What is Speech Therapy?

Therapy is a very general term that encompasses a variety of different treatments intended to relieve or heal a disorder. With speech therapy, people with communication or speech disorders are quickly assessed and treated. In this blog we detail exactly what speech therapists do and why someone would need speech therapy.

Speech therapy is performed by speech-language pathologists (SLPs for short), or more commonly known as speech therapists. These speech therapists use a variety of techniques to improve communication. Depending on the disorder, speech therapists will assess their patient’s communication disorder and tailor the right technique to treat it. Whether it is articulation therapy, language intervention activities, or another technique you will see improvements in your speech over time. Speech therapists usually want to start therapy early as it can have a higher success rate in the end.

Speech therapy can be used for people of all ages. Usually speech disorders can develop early during childhood, however speech impairments can happen in adults as a result of an injury or illness such as a stroke or brain injury. For young children, speech therapy may take place in a classroom, small group, or one-on-one. During treatment, therapists strive to correct sounds and syllables while interacting with the child through talking and playing. For adults, speech therapists will try problem solving, memory, and conversational tactics in the hopes to improve cognitive and social communication.

The process of speech therapy depends on a few factors such as age, frequency of therapy, and severity of speech disorder. With enough time, speech therapy can improve communication and boost self-confidence in patients. If you feel speech therapy is right for you, please consult your doctor.

For more information on speech therapy, click here.

Article written by William Graves.