What is Speech Therapy?
There are many definitions for “speech therapy” available on the Internet. In general, speech therapy is the diagnosis and treatment of children or adults with communication and/or swallowing difficulty. Speech therapy also includes treatment of speech difficulties such as lisp and stuttering / stammering. Speech and language disorders in individuals can be due to developmental delay, congenital anomalies, medical conditions and brain injury etc. 2. Who needs speech therapy? Anyone (child or adult) who has a communication disability or difficulty will benefit from professional help from a speech therapist. 3. What is a speech therapist or speech pathologist? What do they do? “A speech pathologist (therapist) assesses and treats people who have a communication disability. Speech pathologists (therapists) work with all aspects of communication including speech, writing, reading, signs, symbols and gestures. They also work with people who have difficulties swallowing food and drink.” – Sp
Speech-Language Pathologists (SLP) facilitate the development of speech and language skills. Development of these skills includes the child’s ability to comprehend language and be able to use it effectively to communicate with others. Speech production is the most common mode or communication the SLP’s help develop, focusing on sound and word production. However other modes of communication are also taught when appropriate. These other forms of communication may include sign language, picture communication, or use of augmentative communication (or technology). SLP’s also help facilitate children’s feeding and swallowing skills. CTC’s Speech-Language Pathologists assess each child’s individual and developmental needs to develop a comprehensive play-based plan to address expressive language, receptive language, speech (or augmentive communication), and oral-motor needs.
Speech therapy is the corrective or rehabilitative treatment of physical and/or cognitive deficits/disorders resulting in difficulty with verbal communication. This includes both speech (articulation, intonation, rate, intensity) and language (phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics, both receptive and expressive language, including reading and writing). Depending on the nature and severity of the disorder, common treatments may range from physical strengthening exercises, instructive or repetitive practice and drilling, to the use of audio-visual aids (Wikipedia.com). Information pertaining to speech therapy can be found at the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association website, http://www.asha.
