Small Moments
with Big Meaning
TIKES
Therapeutic Intervention for Kids and Educational Support
TIKES speech and language therapy provides speech pathology services for children, teens and young adults. Based in Livingston, NJ, we work with a variety of speech, language, learning and social communication challenges. A private practice run by Barbara Goldfarb Portnoff, TIKES pediatric practice is founded on a simple premise: small moments have big meaning.
We take tiny successes and hard won victories and connect them to build fuller pictures of communication. We light a spark, that gains momentum and helps ignite learning.
We believe in meeting a child where they are and journeying with them every step of the way.
Our Approach
Barbara’s approach is not only to work collaboratively with parents and other professionals, but in true partnership with children and teens. It’s about seeing the whole child, the child together with their strengths, together with their challenges, and together with their passions and unique learning style.
Working closely with referring doctors, pediatric specialists, schools, families, caretakers and other therapists, TIKES creates a circle of communication that ensures a thoughtful diagnosis is delivered. Combining current research with innovative techniques, we always put what is most powerful and meaningful for the child at the center of each custom approach.
Our speech bubbles are speech huddles.
Speech-Language Pathology Services
Evaluations and consultations
In person or teletherapy
Individual speech and language therapy
Social skills & language groups
Floortime®
Parent and caregiver coaching
School contracts, mentoring and screenings
Support with IEP and school meetings
Interdisciplinary referrals, coordination and collaboration
Lectures and consultations with parent and professional organizations
From early intervention
through young adults,
we grow with our families.
Animal Assisted Therapy
Barbara and Wheaten Terrier, Lucy, are a certified therapy team, providing animal assisted therapy for those families who want this interaction. Outside of the Livingston, NJ office, Lucy and Barbara volunteer time and tail wags with children and adults through a variety of community organizations including Saint Barnabas Hospital.
Lucy loves dog treats, bubbles and bones but most of all, children.
Small
inklings
Maybe you’ve noticed your toddler doesn’t have many words. Perhaps your preschooler is struggling with following directions or prefers to play alone. It could be that your child is not making friends at elementary school. Perhaps your tween still struggles with the R sound or your teen is having difficulty working in a group.
Your small moments
“When my little boy said Mama.”
— Jody
“We played duck duck goose with friends— she has never done that.”
— Rani
“I was in the school play!”
-Mia
“My mom understood her granddaughter’s words.”
— Alex
“When my son ate dinner instead of a yogurt pouch!”
— Sara
“I started a film club at school!”
-Ryan