Physicians

Many times, a physician is the first professional to whom parents bring concerns about their children's language development, particularly in the preschool years.

As children enter school and academic problems surface, parents will often seek advice from their pediatricians, family practitioners, and other medical specialists.

And, language/literacy disorders and learning disabilities do not go away. As academic and literacy demands increase, adolescents and adults can experience even more difficulties than they had experienced as children. Parents of adolescent patients as well as adult patients continue to seek advice from their physicians.

There is empirical evidence that language/literacy therapy can be effective at any age in improving language comprehension, oral expression, reading, and writing skills. So, pediatricians, family physicians, internists, and other medical specialists can all play a vital role in helping their patients with language/literacy disorders find academic and professional success.

Drs. Katz and Pierson, both speech-language pathologists and experts in reading and writing disorders, are uniquely trained and experienced in understanding the relationships among speech, language, and literacy in very young children up through adolescence and adulthood.

We received our PhDs in Special Education with a specialty in Literacy, Language, and Learning Disabilities at the University of Michigan's School of Education.

The amalgamation of our speech-language backgrounds with expert understandings of the role oral language plays in literacy development and disorders, has made us particularly well suited for helping physicians better understand and identify children and adolescents who may be at risk for or demonstrating academic difficulties.  

If you are a physician who is looking to learn more about language/literacy disorders and/or learning disabilities, Drs. Katz and Pierson can design professional development experiences that meet your, your practice's, or your institution's interests and objectives.

Specific topics for physicians might include:

• The Signs and Symptoms of Language/Literacy Disorders and Learning Disabilities

• How to Quickly Screen for Possible Language/Literacy Disorders and Learning Disabilities

• How Language Deficits Affect Reading, Spelling, and Writing

• Why and How Early Intervention is Important

• Language/Literacy Disorders in Adolescents and Adults

For more information, please contact us.