Schools for speech therapy are educational institutions that specialize in teaching students how to help people with speech problems and language difficulties. Schools for speech therapy may offer programs at the undergraduate, graduate, or doctorate level.
Speech disorders are a common problem, affecting millions of people of all ages, genders, and ethnicities. Speech disorders can be caused by a number of different factors, including developmental disorders like autism and genetic conditions like cleft palate.
In a speech therapy school, kids and adults with speech impediments work with speech-language pathologists to learn how to speak clearly, correctly, and in some cases, how to speak at all. These therapists can help kids and adults who’ve suffered a stroke, who have autism or Parkinson’s disease, or who have cerebral palsy.
There are many different types of schools for speech therapy. If a child has difficulty speaking but doesn’t need any other forms of therapy (like physical or occupational therapy), they might attend a school dedicated solely to speech therapy. If the child needs other types of therapy as well, they might attend a school that offers multiple therapies under one roof.
School-based speech therapy is a service that helps children with speech and language disorders. A speech-language pathologist (SLP) provides this type of therapy, which focuses on improving a child’s abilities to communicate and swallow.
Speech pathologists who work in schools may provide services to children who have a variety of speech and language needs. Some children are hard to understand because they speak too quietly or quickly. Children can also have trouble learning how to pronounce sounds correctly when speaking. Other children struggle to understand what people say to them, or how to express their thoughts through spoken language. They may have difficulty following directions or expressing their wants and needs through words. Some children also have difficulty swallowing food or liquids safely and healthily.
School-based speech therapy is a specialized program to provide services in schools to students who need speech, language and/or communication support. This can include children with language difficulties, articulation problems and social communication needs.
Speech-Language Pathologists work with school-based teams that may include teachers, principals, psychologists and other allied health professionals, to provide specialised education programs and advice to teachers that aims to improve the student’s access to the curriculum and general education activities. Speech-language pathologists providing services in schools are trained in educational processes as well as clinical practice. This ensures that they take into account the educational needs of the child within a classroom setting, in addition to their clinical needs.