Our therapy and educational services combine expert clinical care with a focus on education to ensure long-lasting results for our clients. We offer personalized speech and occupational therapy sessions tailored to the specific developmental and functional needs of children and adults.
Skill Builders is a private, speech-language and occupational therapy practice seeking to foster positive changes in the daily lives of children and adults. Our experienced, licensed therapists work with each family to tailor a specific and focused treatment program that meets the unique needs of each patient. The specialists draw from a broad range of intervention methods to provide a comprehensive therapy program set within a supportive environment.
We have three full-service office locations providing both Speech-Language and Occupational Therapy. The Annandale office is conveniently located just inside the Beltway on Little River Turnpike. The McLean office is located in the McLean Professional Park on Chain Bridge Road. Our new Alexandria office is in North Old Town. Please see the Locations page for more specific directions.
If you are interested in our services please fill out our intake form here Intake Form.
For a list of the information gathered on the initial call, please visit our Getting Started page.
In addition to traditional speech, language and occupational therapy services (Please see FAQ page for more information), we also offer many specialty services.
Below is a sampling of those currently offered:
Skill Builders specializes in working with individuals who cannot rely on speech alone to be heard and understood, and who benefit from or require Augmentative/Alternative Communication (AAC). We offer full AAC evaluations (including funding packets for speech generating devices), consults for existing AAC users, and therapy focused on implementation and use of AAC. Therapy uses a child-directed/therapist-guided approach and focuses on language development and overall communicative competence. We collaborate with local schools, pediatricians, ABA providers, as well as other professionals. Our therapists are very committed to using best practice, the large evidence base surrounding AAC for children, and advanced clinical education for staff. We mentor graduate students and participate in clinical research opportunities.
Skill Builders is a LAMP (Language Acquisition through Motor Planning) Center of Excellence, certified by the Center for AAC and Autism. We have three LAMP Certified Professionals on staff and many therapists who have completed the LAMP training. In addition, several therapists have extensive advanced continuing education and training in the area of AAC. Skill Builders frequently conducts presentations, trainings and in-services locally and regionally to professional and parent groups, and guest lectures in undergraduate and graduate level classes. We host an AAC study group for DC area professionals throughout the year, as well as an AAC Parent Group specifically for parents of children who use AAC. These groups are free of charge and open to all in the DMV area.
For more information regarding our AAC services, please contact Jane Bomba at jane@skillbuildersllc.com.
Skill Builders now offers Tutoring as part of our services, provided by qualified learning specialists. The Tutoring services are geared toward children having difficulty with grade level reading, writing and executive function skills. Both of our learning specialists are Orton-Gillingham trained. Activities and strategies are modified to meet the individual needs of each child in order to create a positive and fun learning experience.
Office, virtual, in home, and private school sessions available.
Specialties
Support in the areas of:
Adaptive Experience
Extensive experience modifying learning techniques for children with disabilities:
Skill Builders offers social groups for children of all ages with varying skills and needs. These are offered year-round, with additional options available during the summer.
A speech-language pathologist leads the groups and aims to improve social language and executive functioning skills. Group goals include, but are not limited to, conversation maintenance and initiation, reading and understanding nonverbal cues,
interpreting body language, joint attention, problem-solving, flexibility, and compromise, and appreciating and understanding the perspective of others. They are also encouraged and guided to improve play skills and plan and execute tasks in a group setting.
Our groups utilize many different treatment programs in which our therapists have been trained. These include Social Thinking, Unstuck and On Target, and the Zones of Regulation. Our therapists have years of experience from which to draw and implement their own techniques to address each child and group's unique needs. Groups are tailored to the individual strengths and challenges of the participants. This process begins with a phone call with our intake coordinator and a complimentary 30-minute meet-and-greet session with the child and parent.
Our groups are designed to provide both you and your child with strategies to better navigate the social world in whatever way your child wishes to participate!
Camp SuperNOVA is a summer day camp offered to children, ages 6-10, working on pragmatic language skills and shared regulation amongst peer groups. Activities range from the outdoor playground and water play to small group team relays and projects, sensory experimentation, arts & crafts, special community guests, and more! If you are not currently a client with our practice, we require an in-person meet & greet with you and your child to ensure that our camp is a good fit for their personal therapeutic goals. Early registration opens for returning campers in January of that camp year; registration continues until we reach capacity and we then form a camper waiting list pending any cancellations. Our staff consists of one lead occupational therapist and one lead speech-language pathologist, with student volunteers interested in pursuing pediatric therapy professions. The staff to camper ratio is typically 2:3 to ensure that each camper's sensory, motor, and language differences are supported throughout the camp routines! If you have questions about Camp SuperNova, please contact camp@skillbuildersllc.com.
Skill Builders is proud to offer a variety of feeding-related services. Our feeding therapists have diverse backgrounds in several different feeding interventions, and have pursued additional trainings in order to provide the most up-to-date and individualized treatment plan possible. Our feeding services include:
Skill Builders is now offering a full range of Oral MyoFunctional Therapy (OMT) options. The goals of OMT include OroFacial muscle re-education, nasal breathing, safe open airway, closed mouth resting posture, and functional lip, tongue, and cheek resting postures and movements to stimulate and maintain proper dental occlusion and hard palate/jaw shape. Our OMT services include:
Skill Builders is also an accredited provider of DIRFloortime® through the International Council on Development and Learning (ICDL). DIRFloortime (also known as Floortime) is an intervention that is used to promote an individual’s development through a respectful, playful, joyful, and engaging process. It uses the power of relationships and human connections to promote the development of the capacities for self-regulation, engagement, communication, shared social problem solving, and creative, organized, and reflective thinking and reasoning. It is based on the DIR® model that was developed by Dr. Stanley Greenspan and his colleagues. It is used around the world by teachers, occupational therapists, speech therapists, mental health professionals, parents, and many others that care for individuals with developmental challenges or other related needs. It is an evidence-based approach to promoting human development that is used with children, young adults, and even adults…especially those on the autism spectrum.
All of our therapists are trained in the DIR model and implement it on a daily basis. In addition, several of our therapists have advanced education in this area and attend local and international courses frequently. Skill Builders conducts presentations, trainings, individual parent coaching, parent groups, and playgroups with a focus on this model. For more information on DIRFloortime® at Skill Builders, please email Cari Syron at cari@skillbuildersllc.com.
Skill Builders therapists are available for in person and online group meetings, consultations and/or trainings regarding various topics. Our therapists frequently present locally and regionally on various topics, provide family and team trainings / in-services, and conduct Q & A sessions. If you are interested in an in-person or online meeting / training, please contact Cari Syron at 703-941-7757 x101 or cari@skillbuildersllc.com, and let us know what topic you are interested in!
Teletherapy (i.e., “remote” or “virtual” therapy) is the online delivery of skilled treatment services. Teletherapy sessions are very similar to traditional therapy sessions, only families and therapists interact via live video conferencing. A computer, laptop, smartphone, or tablet with audio / video capabilities and internet is required. Teletherapy is an evidence-based service delivery model that is widely used by practitioners all over the country. Teletherapy allows your child to participate in treatment in their natural environment – your home. By using a combination of virtual materials and toys/activities in your home, your therapist is able to target your child’s goals as well as your family’s specific needs. Our sessions aim to empower the parent to take an active role in their child’s treatment plan, and foster carry-over and generalization of skills across contexts.
Virtual services are currently available overseas and in VA, MD, DC, FL, NC, AZ, NY, CA, and PA
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