Health and Fitness : May is Better Speech & Hearing Month

By Jenny Hoeger, Virginia Gay Hospital

May is Better Speech and Hearing Month!

My name is Jenny Hoeger and I have been a Speech/Language Pathologist for over 15 years. I can honestly say that I have never regretted my career choice and continue to enjoy seeing the progress my patient’s make. I have been lucky to have spent the past 11 ½ years at Virginia Gay Hospital and Clinics. I work with patients from 2 to 102 years old. Speech therapy not only focuses on improving communication, but developing reading skills, auditory processing and swallowing.

Over the years, I have been blessed with attending many conferences to bring Benton County updated therapy techniques. In the past year, our therapy department was granted funds to purchase the Interactive Metronome (IM) software and certify six Speech, Occupational and/or Physical Therapists to use the cutting edge therapy equipment.

The Interactive Metronome is a brain-based rehabilitation assessment and training program developed to directly improve the processing abilities that affect attention, motor planning, and sequencing. The IM focuses on temporal processing or “timing in the brain.” Research indicates that there is a disruption in the timing in the brain with those with Dyslexia, Autism, Reading Disorders, Auditory Processing Disorders, Parkinson’s, Traumatic Brain Injury and Stroke. The IM, in turn, strengthens attention, motor skills, including mobility and gross motor function, coordination and many fundamental cognitive capacities such as planning, organizing, language and academic performance.

Personally, I have been able to see the benefits of using the IM with many of my patients. I have witnessed one of my client’s begin to utilize his left arm for the first time and increase his response time while utilizing his communication device. Another patient, an adult 3 years post stroke, improved his auditory processing to follow multiple step directions to be more independent.

“My daughter, Lainey was born with a very rare chromosome disorder and is non-verbal. She has been going to VGH speech therapy for about 4 years now. She started this Interactive Metronome treatment this year and my little girl has finally started talking!!! Thank you Jenny Hoeger, SLP for helping my little girl find her words!!! It is such a blessing to my family and I as well as for our community to have the availability of these great services here in Vinton.” ~Wendi Robertson

The IM also benefits occupational therapy and physical therapy. As therapists, we are excited to provide Benton County with treatment strategies that improve our patient’s quality of life with more efficient treatment and better overall treatment outcomes. If you have any questions regarding therapy or the Interactive Metronome, please feel free to call (319) 472-6372. We look forward to meeting new clients and for new challenges.

Learn more: http://www.asha.org/bhsm/