Speech-Language Therapy

Works on skills related to:

• Enhancing language and communication
• Pronunciation – enunciation – word usage
• Socialization and play
• Speech delay
• Word and letter formation
• Oral motor skills for speech
• Mouth, throat and swallowing abilities

What is a Speech-Language Pathologist?
Speech-Language Disorders
Are Communications Disorders Serious Problems?
Common Communications Disorders?
What causes Communications Disorders?
What can you do if you suspect a Speech or Language Problem?

What is a Speech-Language Pathologist?

A Speech-Language pathologist is a professional educated in the study of human communication, its development, and its disorders. By evaluating the speech and language skills of children and adults, the speech-language pathologist determines if communication problems exist and decides the best way to treat these problems. Wher Can You Find Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Services?

Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists provide professional services in many different types of facilities such as:

• Public and private schools
• Hospitals
• Rehabilitation centers
• Nursing care facilities
• Community clinics
• Colleges and universities
• Private practice
• State and local health departments
• State and federal governmental agencies

A speech-language pathologist or audiologist will have a master’s or doctoral degree and should hold a Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and/or license from the state.

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)
10801 Rockville Pike
Rockville, MD 20852
800-638-8255
www.asha.org

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Speech-Language Disorders

Speech-Language Disorders might be present when a person’s speech or language is different from that of others of the same age, sex, or ethnic group; when a person’s speech and/or language is hard to understand; when a person is overly concerned about his or her own speech; or when a person frequently avoids communicating with others.

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Are Communication Disorders Serious Problems?

Yes. The ability to communicate is our most human characteristic. Human communication is essential to learning, working, and social interaction. Impaired communication can affect every aspect of a person’s life.

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Common Communication Disorders

Language
Delayed Language: a noticeable slowness in the development of the vocabulary and grammar necessary for expressing and understanding thoughts and ideas.
Aphasia: the loss of speech and language abilities resulting from stroke or head injury.

Speech Disorders
Stuttering: an interruption in the rhythm of speech characterized by hesitations, repetitions, or prolongation of sounds, syllables, words, or phrases, for example, cow…boy, tuh-tuh-tuh-table, sssun.

Articulation Disorders
Difficulties with the way sounds are formed and strung together usually characterized by substituting one sound for another (wabbit for rabbit), omitting a sound (han for hand), or distorting a sound (shlip for sip).

Voice Disorders
Inappropriate pitch (too high, too low, never changing or interrupted by breaks); loudness (too loud, or not loud enough); quality (harsh, hoarse, breathy, or nasal).

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What Causes Communication Disorders?

Some of the causes of speech and language disorders are related to hearing loss, cerebral palsy and other nerve/muscle disorders, severe head injury, stroke, viral diseases, mental retardation, certain drugs, physical impairments such as cleft lip or palate, vocal abuse or misuse, an inadequate speech and language models; frequency, however, the cause is unknown.

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What Can You Do If You Suspect a Speech or Language Problem?

A thorough evaluation by a speech-language pathologist or audiologist is needed to determine a person’s communication strengths and weaknesses. After this evaluation, the speech-language pathologist or audiologist will be able to provide a plan for meeting individual needs.

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