Get support for all of your communication needs.
Communication Services
At JWalker Communication, I support children, adults, and care partners by empowering communication and enhancing connections. My mission is to empower individuals through effective communication, fostering meaningful connections and personal growth. I am dedicated to providing comprehensive, personalized speech-language therapy and coaching services that celebrate each person's unique strengths. Through a neurodiversity-affirming approach, I aim to create supportive environments where individuals and their families can thrive socially, emotionally, and academically. My commitment is to enhance communication skills, promote understanding, and build confidence, ensuring success in all areas of life.
Speech-Language Therapy
I offer a comprehensive range of speech-language therapy services designed to meet the diverse needs of our clients. Services include:
Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC): We provide support for individuals who require alternative methods of communication, helping them find the most effective tools and strategies to express themselves.
Articulation and Speech Sound Disorders: Our therapy focuses on improving the clarity and accuracy of speech sounds, aiding clients in producing sounds correctly and enhancing their overall speech intelligibility.
Fluency: We offer specialized therapy for individuals who experience fluency disorders, such as stuttering, providing techniques and strategies to improve speech flow and confidence.
Receptive and Expressive Language: Our services address difficulties in understanding and using language. We work on enhancing comprehension, vocabulary, sentence structure, and overall communication skills to ensure effective interaction with others.
Through personalized assessment and intervention, we aim to support each client's unique communication journey, promoting growth and confidence in their abilities.
Evaluation & Assessment
Evaluation and assessment services are designed to provide a comprehensive and strength-based understanding of each individual's unique communication and social skills. I take a holistic approach, ensuring that assessments capture a complete picture of abilities and areas for growth.
Evaluations embody a variety of methods to gather detailed information, including:
Rating Scales: These tools help quantify specific skills and behaviors, providing valuable insights from different perspectives.
Observations: I conduct thorough observations in naturalistic settings to understand how skills are applied in real-world situations.
Standardized Assessments: These measures allow me to compare an individual's abilities to normative data, offering a benchmark for skill levels.
Functional Real-World Tasks: I assess practical, everyday activities to gauge how skills are utilized in meaningful contexts.
These assessments serve as a foundational starting point for therapy, guiding the development of personalized intervention plans. They can also complement other services, such as those provided by schools or medical professionals, ensuring a coordinated approach to support.
Additionally, I offer Independent Educational Evaluations (IEEs), providing objective assessments that can inform educational planning and decision-making. The goal is to highlight each person's strengths and identify effective strategies to support their growth and success.
Social Skill Development
My practice is committed to fostering social skill development in a way that celebrates and utilizes each individual's unique strengths. I believe in a neurodiversity-affirming approach, recognizing and respecting the diverse ways in which people experience and interact with the world.
Rather than trying to change who someone is, I focus on understanding their innate abilities and applying these strengths to various social situations. Whether through personalized 1:1 sessions or dynamic group activities, I tailor my support to meet the specific needs and preferences of each person.
My goal is to help individuals build confidence and competence in their social interactions, promoting genuine and meaningful connections. I work to provide a supportive environment where clients can practice and refine their social skills, empowering them to navigate social landscapes with greater ease and self-assurance.
Potential areas of skill development include:
Conversational Skills: Enhancing the ability to start, maintain, and end conversations effectively.
Nonverbal Communication: Understanding and using body language, facial expressions, and eye contact appropriately.
Social Cues: Recognizing and interpreting social signals and context clues in various situations.
Empathy and Perspective-Taking: Developing the capacity to understand and respond to the feelings and viewpoints of others.
Conflict Resolution: Learning strategies to manage and resolve conflicts in a positive and constructive manner.
Building and Maintaining Friendships: Techniques for forming and sustaining healthy, reciprocal relationships.
Self-Advocacy: Empowering individuals to express their needs and preferences confidently and appropriately.
Coaching for Families and Care Partners
Coaching services for families and care partners are grounded in the understanding that effective communication is a collaborative effort. Communication partner training is a vital component of this approach, recognizing that alterations in communication styles and strategies from those around the individual can significantly enhance the overall communication environment.
I believe that fostering a supportive and adaptive communication environment is just as important as developing the individual's skills. Coaching sessions provide families and care partners with the tools and knowledge to make meaningful adjustments that facilitate successful interactions.
Through coaching, you will learn:
Effective Communication Techniques: Strategies to enhance clarity, understanding, and responsiveness in conversations.
Supportive Environment Creation: Ways to modify the communication environment to reduce barriers and promote engagement.
Collaborative Problem-Solving: Techniques to work together with the individual to overcome communication challenges.
By focusing on the dynamic interplay between the individual and their communication partners, I aim to relieve the pressure on the individual to change their communication style alone. Instead, empowering everyone involved to contribute to a more inclusive and effective communication process, ensuring success for all.
“At my practice, I believe that every voice matters and has the power to inspire change. I am committed to unlocking the potential within each individual, fostering a world where communication bridges gaps, builds connections, and transforms lives. Together, we create a community where everyone is heard, understood, and empowered to thrive.”
— Jessica Walker, PhD, CCC-SLP
