speech therapist

speech therapist

The Importance of Speech Therapy for Communication Development

1. Introduction

“The Importance of Speech Therapy for Communication Development” aims to give an overview of the current issues involved in language and communication development and to show how speech therapy can be of benefit. A few older children have been shown to benefit with enhanced intelligibility through articulation therapy when compared to the spontaneous recovery of misarticulations. Other areas of language such as syntax and semantics may be addressed in language intervention programs offered by a speech language pathologist.

Unfortunately, the development of communication skills in children is an aspect of growth that is often overlooked from the child’s first year to the adolescent years. More specifically, children who are slow to develop good communication skills are at risk for poor self-esteem, behavior problems, and academic difficulties, all of which will have a lasting effect on the child’s life and on society.

The ability to communicate with others is a fundamental aspect of human life. Through communication, we are able to convey wishes, establish relationships, and participate in the world around us. Communication has various forms, and it varies widely among people. Communication occurs in many environments, including home and school, and in the presence of others. Most of what we have learned about the communication development of children comes from the study of language, which is one of the most distinguishing characteristics of the human. All children, regardless of their disabilities, have something to offer to better our understanding of how children learn to communicate. Language learning is at the center of children’s intellectual, social, and emotional development. The importance of language and communication abilities is emphasized when we become aware of how these skills affect the child’s academic and social progress.

2. Benefits of Speech Therapy

Correcting Errors in Communication: It’s not just the intelligibility of speech that determines successful communication. Mistakes in grammar and syntax can hinder the ability to clearly express ideas. Others exist who have a disordered way of speaking and have trouble putting thoughts into words. The end result is communication breakdown. These people can benefit from speech therapy aimed at language form and context.

Improved speech: Intelligible speech is the primary goal of speech therapy. Be it articulation in the case of a child with a lisp, or fluency in the case of an adolescent who stutters, we all desire to be understood. A speech therapist will work on the specific area of need for an individual.

From the perspective of an individual who has had experience with speech therapy, I have witnessed firsthand the benefits of such services. I found that the advantages of speech therapy are immeasurable. In addition to the potential for improved speech and language abilities, the individual gains something more valuable – self-esteem. The following list very briefly outlines some of the benefits a person may gain from speech therapy services. Because the field of speech therapy is so broad, effects are not universal. This is not an exhaustive list and not all will apply to any one individual.

3. Techniques and Strategies Used in Speech Therapy

Role play and social skill interventions have been advocated for children with language disorders. These techniques typically involve a group intervention and are directed towards helping children to develop the skills they need to interact with others. These kinds of interventions are particularly important for children with pragmatic disorders and can also be applied to children with general language disorders. Stipends are best defined as explicit and detailed instructions. An example of a stipend is a child having to give precise instructions to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. This exercise is aimed to help the child understand the importance of detailed communication. A final example of an intervention used with children is story grammar. Story grammar instructs the student in the use of cohesive ties within a story narrative, thus improving the nurse’s ability to recall past or present events. This technique is particularly helpful for children with specific language impairments. The enhancement of narrative language is also beneficial for children with a wide range of language disorders and can be an important precursor to academic success.

The methods and techniques utilized for speech therapy largely depend on the specialty of the therapist and the speech disorder in question. Strategies are tailored to the unique needs of the individual and are highly individualized. This initially involves an assessment of the individual’s strengths and weaknesses, both on a physical/structural level and a cognitive level. From here, a treatment plan is developed and carried out to improve the individual’s ability to effectively communicate and swallow. An example of a speech disorder is an articulation disorder. An articulation disorder, the inability to produce sounds/sound blends or the substituting of sounds, would be treated using various strategies. The speech therapist may use oral motor exercises to strengthen the muscles of the mouth. They would also use auditory bombardment, where the individual is consistently exposed to the sounds he/she has difficulty with. This technique would involve the use of a tape recorder. The targeted sounds would be recorded by the speech therapist and played back to the patient repetitively. The individual would be instructed to listen to the sounds and attempt to imitate them.

4. Role of Speech Therapists in Communication Improvement

Their role can be divided into several different areas including prevention, assessment, treatment, research, and advocacy. In relation to communication improvement, a speech therapist’s role in prevention is in early identification of communication issues and the implementation of educational services to at-risk children in efforts to prevent the onset of a disorder. This would then lead to assessments and specific client-based plans should a disorder become apparent. Client-based plans are essentially customized, evolving roadmaps created by speech therapists with long and short-term goals set to meet the specific needs of the individuals and their families. The four stages of the treatment process are implementation, intervention, outcome measures, and maintenance. During the treatment process, speech therapists can either directly or indirectly work with the individual, families, and caregivers, educators, employers, and other professionals in efforts to assist the clients’ communication improvement.

Speech therapists are licensed and well-trained professionals that assess and treat children, adolescents, and adults who may have difficulty with communication or swallowing. Their training generally includes completing an undergraduate degree in Communication Science and Disorders followed by a master’s degree in Speech Therapy. Moreover, they can also obtain a doctorate. The academic and clinical foundations of their training prepare speech therapists to provide the highest quality of services to people with communication and swallowing disorders. Their knowledge of speech, language, voice, fluency, and swallowing development and disorders enable them to modify communication as appropriate for the individual and their competence. Speech therapists have expertise in the normal anatomy and physiology of the communication and swallowing mechanisms and underlying causes and predisposing factors of disorders.

5. Conclusion: Empowering Individuals through Speech Therapy

Individuals who can benefit from speech therapy include those diagnosed with autism, Down syndrome, attention deficit disorder (ADD or ADHD), auditory processing disorder, cleft palate, or other speech/language disorders. These individuals may improve with speech therapy via strengthening the muscles used in speech, learning various ways to produce sounds, or improving their language through cognition. Early intervention is the best way to prevent later speech problems. Parents are often told to wait and see if a child will outgrow a speech problem. However, what ‘wait and see’ often means is losing valuable years when the speech and language pathologist can correct the problem before it becomes a barrier to learning. A good rule of thumb to follow is that ‘by kindergarten, if your child’s speaking and language has not developed to the level of their peers, they may need help.’ This doesn’t mean that a child should suddenly be removed from the normal classroom environment and labeled as a ‘special needs’ student. What it means is with a little bit of extra help, the child can learn to effectively communicate with their peers and adults.