Speech Therapy
Speech therapy is defined as: “The treatment of speech and communication disorders". The approach used varies depending on the disorder. It may include physical exercises to strengthen the muscles used in speech, speech drills to improve clarity, or sound production practice to improve articulation. The overall objective of speech-language pathology services is to optimize individuals' ability to communicate and swallow, thereby improving quality of life.
A speech-language pathologist is responsible for the diagnosis, prognosis, prescription, and remediation of speech, language, and swallowing disorders. A speech-language pathologist evaluates and treats children and adults who have difficulty speaking, listening, reading, writing, or swallowing. The overall objective of speech-language pathology services is to optimize individuals' ability to communicate and swallow, thereby improving quality of life.
Speech-language pathologists serve individuals, families, and groups from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds. Services are provided based on applying the best available research evidence, using expert clinical judgments, and considering clients' individual preferences and values.
Speech-language pathologists address typical and atypical communication and swallowing in the following areas:
Speech Sound Production
• articulation
• apraxia of speech
• dysarthria
• ataxia
• dyskinesia
Resonance
• hypernasality
• hyponasality
• cul-de-sac resonance
• mixed resonance
Voice
• phonation quality
• pitch
• loudness
• respiration
Fluency
• stuttering
• cluttering
Language (comprehension and expression)
• phonology
• morphology
• syntax
• semantics
• pragmatics (language use, social aspects of communication)
• literacy (reading, writing, spelling)
• prelinguistic communication (e.g., joint attention, intentionality, communicative signaling)
• paralinguistic communication
Cognition
• attention
• memory
• sequencing
• problem solving
• executive functioning