Speech therapy is a type of treatment, also known as speech-language pathology, that addresses a range of problems involving communication and swallowing. Speech therapy can help people who have difficulty speaking clearly and fluently, stammering, or not being able to understand the words that others speak.
Speech therapy can be useful for children who have developmental delays or learning disabilities. It can also help people with neurological conditions such as cerebral palsy, Parkinson’s disease, and stroke. Speech therapists work with people who have voice disorders caused by vocal abuse or misuse. They also treat people who have swallowing problems (dysphagia) from conditions such as multiple sclerosis or brain injury.
Speech and language therapists may work with individuals or groups of people in a variety of settings, including the following:
- Homes
- Schools
- Hospitals
- Nursing homes
Speech therapy is the evaluation and treatment of communication disorders and swallowing disorders. Speech-language pathologists (sometimes called speech therapists) assess, diagnose, treat and help to prevent communication and swallowing disorders in children and adults.
Speech therapy is used to identify and treat speech or language problems. It is a medical treatment that helps you improve your communication skills by changing how you make sounds, improving the physical movements needed for speech, and increasing awareness of your language.
Speech therapy is the treatment of communication problems with a trained professional. It is used to help with speech, language, and social skills. A person who is having trouble speaking or communicating may find speech therapy helpful. This may include talking about thoughts, feelings, and ideas. Or it may include using facial expressions and body language to communicate.
Speech therapists are trained professionals who have studied in this area for many years. They work with you to improve your communication skills.
Speech therapy is therapy for people who have difficulty speaking or understanding language. That difficulty could be caused by a stroke, brain injury, developmental delay, hearing loss, intellectual disability, cerebral palsy, autism, or other conditions. A certified speech-language pathologist (SLP) can evaluate your communication skills and figure out what kind of problem you’re having.
Speech-language pathology is a field of expertise practiced by a clinician known as a speech-language pathologist (SLP). or a speech therapist. SLP is considered a “related health profession” or “allied health profession” along with audiology, optometry, occupational therapy, clinical psychology, physical therapy, and others.
SLPs specialize in the evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of communication disorders, cognitive-communication disorders, voice disorders and swallowing disorders.
Communication refers to the effective expression of thoughts and ideas through language which may be verbal (written or spoken), nonverbal (gestures or facial expressions) or both. A variety of speech and language disorders can affect one’s ability to communicate effectively. Speech refers to the production of sounds used to express words.
Language refers to the rules we use to put words together in order to communicate thoughts and ideas. Language can be used to communicate through speaking, writing, signing and/or gestures.