Providing a sheltered space for
guided speech and language strategies.
What does therapy look like?
Speech Sound Therapy
Does your loved one struggle with saying certain sounds? With speech sound therapy, the focus will be on building the sound foundation. Starting with sounds in isolation, building to words, phrases, and sentences. The ultimate goal being conversational level speech. This plan is for those who struggle with one or more sound, at any of the above mentioned levels of communication.
Language Therapy
Language is complex. From receptive language (what you know in your brain, but don’t always share) to expressive language (the words you share with others), language concerns can vary greatly, depending upon the individual.
If there are difficulties with grammar, such as adding plurals, keeping all words in the same tense (ex. past tense, present tense), or changing words to create new meanings, a program focused on morphology might make sense.
Who do you see?
Currently, the majority of clients seen at Sheltered Strategies range in age birth-15 years old.
What is the process?
Whether you’ve been seen before in private therapy, within the schools, or this is your first time, there will always be an initial assessment. This is your therapy, however, so the assesements can be catered to you. Speech sound only assessments are available, as are language only assessments. For a comprehensive assessment, both speech sounds and language will be assessed along with structure and function, voice and fluency. This is your therapy, you get to choose.
Where do I go?
To maximize benefit, clients will mostly be seen in person in the speech room. If meeting elsewhere is preferable such as a pre-approved school or alternative school pull out location, accommodations can certainly be requested.
If teletherapy suits you or your schedule (due to travel or weather constraints), I am trained as a teletherapist and am able to accomodate this modality on occasion.
About Sheltered Strategies
Hello! My name is Avery Sheldon. I consider myself a Durangotang, having graduated from Fort Lewis College with a BA in Communications in 2010. In 2014, I went back to school, earning a post baccalaureate from the University of Colorado, Boulder in Communication Sciences and Disorders. I began my speech career within our community, starting as a Speech Language Pathology Assistant with San Juan BOCES. I earned my Masters of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Appalachian State University in Boone, NC. While the Appalachians were beautiful, I knew my heart was in Colorado. For several years, I worked on the Front Range for a Title 1 school where the majority of my clients were English Language Learners. The duality of Spanish and English scaffolding instruction is where the name Sheltered Strategies was born. Sheltered Instruction Strategies are strategies that adapt speech, teach vocabulary through context, and use background knowledge to aid in the understanding of new material. That, infused with with my last name, Sheldon, or “protected hill” serves as my inspiration to give clients an opportunity to learn communication strategies, in a sheltered or “protected” environment.
