Speech therapy is a specialized field of healthcare that uses techniques for the assessment, intervention and evaluation of communication skills. This is particularly true for children, adults, and the elderly. In many cases, the primary problem addressed is a communication disorder, that is, an impairment in oral, written, or other modes of communication, caused by a speech or language disorder, or both.

A child who has difficulty communicating may require therapy to speak clearly and pronounce words with more precision. In such cases, a speech therapist can help develop specific language goals that can then be spelt out and practised during sessions, including presenting letters with the lips and articulating sounds more clearly. Also known as speech-language pathology, it is generally part of a multi-faceted therapy plan.

The Importance of Speech Therapy

A person who is unable to communicate in one or more ways can miss out on key aspects of social life. For this reason, people with communication disorders are to take speech therapy seriously. Focal areas include:

Fluency Disorders

People with fluency disorders often have a “muddled” stream of speech or, worse, garbled speech that sounds unintelligible. Although a fluency disorder is a symptom of speech and language disorders, it is commonly identified as a distinct area of impairment and treated as such. Speech therapy is designed to address this disorder, relating to the pace, flow, and rhythm of one’s speech.

Articulation Disorders

People with articulation disorders have difficulty with the way they use their lips, teeth, tongue, and mouth to pronounce sounds. It is often the first sign of a speech disorder and requires a lot of effort to correct. When these individuals are unable to make sounds accurately, their speech becomes weak and sometimes non-vocalised. They can’t be understood, even though they might put a great deal of effort into maintaining clarity while communicating.

Cognitive-Communication Disorders

Cognitive-communication disorders are those that relate to intellectual functioning and how language is used, such as impaired understanding or reading, or impaired reasoning skills. Such disorders also include disorders of thinking (cognition), such as autistic spectrum disorders, Asperger syndrome, and Down syndrome. A good speech therapist should know about these disorders and help patients manage them.

Receptive Disorders

As the name suggests, a person may have a receptive disorder, if they have problems understanding what is being said. This may be due to hearing loss, problems processing the acoustic signal being presented, or some combination of the two. It may involve difficulties understanding speech, even though they are not deaf.

Expressive Disorders

People with an expressive language disorder have problems with their sound-producing muscles, such as the lips, tongue, and throat. This can lead to problems with words, syllables, and phonemes. They may also have cognitive processing delays or difficulties processing words and sounds.

Speech Therapy Process

Before starting therapy, the speech therapist, also known as a speech-language pathologist (SLP) will usually take an assessment to determine if there are any speech problems. This therapist will also evaluatethe severity of such disorders.

The assessment could take various forms: language sampling, systematic observation and contextual analysis, naturalistic observation, analogue tasks, and ethnographic interviewing. The SLP may use any of the following tools or a combination:

DAS-II
GFTA-3
Bayley-III
PLS-5
CELF-5

Speech-Language Pathology for Children

With children, it is often difficult to determine when a speech disorder begins to develop. Several factors can contribute to speech disorders. For example, they may be due to changes in the brain as the child develops, or may be linked to a problem in the speech organs, the nerves that signal to the mouth and the sound-producing muscles.

If a child is diagnosed at a very young age, a lot can be done to prevent the problem from getting worse. Hence, early detection is very important for the development of speech therapy. Therapy could be either one-on-one or group sessions, depending on the type and severity of the disorder, as well as the child’s age and needs. During this period,

The child is exposed to training models that will contribute towards creating the right sounds and syllables.
There is room for interaction through high-engaging materials that will promote language development.
The SLP will equip the child and parents or guardians with assignments and techniques for sustainable development even outside the clinic.

Speech-Language Pathology for Adults

If an adult has a speech disorder, it can sometimes be tough for an SLP to diagnose the problem. However, this can be done if the specialist recognizes that the problem is related to speech development. Once the proper diagnosis is given, the SLP will need to use different techniques to help treat this problem.

The treatment options for adults could include one-on-one, group, family, or home-based therapies. During the course of therapy, the adult will be exposed to a variety of strategies that will aid in the development of better speech functions. Exercises conducted via this therapy:

Strengthen the oral muscles
Improve resonance
Increase social communication via conversational tactics
Enhance cognitive communication via organization, problem-solving, and memory

There is room for interaction in the treatment process, with the adult and the therapist encouraging growth and development.

Speech Therapy Duration

Several factors contribute to determining the length of time speech therapy is required. The frequency and type of therapy sessions, as well as the patient’s age, speech disorder severity, and underlying medical condition play an important role.

In general, speech therapy is done through direct communication with the individual using techniques to help develop and promote speech patterns. Often, the focus is on making the most of what the child or adult has rather than simply creating new sound formations.

The Bottom Line

In general, the success rate of therapy is quite high.However, it can vary depending on the patient and the severity of the condition. Also, it is difficult to predict the outcome in children with developmental delay and neurological conditions that affect speech.

Notwithstanding, the early detection of developmental disorders in children is very important because speech therapy can reverse the progression of speech and language disorders. Speech therapy for children can be effective as long as SLPs understand the disorders.

Disclosure: This is a collaborative post.