Speech Therapy

Currently Melissa is receiving Speech Therapy Ix a week
Alternative Names speech/language pathology
Definition: Speech therapy is a service provided by a health care professional that helps a person improve his or her ability to communicate. This includes both speech, which is how sounds are made, and language, which involves understanding and choosing the correct words to use. What is the information for this topic? Who provides speech therapy?
Speech therapy services are provided by a speech therapist, also known as a speech and language pathologist. A speech therapist has a college education. A speech therapist may specialize in certain kinds of problems, so it is important to choose a speech therapist carefully. What kinds of patients and problems does speech therapy treat?

There are four kinds of problems that speech therapy can treat.
cognition, or thinking skills
swallowing
A person with speech problems has difficulty producing sounds so that others can understand him or her. Examples of speech problems include stuttering, a lisp, garbled speech after a, stroke, or loss of the voice box, or larynx, after a Laryngectomy.

Language is the use of symbols, such as words, numbers, or gestures, that have meaning. A person may have trouble understanding or accurately choosing words or numbers or gestures. The third kind of problem is cognition, or thinking skills. In order to communicate accurately with others, a person must be able to pay attention, concentrate, and use various thinking skills. In order to treat certain language problems, the speech therapist may need to work on these thinking skills.

The fourth kind of problem is swallowing difficulties A person may have difficulty controlling the tongue and safely swallowing food or liquid. The muscles in the tongue and throat are the same ones used in making sounds. Therefore, the therapy that helps speech can also help swallowing. A person may have swallowing problems if there is an injury or illness that affects the nerves or muscles in the mouth and throat. Swallowing problems can also happen if there has been surgery to remove parts of the mouth or throat.

For more information about obtaining Speech Therapy for your child contact your local Birth-to-3, Easter Seals, or school district.