Question 1

My voice is hoarse or weak and sometimes I lose it altogether: should I have a speech therapy assessment?

Accepted Answer

Yes, it's worth it. A voice that tires, weakens or disappears is often a sign of inefficient use, and a voice assessment shows where it comes from and how to put those habits right.

Question 2

Does speech therapy only deal with words and language?

Accepted Answer

No. Speech therapy covers language and learning, but also voice, swallowing and, in adults, difficulties linked to neurological conditions. If you're unsure whether something falls within what I do, write to me and I'll tell you.

Question 3

A relative of mine had a stroke and now struggles to speak: the doctors mention aphasia and have recommended speech therapy. Can you help us?

Accepted Answer

Yes. After a stroke, speech therapy plays an important part in language recovery. With adults I work on these situations case by case, always in coordination with the neurologist following the person. We start from a language assessment: from there we work out together what is realistic and how to proceed, openly and honestly.

Question 4

After an accident with a head injury I find it hard to find my words and the way I speak has changed. Can I turn to you?

Accepted Answer

Yes, difficulty finding words after a head injury falls within what I do with adults. I assess each case individually, together with the doctor caring for you: we start from a language assessment and I'll tell you honestly whether and how I can be of help.

Question 5

I have a neurological condition, early-onset cerebral atrophy: I lose my words and struggle to manage my saliva and to read fluently. Can you take me on?

Accepted Answer

Difficulties with language, reading and managing saliva linked to a neurological condition can be supported with a course of speech therapy, always together with the neurologist caring for you. It isn't my main area, so we talk it through first: I assess the situation and tell you frankly whether I can be of help.

Question 6

My child stutters. Will it pass?

Accepted Answer

In early childhood many disfluencies are temporary, but not all of them: an early assessment helps us decide whether to wait and watch or to step in. For stuttering I work with a specific method.

Question 7

My son speaks beautifully, but the dentist told me he "positions his tongue wrongly when he swallows" and recommended speech therapy: I didn't quite understand.

Accepted Answer

That's dysfunctional, or atypical, swallowing: the tongue pushes incorrectly, and this can interfere with the braces and with the outcome of the orthodontic treatment. Speech therapy rebalances the posture and movement of the tongue, usually working alongside the orthodontist.

Question 8

How long does an assessment take and how does it work?

Accepted Answer

It usually takes place over a few sessions, three for learning assessments. We start with a conversation to understand the background and your concerns, then I work with the child or the adult, and we finish with a clear feedback session: what I observed, what I propose, and why.

Question 9

Do both parents need to come to the first meeting?

Accepted Answer

It isn't required, but if you can manage it it's better: the first meeting is also when we get to know each other and decide together how to move forward. If only one parent can come, that's perfectly fine.

Question 10

How long does a session last?

Accepted Answer

The length is tailored to the child's age and the type of path we follow. I'll give you the exact figure at the feedback session after the assessment, so you already know how to plan your week.

Question 11

How long does the whole course of therapy last?

Accepted Answer

It depends on the starting point: some things resolve in a few months, others take longer. What I can tell you is that you'll know clearly right from the assessment, and that I won't keep you going any longer than necessary.

Question 12

Is the cost tax-deductible as a healthcare expense?

Accepted Answer

Speech therapy services are tax-deductible as healthcare expenses, with the invoice and proper documentation: I provide everything you need. For the specifics of your own tax situation it's still worth checking with your accountant.

Question 13

Is online (tele-rehabilitation) therapy possible?

Accepted Answer

In some cases, yes: parent coaching, follow-ups for those who live far away, sessions with adults or teenagers. For younger children and more complex situations, though, we need to work in person, and that's what I do.

Question 14

Where is the practice? Is it in the town of Viterbo?

Accepted Answer

Yes, in Viterbo: at Via Dalmazia 34-36, just outside the old town walls, close to the schools, with free parking nearby and step-free, barrier-free access.

Question 15

Can you be in touch with the teachers or the school?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and it's often helpful: when needed I coordinate with teachers to align the goals between the practice and the classroom. I always do this with the family's agreement.

Question 16

We've already had the child neuropsychiatry appointment in the public system and the speech assessment, we're on a waiting list and the waits are long: can we start privately and then move into the public service? Will the assessment have to be repeated?

Accepted Answer

You can start privately straight away and move into the public pathway when a place opens up: I have a network with the child neuropsychiatrists in the public service that makes the transition smooth, and usually there's no need to start all over again.

Question 17

I've found some exercises online. Can I have him do them at home?

Accepted Answer

The right exercises depend on the individual child and on where they are in the therapy: picked at random off the internet, they risk being useless or even reinforcing the mistake. I'm the one who gives you the activities to do at home, tailored, when they make sense.

Question 18

My 2-3 year old only says a few words. Should I come in for an assessment?

Accepted Answer

It's never too early to put your mind at ease. Even at two we can already look for the early signs of language emerging, and often the first assessment simply tells you everything is fine: and that in itself is a result.

Question 19

My child is lazy, that's what his teachers and grandparents say: I'm not sure an assessment is needed.

Accepted Answer

When a child speaks little or struggles to express themselves, it usually isn't laziness: something is making communication harder for them. An assessment is there precisely to understand what, and whether a course of therapy is worthwhile or not.

Question 20

The paediatrician says it's too early, the teachers notice a difficulty: I don't know what to do.

Accepted Answer

When opinions don't line up, a speech and language assessment is the quickest way to get a clear picture. If there's nothing to be done I'll tell you so myself, and if something does need addressing we start right away, without having lost any time.

Question 21

I was a late talker myself as a child. Could he just start talking later too?

Accepted Answer

It happens, and in many cases that's exactly how it goes. But "talking late" is sometimes a delay that resolves on its own, and sometimes it isn't: the assessment is there to tell the two apart, because waiting only pays off in the first case.

Question 22

My son understands everything but struggles to express himself, and he's very bright: why isn't he talking?

Accepted Answer

Understanding language and producing it are two different things, and they can develop at different speeds, even in a sharp child. An assessment shows where the block is and what can be done to release it.

Question 23

He makes lots of spelling mistakes and reads slowly, and his teacher suggests a learning assessment: should I go ahead?

Accepted Answer

Yes, it's worth doing. A learning assessment, usually over three sessions, clarifies whether it's a specific learning difficulty (dyslexia, dysgraphia, dysorthographia, dyscalculia) and, where needed, opens the way to support tools at school.

Language

Learning

Swallowing

Voice

The questions people ask me, word for word.

Before an assessment

How the journey works

Adults and voice

Children, specific questions

Logistics and practical matters

Your question, ask me directly.