- Social and functional communication
- Attention, memory, organization, and other cognitive-communication skills
- Feeding, swallowing, oral-motor, and pre-feeding abilities
- The potential need for augmentative and alternative communication
After the evaluation, Meredith develops an individualized treatment plan based on your child’s needs, diagnosis, strengths, and family goals. Therapy activities are functional, engaging, and designed to help skills carry over into everyday life.
Why Choose NJPNI for Pediatric Speech Therapy in NJ?
Specialized neurological experience
NJPNI is uniquely positioned to support children with neurological and medically complex needs, including brain injury, stroke, epilepsy, hydrocephalus, cerebral palsy, brain tumors, genetic disorders, and developmental concerns.
Communication, feeding, and swallowing support
Families can receive help for speech, language, cognition, feeding, swallowing, oral-motor development, AAC, and functional communication within one coordinated program.
Coordinated care with specialists
Meredith collaborates with pediatric neurologists, neurosurgeons, physical therapists, dietitians, genetic counselors, educators, and other members of the child’s care team.
Family-centered treatment
Therapy includes caregiver education, home-program development, and practical strategies parents can use during everyday routines, meals, play, school, and community activities.
Pediatric Speech Therapy FAQs
When should a child see a speech-language pathologist?
A child may benefit from speech therapy if they are not meeting communication milestones, are hard to understand, have trouble following directions, struggle with feeding or swallowing, need AAC support, or have communication changes after illness, injury, or surgery.
Is speech therapy only for children who are not talking?
No. Speech therapy can also help with speech clarity, language understanding, social communication, cognitive-communication skills, feeding, swallowing, oral-motor skills, AAC, and communication after neurological injury or illness.
What is AAC?
AAC stands for augmentative and alternative communication. It includes tools and strategies that help a child communicate when speech alone is not enough. AAC may include pictures, communication boards, tablets, speech-generating devices, eye-gaze systems, or switch-access systems.
Can speech therapy help with feeding?
Yes. Pediatric speech-language pathologists can evaluate and treat feeding and swallowing difficulties, oral-motor skills, pre-feeding development, texture progression, and safe eating and drinking when clinically appropriate.
Can NJPNI help after concussion, brain injury, or stroke?
Yes. Speech therapy may help children with cognitive-communication, language, attention, memory, organization, social communication, feeding, or swallowing changes after concussion, traumatic brain injury, stroke, tumor treatment, hospitalization, or neurosurgery.
If Your Child Is Having Difficulty Communicating, Eating, or Meeting Developmental Milestones
Early identification and individualized support can make a meaningful difference. NJPNI’s pediatric speech-language pathologist is here to help your child communicate, participate, eat more safely when feeding is a concern, and thrive.
- Pediatric speech-language evaluation
- Feeding and swallowing support
- AAC and communication device guidance
- Neurological and post-acute rehabilitation support
Serving children and families throughout New Jersey.
