How To Access Audiology and Speech & Language Services in New Brunswick
Access to Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Services in New Brunswick
Infant and Preschool
Are you looking for speech-language pathology services for an infant or preschool child?
Infant and Preschool speech-language pathology services are provided in New Brunswick by:
- Talk With Me/Parle-moi Early Language Services through the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development
- Regional Health Authorities: Vitalité and Horizon Health Networks through the Department of Health
- Private speech-language pathologists
- Specialized Services including: Stan Cassidy Centre for Rehabilitation, Autism Intervention Services, and New Brunswick Cochlear Implant Support Services.
See below for information about each service.
Talk With Me/Parle-moi
The Talk With Me/Parle-moi Program provides free programs for parents, caregivers, and community partners of children from birth to 5 years. Programs include providing information on speech, language, literacy, and hearing; as well as early identification, and parent/caregiver coaching.
To find out more about Talk With Me/Parle-moi please contact your local school district by phone or check their website.
The contact number for each school district can be found on the Maps entitled Anglophone School Districts and Francophone School Districts.
Individuals can refer directly to the Talk With Me/Parle-moi Program. A physician referral is not required.
Regional Health Authorities
In New Brunswick, Vitalité Health Network and Horizon Health Network are the two hospital-based regional health authorities that provide government-funded outpatient speech-language pathology services to infants, preschool children, and adults in both official languages (French and English). The speech-language pathologists within each health authority work to enhance the communication and feeding/swallowing abilities of their clients/patients as well as provide assessment and intervention in these areas. Examples of some areas in which speech-language pathologists work provide service include understanding and using language, making speech sounds, stuttering, voice (hoarseness), and resonance (nasal sounding speech) as well as feeding and swallowing.
Please go to vitalitenb.ca and horizonnb.ca to find out more about the speech-language pathology services in your health region or see the map below.
Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Services within the Regional Health Authorities
Private Speech-Language Pathology Services
Speech-Language Pathologists also work in private practice settings.
For a list of Speech-Language Pathologists in private practice in your area refer to the Find a Professional section.
Specialized Paediatric Services
Stan Cassidy Centre for Rehabilitation (SCCR)
Speech-language pathologists with SCCR are members of interdisciplinary teams that provide specialized services while working with children who have neuromotor difficulties (Cerebral Palsy, Neuromuscular Disease, genetic syndromes, Spinal Cord Injuries, brain injuries, etc.), autism, etc. Services are available to children from birth to adolescence, in both official languages, on-site, or as part of an outreach program. A Physician’s signature on the referral is required.
For more information on SCCR services please call (506) 452-5225 or visit stancassidy.ca or horizonnb.ca.
Autism Intervention Services (AIS)
Autism Intervention Services provides intensive behavioral interventions that are based on the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis to preschool children with Autism Spectrum Disorders throughout the province of New Brunswick.
Autism Intervention Services can offer consultative Speech-Language Pathology services to its clients and also works collaboratively with Speech-Language Pathologists hired by other organizations.
For more information please visit aisfredericton.ca.
A physician referral is required.
New Brunswick Cochlear Implant Support Services (NBCISS)
The New Brunswick Cochlear Implant Support Services are located at the Chaleur Regional Hospital in Bathurst. NBCISS includes hospital-based audiologists and a rehabilitation assistant with consultative services from hospital-based speech-language pathologists, psychologists and social work. They work closely with members of the patient’s circle of care including other partners in care in both the healthcare system and the community along with their personal support network.
Patient services offered by the NBCISS included both cochlear implant candidacy evaluation (collaboration with surgical teams) and post-operative audiology follow-up.
NBCISS provides assessments for people of all ages who wish to receive a cochlear implant. They also provide activation, programming, maintenance, and troubleshooting of implants; hearing rehabilitation; and coordination of care with cochlear implant centres outside of New Brunswick.
For more information please contact (506) 544-3869, (888)-695-9222 x 3869 (toll free) or visit vitalitenb.ca and search cochlear implant team.
School-Aged Children
Are you looking for speech-language pathology services for a school-aged child?
School-based speech-language pathologists who provide services to school-aged children work with students who have language disorders (difficulty using language or understanding what others say) and/or speech sound disorders. They also work with students who have feeding or swallowing difficulties, those who stutter, have voice disorders such as a hoarse quality, or others who are nonverbal and may use an alternate communication system like a communication board or a speech-generating device.
To find out about speech-language pathology services in your area through the Department of Education you can contact the classroom teacher or Resource Department at you child’s school. You can also contact the Superintendent’s office in your child’s school district. See maps below.
Anglophone School Districts
Anglophone School Districts
Adult
Are you looking for outpatient speech-language pathology services for an adult?
Adult swallowing and communication services are provided by the following:
- Regional Health Authorities: Vitalité and Horizon Health Networks through the Department of Health
- Extra-Mural Program (EMP)
- Private Speech-Language Pathologists
- Specialized Services including: Stan Cassidy Centre for Rehabilitation, and the
New Brunswick Cochlear Implant Services
Regional Health Authority – Adult Services
Speech-Language Pathologists in Vitalité and Horizon Health Networks, through the regional health authority, work to enhance communication and swallowing abilities of patients/clients in both official languages. They also work with others who are involved in the person’s care (e.g. friends, relatives, professionals, supportive personnel). Care may be provided through visits to outpatient clinics.
Visit a speech-language pathologist with your regional health authority if an adult is having difficulty swallowing; is choking or coughing when eating or drinking; has a change in voice; has difficulty speaking or understanding conversations; is stuttering.
To find more about the speech-language pathology services in your health region please visit vitalitenb.ca or horizonnb.ca.
Vitalite telephone: (506) 544-2133 or (888) 472-222-2220 (toll-free).
Please refer to the map of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Services within the Regional Health Authorities.
Extra Mural Program (EMP) – Adult Services
The speech-language pathologists with EMP provide community-based government-funded services in New Brunswick and are part of a rehabilitative team. Individuals and groups in nursing homes, at home, and in various community facilities could be eligible for these services.
Referrals for EMP speech-language pathology services can be made by physicians, other health care professionals, or individuals/caregivers by contacting the Care Coordination Centre at 1-(844)-982-7367 or visit extramuralnb.ca.
Extra Mural Program (EMP) – Adult Services
Cochlear Implant
Speech-language pathologists are part of the Cochlear Implant Team at the Chaleur Regional Hospital in Bathurst, New Brunswick. The Team provides assessment prior to surgery; activation, programming, maintenance and troubleshooting post-implant, as well as rehabilitation, regular follow-up, and coordination of care outside the Province.
New Brunswick residents of any age with serious or profound deafness or a cochlear implant can be assessed by the Cochlear Implant Team.
To request service (follow-up, repairs, equipment loan, and financial assistance call (506) 544-3869 or toll-free at (888) 695-3869. Referrals made by an ENT, physician, or audiologist are preferred, however, an individual or family member can also make a request directly to the program.
Stan Cassidy Centre for Rehabilitation (SCCR)
Speech-Language Pathologists are part of the Adult Team along with other rehabilitation professionals including: physicians, clinical dietetics, neuropsychology, nursing, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, psychology, recreational therapy, social work and pastoral care.
The goal of the Adult Team is to maximize independence and self-care of people who have challenges caused by traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, neuromuscular disorders, and other neurological conditions.
Individuals may be seen as inpatients outpatients and outreach. They may be seen by a single service or by an interdisciplinary team.
A physician’s signature on the referral is required for the Adult Program at SCCR.
For more information and referral form to the Adult Team at SCCR please follow the links below:
Adult referral process to the Stan Cassidy Center for Rehabilitation
Are you looking for audiology services in New Brunswick?
Audiologists are hearing health professionals who identify, evaluate, diagnose, and provide management for individuals with hearing loss, tinnitus, auditory processing disorder (APD), and/or balance disorders.
Audiology services within New Brunswick are provided by:
- Regional Health Authorities
- Private Practice Audiologist
- Specialized audiology services: New Brunswick Cochlear Implant Services
Regional Health Authorities
The two regional health authorities Vitalité Health Network and Horizon Health Network provide audiology services in New Brunswick to inpatients and outpatients of all ages, in both official languages, at no cost to the individual. Testing costs are covered by Medicare.
Referrals to hospital-based audiology can be made by physicians, other health care professionals, educational professionals, parents/caregivers, and patients themselves. Information about the referral process and contact information for hospital-based audiology services can be found at the following links:
Horizon Health Network Audiology Referral Process
Vitalité Health Network Audiology Referral Process
Please see the Access to Audiology Services organizational chart or the New Brunswick Health Authority Map above for contact information of an Audiology Department near you.
Private Audiology Services
If you are looking for private audiology services please contact an individual clinic to see which services are available. You may also find the name of an audiologist and the name of their clinic by going to the Find a Professional page.
A portion of the testing cost may be covered by personal health insurance.
Specialized Audiology Services
New Brunswick Cochlear Implant Support Services (NBCISS)
The audiologists with the NBCISS are specialized in cochlear implant service delivery and have received additional and specialized training in the field of cochlear implants. They also receive ongoing training in this rapidly advancing field in evolving criteria for candidacy and the programming and use of equipment and technology available within the Cochlear Implant Support Services.
These audiologists assess and identify the audiology profile of a potential cochlear implant candidate; provide counseling, treatment, management and rehabilitation services unique to the cochlear implant candidate and recipient and their family members/support network; communicate with the professional teams locally and at the surgical site where the cochlear implant recipient was or will be treated; and act as consultants and clinical leaders to other healthcare professionals in NB involved in the patient’s care.
For more information please go to vitalitenb.ca.