Iowa Speech Solutions, PLLC

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United States
Johnston, IA
Iowa Speech Solutions, PLLC

Adult medical/neuro speech, language, swallow and cognitive services. Based in Des Moines, Iowa. Our visits are by appointment only.

Please give us a call and we will be as flexible as possible. We can offer in home options, depending on the case and location. We are currently accepting Medicare, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Midlands Choice. Pending enrollment with Medicaid and Humana. We are adult focused, personalized, specialized and flexible. Our clinicians have additional training in adult dysphagia (swallowing), Parkinson's Voice (SPEAK OUT! and LSVT LOUD), short program for ARK J Trismus, McNeill Dysphagia (swallowing) Program and Intensive Dysphagia treatment, AAC, and Dementia Practitioner.

12/18/2025

🍔 Organizing Your Thoughts with the “Hamburger Layout”

Written communication can feel overwhelming after a concussion, brain injury, or other neurological condition — especially when ideas get jumbled, details are hard to sequence, or attention and working memory are taxed.

We like to use simple, evidence-aligned tools to make communication clearer, easier, and more efficient.
One of our favorites? The Hamburger Graphic Organizer.

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🍞 Top Bun — Your Main Idea

Start with the big picture:
-What are you trying to say?
-What’s the goal of the message?
This helps anchor your attention before diving into details.

🥬🍅 The Fillings — Supporting Details

Add 2–3 key points that support your main idea.
These might include:
• Facts
• Context
• Steps
• Examples
Using a limited, structured set of details reduces overwhelm and helps keep communication on topic.

🍞 Bottom Bun — Your Wrap-Up

-Finish with a clear closing statement or action.
-What do you want the listener/reader to understand, do, or remember?

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Why It Works (Especially in Neuro Rehab)

The hamburger layout supports core cognitive-communication processes:
-Idea generation
-Organization & sequencing
-Working memory load reduction
-Error awareness & self-monitoring

It’s flexible enough for verbal expression in conversation and written expression for emails, notes, or forms.

12/12/2025

Supporting On-Topic Communication: Pause–Answer–Add

Many people who live with brain injury or concussion experience verbosity or tangential responses during conversation. A simple framework that can support clearer, more organized communication is:

1. Pause

Take a brief moment to identify the core of what was asked.

2. Answer

Respond with one clear, direct sentence.

3. Add (Optional)

Offer one small detail only if needed.
You can also check in by asking:
“Do you need me to add more or give more detail?”

This small step can support self-monitoring, reduce tangents, and keep conversations efficient and collaborative.

12/03/2025

How SLPs Support Care Partners + Lead Communication in Dementia Care Teams

Caring for someone with dementia takes a team—and SLPs are the communication leaders in that team.

Here’s how we support care partners and the care team
1. Teach communication strategies that make conversations easier for families and care partners.
2. Create memory books, visuals, and routines to support independence.
3. Guide swallowing + mealtime plans so loved ones stay comfortable and supported.
4. Educate & empower care partners so they feel confident in daily communication.

AND…

We lead communication across the care team (IDT):
– unify approaches across nursing, OT, PT, activities & providers
– teach consistent communication strategies
– support care conferences and person-centered care plans
– bridge gaps between disciplines so everyone communicates effectively

SLPs help the entire circle of care stay connected, consistent, and person-centered.
Dementia care is teamwork—and we’re here to support every member of that team.

11/25/2025

At Iowa Speech Solutions, we believe that every speech-language pathologist and practice brings unique strengths to the table — and that’s something to celebrate. A LinkedIn post we came across a while back really resonated with us and inspired this message.

In our practice, we choose to specialize. We intentionally focus on adult neurological and medical speech therapy rather than pediatrics or developmental stuttering, and we see concussion and TBI clients beginning at age 15.

Our expertise includes post-stroke rehabilitation, TBI and concussion (15+), dementia, Parkinson’s, swallowing, and voice disorders.

Our goal is simple: to provide highly specialized, evidence-based, person-centered care for the people we serve.

Read more on the blog: “What We Don’t Do — and Why That Matters.”

11/21/2025

🌱 What is Habit Stacking?
Habit stacking is a simple, brain-friendly strategy that links a new task to something you already do automatically. By pairing a desired behavior with an existing routine, you create a powerful cue that boosts follow-through and reduces cognitive load.

For example:
👉 Take your pet’s new medication right after you eat breakfast.
👉 Do your home exercise program right after you brush your teeth or sit down with your morning coffee.

Why it works: your established habits become anchors, helping your brain start the new task with less effort—especially helpful for adults navigating memory, attention, or executive functioning challenges.

At Iowa Speech Solutions, we love using habit stacking as a practical support for cognitive-communication success. Small steps. Smart routines. Big impact. 💛🧠

11/14/2025

💬 Rebuilding Real Communication After Stroke or Brain Injury

Language therapy for adults is so much more than answering questions or naming pictures.

At Iowa Speech Solutions, we focus on helping clients get back to real-life communication; the kind that happens at the dinner table, in a doctor’s office, or while catching up with a friend.

That means practicing:
🗣️ Giving and following directions
🤝 Persuading or negotiating a point of view
💭 Telling stories and sharing experiences
📝 Clarifying and repairing misunderstandings
📞 Handling everyday communication tasks like phone calls or appointments

These are the conversations that bring confidence, independence, and connection back into daily life.

Every session is designed to make language therapy functional, person-centered, and meaningful.

Because communication is more than words — it’s connection. 💛

11/06/2025

🌿 What Rest Can Look Like (and Why It Matters)
At Iowa Speech Solutions, we talk often about energy conservation — not just for the body, but for the brain.

Rest isn’t only naps or TV time. True rest is about replenishing mental, emotional, and physical energy — especially important for cognitive-communication health and recovery.

✨ Rest can look like:
• A slow walk or time in nature
• Sitting with your pet
• Listening to music or an audiobook
• Gentle stretching or breath work
• Quiet reflection or meditation
• Balancing a cognitive task with a physical one (like folding laundry after computer work)
• A mindful pause between activities

These are all ways to support your brain’s ability to restore, focus, and connect — whether you’re recovering from brain injury, managing chronic fatigue, or simply maintaining your cognitive health.

🕊️ Make time for rest, and build it into your routine. Try adding it to your calendar or setting an alarm reminder until it becomes a habit.

💛 We’re practicing what we teach — Iowa Speech Solutions will be out of office for a short holiday from November 7–12 to rest and recharge. We’ll return refreshed and ready to support you soon!

10/29/2025

🌿 Rest Radar: Signs You Need to Pause
(Especially important for brain injury, concussion, or cognitive rehab patients)

Why it matters for cognitive-communication therapy:
Rest isn’t “lazy.” It supports neuroplasticity, memory consolidation, and energy for therapy. Ignoring early signals can slow recovery or trigger cognitive/physical crashes. This checklist builds awareness of when your brain needs a break.

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Physical Signs
☐ Unusual or increased fatigue
☐ Muscle aches, heaviness, or tension
☐ Headache, dizziness, vision changes, brain fog
☐ Unrefreshing sleep
☐ Flare-up of chronic symptoms

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Cognitive, Mental & Emotional Signs
☐ Trouble focusing, remembering, or word finding
☐ Irritable, anxious, or emotionally reactive
☐ Low motivation for usual tasks
☐ Racing thoughts or hard to calm mind

Therapy tip: These signs show your brain may need a pause before continuing cognitive work.

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Subtle / Delayed Signals
☐ Post-exertional crash after activity
☐ Appetite or thirst changes
☐ Heightened light/noise sensitivity

Therapy tip: Track patterns and share them with your care team for pacing strategies.

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Practical Cues
☐ “Body/mind telling me to slow down”
☐ Crashes often hit 1–2 days after overdoing it
☐ Feeling low on energy or “bandwidth”

Therapy tip: Use these cues to plan tasks for when your brain is most ready.

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✅ Rest Guidance
• Even 10–15 minutes of rest can prevent bigger crashes
• Pair rest with hydration, nutrition, and mindful breathing
• Rest protects neuroplasticity—your brain recovers faster when supported

Final thought: Rest isn’t just “doing nothing.” It can mean easing into your day, listening to music, or taking a slow walk. Create your own rest menu.

🐈‍⬛ Pepper prefers cat naps.

⸻

10/22/2025

In neurorehabilitation, relevance drives neuroplasticity.

If I hand someone a worksheet asking them to name zoo animals from a yellowing 1980s manual, their brain might not light up with meaning; unless they’re a zookeeper or an animal lover, of course!

But if they love to bake, suddenly we can build a functional and meaningful word set:
🍞 What do you bake?
🥣 What ingredients do you use?
🧁 What are the steps in your favorite recipe?
🍴 What’s in your kitchen, and where do you keep it?

When therapy is personally salient, it strengthens attention, memory, and learning.
That’s neuroplasticity in action, the brain rewires best when it cares about the task.

10/16/2025

Telehealth Speech Therapy: Bringing Care Across Iowa

At Iowa Speech Solutions, we know access to quality speech therapy can be challenging—especially for older adults, caregivers, and those in rural communities. Telehealth has allowed us to bring therapy directly into people’s homes, supporting communication, memory, voice recovery, and more from the comfort of their familiar surroundings.

Update:
As of October 1, 2025, Medicare (CMS) has paused coverage for telehealth speech therapy. We’re hopeful this will change and will share updates as they become available.

In the meantime, private pay telehealth options may remain available for CMS clients who wish to continue virtual care.

Read the full blog on our website to learn more about how telehealth supports connection and independence across Iowa.

10/08/2025

Interoception and Energy After Brain Injury

After a concussion, your brain may struggle to notice internal signals like fatigue, tension, or stress.

In cognitive communication therapy, we help clients:
• Tune in to early signs of low energy
• Plan tasks during their best energy times
• Use pacing and cues to prevent overwhelm

Better interoception means better self regulation, communication, and participation in daily life without crashing.

What does your body’s low energy signal feel like?

Address

6165 NW 86th Street Suite 238
Johnston, IA
50131

Telephone

+15152197254

Website

http://www.iowaspeechsolutions.com/

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