Center for Pediatric Therapies

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Emily Pritchett, MS, CCC-SLP/L

Emily Pritchett, MS, CCC-SLP, Speech Language Pathologist at Center for Pediatric Therapies in Lynchburg, Virginia

Emily Pritchett is a Speech-Language Pathologist at the Center for Pediatric Therapies. Based at our Lynchburg, Virginia location, Emily provides speech therapy services for children from birth to age 21 in a variety of settings, including outpatient clinics, home, and local schools. Emily particularly enjoys working with children who stutter.

Prior to joining the team at the Center for Pediatric Therapies, Emily completed clinical rotations in a nursing home and an elementary school in Baltimore, Maryland.

Emily holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania. She then pursued second Bachelor’s degree in Speech-Language  Pathology from Towson University in Maryland, where she also earned a Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology.

Originally from Dallastown, Pennsylvania, Emily now resides in Lynchburg, Virginia. Outside of work, Emily enjoys playing and watching sports, going to Penn State football games, working out, reading, dancing, spending time with family and friends.

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Social Skills Group offered in Martinsville

Center for Pediatric Therapies offers a social skills group for children ages 4-18 at our location in Martinsville, Virginia.

Each group meets for a weekly 1-hour session for 8-week periods throughout the year.  Each session focuses on using and improving conversational skills, cooperative play skills, friendship management, self regulation, empathy, and conflict management. Skills specific to each child are targeted in small group sessions of 2 to 3 students each.

Private pay and insurance are accepted as reimbursement for this social skills group.  We recommend checking with your insurance plan to determine coverage for this service if there is a documented delay in your child’s social language or communication skills.

For more information, please contact Holly Stewart, CCC-SLP/L, Speech-Language Pathologist at 276.638.4809.

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Amy Crenshaw, MS, CCC-SLP/L

Amy Crenshaw, speech therapist at Center for Pediatric Therapies in South Boston, Virginia with a patient

Amy Crenshaw is a Speech-Language Pathologist at the Center for Pediatric Therapies. Based at our location in South Boston, Virginia, Amy provides speech therapy services to children from birth to 21 years of age in South Boston, Halifax County, and surrounding areas. She also works with Building Blocks Center for Autism in Danville, Virginia.

After graduating from Longwood University in 1998 with a Bachelor of Science, Amy earned a Master of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Radford University in 2000. Amy holds the Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) awarded the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and is licensed by the state of Virginia. She is a certified provider of the Beckman Oral Motor Protocol and a certified Early Intervention Specialist for the Infant and Toddler Connection of Virginia.

Amy’s areas of clinical expertise and interest include: apraxia of speech, articulation disorders, autism, developmental delays, expressive and receptive language disorders, feeding disorders, and oral-motor difficulties.

Amy lives in South Boston with her husband, Jay, and their two daughters, Morgan and Avery.

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10 Resources to Improve Your Child’s Speech and Hearing

May is Better Speech and Hearing Month!  This is a time to raise public awareness, knowledge, and understanding of the various forms of communication impairments.  It is also an opportunity to promote treatment to increase the quality of life of those who experience problems with speech or hearing.  We know that, as parents, you want to learn how you can help your child improve his or her ability to communicate.  The following is a list of resources to assist you:

  1. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association: Find resources to help you understand communication disorders and find services to help your child communicate effectively.
  2. Healthy Children: Awebsite from the American Academy of Pediatrics features articles on children’s health and offers guidance on the normal development of children.
  3. How Kids Develop: Learn how to stimulate your child’s speech and language at any age and enhance your interactions with your child.
  4. Kids Health: Articles discuss common children health topics and gives advice to parents on how they can help their child.
  5. Communication Connects: Find ideas for activities to nurture your child’s speech development at home.
  6. National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders: Resource aims to help optimize the lives of those with hearing or other communication disorders.
  7. Speech TX: Discover motivating and engaging activities for children to improve their language and communication skills.
  8. Speech Disorder: Provides comprehensive information about speech disorders and possible treatments.
  9. Center for Hearing and Communication: Features a parent’s guide containing information that parents of children with hearing loss should know.
  10. Speech Teach UK: Speech therapy resources for parents supporting children with speech difficulties.

 

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The Williams Family Miracle

Amy Crenshaw, speech therapist at Center for Pediatric Therapies in South Boston, Virginia with a patient
Jordyn catching a bubble

For many parents of toddlers, constant chattering is just a part of life.  For Shelly Williams, it is “a miracle.”  Since starting speech therapy services, Williams’ daughter, Jordyn, has progressed from speaking two words to “having a full vocabulary.”

Williams says, “When [Jordyn] first started, she wasn’t talking at all. There was no communication with her.  Now, she’s able to tell me what she wants. She talks about everything under the sun! Clothes, her sissy… we go down the road, and she’s calling out everything she sees.”

Jordyn, who turns 3 years old in August, works with Amy Crenshaw, CCC-SLP/L, one day a week at the Center for Pediatric Therapies South Boston location. Williams says, “Jordyn does so well for Miss Amy. They have a special bond. The level of instruction and the setting… It’s wonderful! [Amy] is wonderful, she’s always listening and giving advice. She’s a miracle worker.”

While Jordyn’s progress can be easily quantified in terms of the number of words in her vocabulary, the impact on the Williams family is beyond measure. Williams says, “I’m much less frustrated; instead, I’m excited! We’re now able to have a conversation with [Jordyn] and our four year old daughter.”

 

Amy Crenshaw, speech therapist at Center for Pediatric Therapies in South Boston, Virginia with a patient
Jordyn with Amy Crenshaw