Growing speech, language, and literacy skills word by word

Hi I’m Diana!

Speech Language Pathologist

I have over 10 years of experience working with children of all ages. I created Grow onWords after working in a variety of settings because I wanted to create an environment where I was able to offer families the type of care and support that I was happy with. As a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP for short), I believe in supporting parents to become their child’s best language support while making therapy fun, engaging, and overall a positive experience for a child and their family.

I will always tell you what I’d like to work on with your child, why this is going to benefit your child’s development, and how I’m going to do it so you can continue to support your child’s speech, language, and literacy skills after the visit is over.

My SLP sessions are always child-led, play-based, and evidence-based. As an SLP on the Registry of Autism Service Providers in British Columbia (RASP list), I am continuing to learn about neurodiversity-affirming practices and implementing them during my sessions.

Child-led . . . play-based . . . evidence-based . . . neurodiversity-affirming . . . not sure what all of these words mean? Ask me during a session!

A toddler stacking blocks while sitting on the floor with wooden animal toys in front of him.

Services

SLP services when you need them, as often as you need them in English and/or Vietnamese.

With daytime and evening availability.

No weekly commitment needed.

  • It can be hard to know if your child is on the right track with all of the information out there. Initial consultations offer families who are ”just not sure” a chance to bring their child in for a visit to see if their child’s communication skills is developmentally appropriate. Your first visit may be your only SLP visit, and that’s okay!

  • Speech and language assessments are offered for

    • Young children who are not yet talking or are learning to talk

    • Children who are difficult to understand when they talk (have difficulty with speech sounds)

    • Children in grade school who are communicating in sentences, but continue to have difficulty with back and forth conversations, and adult-like grammar

    • Children and adolescents with reading and writing difficulties

    • Families needing an SLP assessment report to be completed as part of a private autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis

  • Speech and language therapy can look differently for different families and children. After your first visit, if speech and language therapy is recommended, I’ll provide you with some options on what therapy can look like and work with you to find a plan that suits your family’s current situation.

  • For many young children, parent coaching is often the therapy approach that SLPs will recommend. With parent coaching, we support you to become your child’s best language support.

    This is a collaborative approach, where an SLP and a parent will work together as a team to identify strategies and activities that will best support a child’s language development. With this approach, parents will develop a “toolbox” of skills that they can use at home with their child.

  • This is a great option for families looking to add an SLP to their child’s existing therapy team. Having an SLP’s input can help inform you and the therapy team which goals are most appropriate for your child’s current communication skills and how the team can work towards these goals.

    It’s okay if you live far away (in British Columbia)! With technology, virtual sessions are a great way to stay connected and deliver live training for the team.

  • Speech and language assessment reports can also be completed for families as needed. This can include the following:

    • Speech and language assessment reports to be used as part of a private Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis

    • Letters justifying the need for SLP services for funding applications

    • Progress reports to maintain funding for services

  • If you’re an adult looking for speech and language therapy for yourself, you can reach out to me directly at info@growonwords.com to see if I’ll be a good fit for you.

    I currently provide the following adult services:

    • Articulation / Speech Sound Therapy (for adults who have difficulty saying specific sounds)

    • Accent Reduction (As an SLP, I believe that accents are a beautiful part of our journey as humans. However, if others have a difficult time understanding you or if your accent is currently affecting your day-to-day life, we can work together to find your best voice.)

A speech-language pathologist sitting next to a young child looking at a picture in a book together.
 

In-home assessment package for children under 3 years of age

  • The in-home SLP assessment package is a flat rate of $525 which includes:

    1. A 30 to 45-minute initial parent interview completed remotely/online so I can listen to your concerns, answer any questions you might have, and start the assessment process.

    2. 45 minutes of in-person assessment time at your home where I’ll be interacting with you and your child, sharing my clinical observations with you, and providing you with in-the-moment recommendations and strategies that you can start using right away to support your child’s language development.

    3. A Speech and Language Assessment Report will be provided to you 1 to 2 weeks after the in-home assessment date which will include a summary of the assessment results, current recommendations, and written summaries of the recommended strategies.

    4. Driving time is already included in the flat rate so you know what you will be paying for upfront with no additional costs.

  • The in-home SLP assessment package for children under 3 years of age is currently only offered for families residing in the City of Vancouver.

    Requests for in-home assessments for families living in Burnaby, Richmond, and New Westminster are sometimes accepted pending availability.

  • Click on the Contact to Book button below and complete the contact form.

    I will get back to you within 1 to 2 business days.

    A $100 deposit is required after appointment times are confirmed. This amount will be applied towards the total cost of the assessment package.

A mother holding her two children sitting in front of a laptop as if she was participating in an initial SLP phone consultation.

Free initial phone consultations

Sometimes you just need to talk to someone first. Good thing talking about speech, language and literacy development is one of my favourite things to do! Reach out today to see if your child would benefit from the support of a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP).

    • A 15-minute phone call with a Speech-Language Pathologist.

    • During the initial phone consult, we can chat about your concerns, if SLP services will be a good fit for your child, and I can answer any questions you might have.

    • No strings attached. You are welcome to book or not book an appointment after the initial phone consult.

  • Anyone can receive a free initial phone consultation as long as you (and your child) reside within the province of British Columbia.

    1. Click on the Contact to Book button below and complete the contact form.

    2. I will get back to you within 1 to 2 business days.

A sign that reads "This World's Ours" behind a wooden administration desk.

This World’s Ours Centre

191 E 10th Ave, Vancouver BC V5T 1Z2

This World’s Ours is an inclusive centre in the heart of Vancouver. Clients booking at this location have access to the larger open play area in addition to the private therapy room. This is a great option for children who benefit from movement and the flexibility to be able to move around during their sessions.

In-person SLP services are offered at this location with daytime and evening availability. Book appointments directly online. Free 2 hour parking is available on some nearby residential streets.

Online | Teletherapy

Offered BC-wide

Online or teletherapy sessions are a great option for families who prefer not to make the commute or are unable to in their community.

Virtual SLP support looks differently for each family depending on their child’s needs. Initial 60-minute SLP consultations can help determine if your child’s communication and literacy skills are on track. One-on-one therapy for school-aged children can also be provided or I can join your child’s existing therapy team to provide team training and consultations.

FAQs

  • I currently provide in clinic as well as virtual services. Families are able to choose if they would like to have only in clinic services, only virtual services, or a combination of both.

    For in clinic visits, please book online.

    For virtual services, please contact to book.

  • Yes you can! If you would prefer to reserve a weekly time for your therapy session (i.e., always have the same time and day each week), just let us know! We will book you in each time we release new appointment times, and you can rest assured that your spot will always be available for you first.

    Please note we can only reserve a weekly spot if you’ll be coming at least 3 times a month. Families that frequently cancel their reserved weekly spot will have their spot opened up for first-come first-serve online bookings.

  • No referrals needed! I am happy to collaborate with any referring professionals, but a referral is not needed to access services.

  • This is a great question and it is my job to help you determine this. I offer families free 15-minute initial consultations via phone so that I can listen to your concerns, give you options on what to do next, and discuss if I will be a good fit for your family. Send me an email at info@growonwords.com and ask about an initial phone consultation or use the contact form.

  • I am currently offering services to toddlers (18 months to 3 years), preschoolers (3 years to 5 years), and school-aged children (5 years and older).

    I also work with adults! See ‘Adult Services’ in the Services section.

  • This depends on your extended health insurance coverage. Coverage for speech and language services is sometimes listed as “speech therapy”, “speech and language therapy”, “speech language pathology” or “speech language pathologist” services.

    No direct billing to insurance is provided. You will be provided with a receipt after each visit that can be used for claiming with your insurance provider.

  • Families are able to pay for services via INTERAC e-transfer or credit card.

    For families with insurance coverage, a receipt will be provided for insurance claiming.

    I am also able to directly accept payment from Autism Funding and the At Home Program.

  • Yes I am! Supporting young autistic children and their families is one of my main clinical areas of practice. As an SLP, I believe that building a relationship with your child is first and foremost the most important aspect of therapy. I strive to form genuine connections with your child in order to create a safe, supportive, and comfortable learning environment. I use a play-based therapy approach to ensure learning is always fun and engaging. During this journey, I always welcome and invite parents to join in during sessions so that we can work together to find ways to continue your child’s support outside of therapy sessions.

  • Yes, I am on the Registry of Autism Service Providers (RASP) list and am able to directly accept payment from your child’s autism funding.

    We will need to complete some paperwork first. Please let me know if you will be using Autism Funding prior to your first visit.

  • Yes! We will need to complete some paperwork first. Please let me know if you will be using At Home Program funding prior to your first visit.