Speech-language therapy

Speech-language therapy is a specialized field of healthcare that focuses on the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of communication disorders, speech disorders, and swallowing disorders. Speech-language therapists, also known as speech-language pathologists, work with individuals of all ages, from infants to the elderly, to improve their communication skills and overall quality of life.

Overview

Speech-language therapy involves the assessment and treatment of a variety of disorders that can affect a person's ability to speak, understand, read, write, or swallow. These disorders can be developmental, meaning they occur in childhood, or acquired, meaning they develop later in life due to an injury, illness, or other condition.

Disorders Treated

Speech-language therapists treat a wide range of disorders, including:

• Articulation disorders: These involve difficulties producing sounds in syllables or saying words incorrectly to the point that listeners can't understand what's being said.
• Fluency disorders: These include problems such as stuttering, in which the flow of speech is interrupted by abnormal stoppages, partial-word repetitions, or prolonging sounds and syllables.
• Resonance or voice disorders: These involve problems with the pitch, volume, or quality of the voice that distract listeners from what's being said.
• Language disorders: These can be either receptive (difficulties understanding or processing language) or expressive (difficulty putting words together, limited vocabulary, or inability to use language in a socially appropriate way).
• Cognitive-communication disorders: These include problems organizing thoughts, paying attention, remembering, planning, and/or problem-solving.
• Swallowing disorders (dysphagia): These are difficulties in any part of the swallowing process, from accepting food into the mouth to the movement of food and liquid through the pharynx and esophagus into the stomach.

Therapy Techniques

Speech-language therapists use a variety of techniques in their treatment, depending on the nature and severity of the disorder. These techniques may include:

• Articulation therapy: This involves exercises to improve the physical ability to produce speech sounds.
• Language intervention activities: This includes playing and talking, using pictures, books, objects, or ongoing events to stimulate language development.
• Oral-motor/feeding and swallowing therapy: This involves teaching the brain to control the body parts involved in swallowing, and may include facial massage and various tongue, lip, and jaw exercises.

Education and Training

In order to become a speech-language pathologist, an individual must earn a master's degree in speech-language pathology from an accredited institution. They must also complete a clinical fellowship and pass a national examination to become licensed to practice.

See Also

• Audiology
• Occupational therapy
• Physical therapy