Speech therapy deals with diagnosing and treating speech disorders and communication problems. This is done by speech-language pathologists, also known as speech therapists.
To improve communication, speech therapy techniques can be used. These techniques include language intervention activities and articulation therapy. They are dependent on the type of speech or language disorder.
Speech therapy may be necessary for speech problems present in childhood or speech impairments suffered by adults due to injury or illness such as stroke and brain injury.
Why would you need speech therapy?
Speech therapy can treat many speech and language disorders.
- Articulation disorders. An articulation disorder refers to the inability or difficulty with certain word sounds being formed. This speech disorder can cause a child to drop, swap, distort or add words and sounds. Distorting a word could be described as saying “thith” rather than “this”.
- Fluency disorders. This affects speech flow, speed and rhythm. Fluency disorders include stuttering or cluttering. Stuttering is a condition that makes it difficult for a person to make a sound. They may have difficulty speaking, have trouble understanding speech, and be unable to understand the meaning of words. People with cluttering speak fast and often combine words.
- Resonance disorders. A resonance disorder can occur when the airflow in the nasal and oral cavities is blocked or restricted. This affects the voice quality by altering the vibrations. This can also occur if the velopharyngeal valvule doesn’t close properly. Resonance disorders can be associated with Cleft Palate, neurological disorders and Swollen Tonsils.
- Receptive disorder. Someone with a receptive-language disorder has difficulty understanding and processing the words of others. You may appear uninterested in what someone else is saying, have difficulty following directions or have limited vocabulary. A receptive language disorder can also be caused by autism and hearing loss.
- Expression disorders. Expressive language disorder. This is a condition that makes it difficult to express or convey information. An expressive disorder can cause problems with the ability to form accurate sentences. For example, incorrect verb tenses could be a problem. This condition is often associated with hearing loss and developmental impairments like Down syndrome. It may also be caused by head trauma or a medical condition.
- Cognitive-communication disorders. Difficulty communicating because of an injury to the part of the brain that controls your ability to think is called cognitive-communication disorder. It can lead to memory problems, problem-solving, and difficulty speaking or listening. It could be due to biological conditions such as abnormal brain development, neurological conditions, stroke, or brain injury.
- Aphasia. An acquired communication disorder that impairs one’s ability to communicate with others. This disorder can also affect a person’s ability to read and write. Aphasia is most commonly caused by stroke, but other brain disorders may also be a cause.
- Dysarthria. A condition that causes slow or slurred speech. This is caused by weakness or the muscles’ inability to communicate. It is most often caused by neurological disorders, including those that lead to facial paralysis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, stroke, and multiple sclerosis.
How much speech therapy do you require?
A few factors determine how long a person will need speech therapy.
- Their age
- Type and severity of the speech disorder
- Frequency of therapy
- An underlying medical condition
- Treatment of an underlying medical condition
Some speech disorders start in childhood and get better with age. Others continue into adulthood and require ongoing therapy and maintenance.
As the condition progresses, a communication disorder caused by stroke or another medical condition can improve.
How successful are speech therapies?
Speech therapy’s success rate varies depending on the disorder type and the treatment age. The time you start speech therapy can have an impact on how successful it is.
Speech therapy for young children has been proven to work best when it is started early and done at home with the help of a parent/caregiver.
The bottom line
Speech therapy can treat many speech and language disorders, both in children and adults. Speech therapy can improve communication and self-confidence by being proactive.
