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Dr. Cara M. Gelbart

Speech-Language Pathologist

<p>Cara Gelbart is a speech language pathologist practicing in Scottsdale, Arizona. Gelbart specializes in speech, language and social pragmatic disorders in patients. As a speech language pathologist, Gelbart evaluates, diagnoses and treats patients with communication difficulties. These conditions may be due to developmental delay, brain injury, hearing loss, autism, stroke or other diseases and injuries. Gelbart helps patients make sounds and improve their voices through various methods. Speech language pathologists also work with patients to strengthen muscles used to speak and swallow, and work with individuals and families to help cope with their conditions.</p>
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Dr. Cara M. Gelbart
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How long does hearing loss last after a cold?

If your child is experiencing hearing loss after a cold, you should take them to their primary care physician, who may refer you to an audiologist.

Cara Gelbart

How do you know if a learning disability is serious?

There are lots of different types and degrees of learning disability. It might be specific to certain subject matters in school for example. I don't have a lot of information about READ MORE
There are lots of different types and degrees of learning disability. It might be specific to certain subject matters in school for example. I don't have a lot of information about your daughter to be able to say how serious it is in her case. But your daughter's school should have a special ed director or someone to speak with about having her assessed for learning challenges. A speech/language assessment may also shed some light on any gaps that can be filled with some support. Speaking to your school's principal or your daughter's teacher might be a good place to start. Public schools are obligated to perform these assessments if you request them. A PsychoEd evaluation may also be helpful. Your pediatrician may have recommendations.

Why does my son stutter when he's anxious?

Do you stumble over words more when you get anxious? Your son may also be more self conscious about his speech when he is anxious which can compound his anxiety and therefore increase READ MORE
Do you stumble over words more when you get anxious? Your son may also be more self conscious about his speech when he is anxious which can compound his anxiety and therefore increase his disfluencies. Stuttering can also be related to tenseness in the muscles used for speech production. Anxiety can cause muscle tenseness. One of the worst things we can do to someone who stutters is to put pressure on them.

Can you take your baby to a speech therapist at 2 years old?

A speech language pathologist would be able to assess whether there is a developmental speech delay or something to cause your child to speak later.

Which form of therapy is most effective for panic attacks?

You will have to consult with a psychologist or psychiatrist to treat your panic attacks.

How do I continue speech therapy at home after class?

Ask your speech therapist for activities you can do at home to keep practicing. There are also clinics which offer speech language therapy and many accept insurance.

At what age do children's speech delays appear?

It depends on the child. They don't read the child development text book.

How early should you start speech therapy?

Developmentally, 2 is pretty early to say if a lisp will affect your child's speech long term. We start to get concerned if a lisp hasn't self-corrected by age 7 or 8

Can a speech delay be caused by a work injury?

A speech disorder can absolutely result from head injuries depending on the part of the brain affected by the injury. All of the body's functions and cognition are controlled by READ MORE
A speech disorder can absolutely result from head injuries depending on the part of the brain affected by the injury. All of the body's functions and cognition are controlled by the brain. It's the same thing when a person develops speech or language issues following a stroke.

Cara Gelbart

At what age should a delayed child start speech therapy?

At one year old it is likely too early to say that your child is delayed.

Are any communication devices used for speech therapy?

Hi,

There are many different types of communication devices used in speech therapy.

Cara Gelbart

Can stress cause a stutter in children?

Hi there, Stress and external pressures can absolutely be a factor in stuttering. We can't say definitively if these factors are a "cause." My recommendation for now would be READ MORE
Hi there,

Stress and external pressures can absolutely be a factor in stuttering. We can't say definitively if these factors are a "cause." My recommendation for now would be to seek out a local Speech-Language Pathologist with stuttering experience to perform an assessment. In the meantime, give your daughter plenty of time to get out her entire message while she's speaking. Don't rush her or try to fill in words for her if she is having trouble. Also, make her mental health a priority, and focus on keeping her home environment a calm and safe communication space. Fear of communicating can make stuttering worse. I am sorry she is feeling so much stress from everything going on right now.

My voice is extremely low. What can I do to enhance it?

This is not my particular area of expertise, however, if this is something that is bothersome to you and affecting your self-esteem and/or quality of life, you can seek out speech READ MORE
This is not my particular area of expertise, however, if this is something that is bothersome to you and affecting your self-esteem and/or quality of life, you can seek out speech therapy to work on treating your habitual pitch.

What is the difference between a speech therapist and a speech pathologist?

Typically the title "Speech Therapist" is interchangeable with "Speech Pathologist."

Does hearing loss affect your speech?

Hearing loss can absolutely affect your speech because it affects your ability to hear what your own speech sounds like. Her ability to self-monitor her speech output might be READ MORE
Hearing loss can absolutely affect your speech because it affects your ability to hear what your own speech sounds like. Her ability to self-monitor her speech output might be distorted. However, elderly people also often experience muscle weakness and/or decreased motor coordination which can also cause speech to lack clarity.

How is speech delay treated in speech therapy?

A Speech-Language Pathologist has methods for encouraging young non-verbal children to communicate functionally. Oftentimes, their therapy consists of providing the child with READ MORE
A Speech-Language Pathologist has methods for encouraging young non-verbal children to communicate functionally. Oftentimes, their therapy consists of providing the child with support for understanding language, and not only using it. What this looks like will vary greatly from case to case, and will depend on the child. Some children begin using speech given therapy, whilst others may require alternative communication methods.

Should I be worried about my speech impairment?

If the way you speak is bothersome to you, and affects your self-esteem and/or quality of living, then you may consider seeking a Speech-Language Pathologist to perform an assessment READ MORE
If the way you speak is bothersome to you, and affects your self-esteem and/or quality of living, then you may consider seeking a Speech-Language Pathologist to perform an assessment of your speech and give you ways to improve your speaking rate.

What can be done to help my 5 year old son speak more clearly?

There are a number of different things that can cause unclear speech. Unfortunately, I would not be able to say what the reason is in your son's case without completing a formal READ MORE
There are a number of different things that can cause unclear speech. Unfortunately, I would not be able to say what the reason is in your son's case without completing a formal assessment. At the age of 5, a child's speech should be near 100% intelligible. It may be beneficial to you to seek out a speech and language evaluation.

How can I tell if my daughter has speech issues?

At the age of 6, you may wish to seek out speech therapy for your daughter's r pronunciation. Typically, r production difficulties subside around kindergarten. Proper r pronunciation READ MORE
At the age of 6, you may wish to seek out speech therapy for your daughter's r pronunciation. Typically, r production difficulties subside around kindergarten. Proper r pronunciation can help her academically, particularly as she is learning to read and spell. Children will spell the way they hear sounds, and if her sounds are distorted this could affect her spelling.

My son still can't pronounce his "r's" properly. Would therapy help him?

Whether therapy would be helpful to your son to pronounce his "r"s depends a lot on his age. Problems with "r" sound production typically resolve themselves around age 5. Now, READ MORE
Whether therapy would be helpful to your son to pronounce his "r"s depends a lot on his age. Problems with "r" sound production typically resolve themselves around age 5. Now, there is no inherent rule book dictating this and each child is individual. Sound production can affect academics, and is an easier problem to fix when a child is at a younger age. If it is concerning to you, it may be beneficial to seek a speech evaluation.