Speech Therapy

Speech Therapy is a field of healthcare that focuses on the evaluation and treatment of communication disorders, speech disorders, and swallowing disorders. Speech therapists, also known as speech-language pathologists, work with patients who have difficulties with speech, language, cognition, voice, swallowing, and fluency.

Overview

Speech therapy involves the diagnosis, management, and treatment of individuals who are unable to communicate effectively or consume food and drink safely and efficiently. This includes both physical and cognitive aspects of communication and swallowing.

Types of Disorders

Speech 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 other people 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).

Treatment

Speech therapists use a variety of techniques in their treatment, including:

• Articulation therapy: This involves demonstrating how to produce certain sounds and syllables and practicing these sounds in different words and sentences.
• Language intervention activities: This involves playing and talking, using pictures, books, objects, or ongoing events to stimulate language development.
• Oral-motor/feeding and swallowing therapy: This involves using exercises to strengthen the muscles of the mouth, and teaching individuals how to swallow properly and safely.

See Also

• Audiology
• Occupational therapy
• Physical therapy

References

Speech Therapy Resources
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