speech therapy near me

speech therapy near me

The Importance of Speech Therapy

1. Introduction

It is quite common to find oneself being made to write an essay on a topic that they have very little knowledge of. These are some of the hardest essays to write, and being unable to tackle this task head on will only mean inevitable failure. In situations like this, a speech is a lot easier to make. Try and find articles on the topic. Some of the most difficult essays I have written were those in which I had to write about something I totally disagreed with. This was a real problem for me as an ESL student. I would end up with an English translation that was far worse than the original German essay. I am lucky in the fact that I was brought up in a bilingual household where I spoke both English and German. However, my written and even more my spoken German is far worse. I always ended up being the only one who had to deliver their speech in English. Although this was a relief not to have to speak a foreign language to an entire room of people, it did mean that I could only partly carry out the task. This is where I can see speech therapy fitting in. People often seem to spend too little time considering the importance and value of speech therapy. This is from a speech by Michael Palin to the Royal College of Speech and Language Conference in 2003. An actor with many more lines than most of us could remember, yet when it came to a point where he could not speak fluently, he forgot. This led him to get private treatment for stuttering. He found that there was very little provision for adults with speech problems and managed to get involved with the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists to raise awareness of the lack of treatments available.

2. Benefits of Speech Therapy

Adults may suffer from communication problems due to an injury or illness. Cognitive-communication disorders can cause memory, attention, problem-solving, and organization difficulties. This can be extremely frustrating and debilitating. Speech therapy can work to improve these cognitive skills, in turn improving the quality of daily life. Therapy can also help to strengthen weakened muscles used for speaking and swallowing. This may improve an individual’s intelligibility and ability to eat and drink safely.

Boosting communication skills can provide a child with lasting benefits. High school students who have difficulty expressing themselves may have trouble in social and academic situations. These difficulties can be overcome with therapy at any age. Learning and practicing a new way of speaking can help many teenagers and adults.

Improved communication abilities will also have a positive effect on a child’s behavior. As they are able to understand and make themselves understood more clearly, there will be less frustration and therefore fewer behavioral problems.

Speech therapy does more than help children learn to speak clearly. This skilled type of therapy can be used to treat any communication disorder. The results are not quick, but they are effective. Over time, a child can learn to interact more effectively with their environment, accomplishing more through language. In turn, this can improve self-esteem and confidence.

3. Finding the Right Speech Therapy Near You

The thought of having your child travel several times per week for speech therapy is not realistic. At the same time, you want an exceptional therapy program to be conveniently located near your work or home, providing both school and home program support and coordination. Using the ASHA ProFind directory can streamline this process. This is a speech and hearing locator tool. Your search can be filtered by location, age of patient, specialty area, and more. All of the speech professionals who turn up during your search will have a current ASHA Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP), a state license where required, and will adhere to the ASHA Code of Ethics. These are the people who are most qualified to act as your child’s speech and language therapist. This site can also be a useful tool for SLPs looking to join a specific subgroup of speech therapy, as with a change in area of practice comes a change in required knowledge and skill.

4. Speech Therapy Techniques and Approaches

– Swallowing/Feeding Therapy – Many speech pathologists provide services in the area of swallowing and feeding because of the direct link between the oral mechanism and the ability to swallow or chew. Speech pathologists develop skills in assessment and the management of swallowing disorders, which affect the oral preparatory stages, the oral stage, the pharyngeal stage, and the esophageal stage of swallowing. Techniques used for swallowing disorders are varied and can include changes to diet consistencies and compensatory strategies. Feeding therapy, on the other hand, is aimed at children who are difficult eaters or who have aversions to certain types of food. This can be related to sensory issues and often impacts the child’s growth and nutrition.

– Oral motor exercises – The increasing amount of evidence supporting the connection between oral motor skills and speech production has contributed to the greater emphasis on oral motor exercises in speech therapy. They are designed to increase awareness, strength, coordination, and mobility of the oral musculature. Pulvermull (2006) describes the goal of these exercises as being to increase the range, strength, and coordination of oral movements, which in turn will increase speech intelligibility. There is a strong focus on the exercises being fun and client-friendly in order to ensure the clients continue with the exercises outside of the therapy session.

5. Conclusion

Remember that while it is a normal occurrence for a preschool child to mispronounce words, if difficulties persist, or if your child seems to be unable to consciously coordinate movements of the lips, tongue, palate, and jaw in order to produce and combine speech sounds effectively, speech therapy may be of benefit. Furthermore, you should not delay in seeking professional advice if your intuition tells you that your child might have a speech or language problem. The sooner it is remedied, the easier it is! Remember that therapy may take months or even years to improve your child’s articulation to an age-appropriate level, and that’s okay! Be supportive and helpful during the therapy process because speech therapy can significantly change your child’s future. Your child’s educational success is largely determined by his or her ability to communicate and interact with others. Therefore, if your child is struggling with a speech or language difficulty, encourage them to seek the advice of a qualified speech-language pathologist. If the problem is something that has been a chronic concern for your child, consider making an appointment with your school’s speech-language pathologist to have a discussion and see if testing may be necessary. A speech or language disorder is not something that will go away on its own, and the longer you wait to address it, the harder it is to change! The role of the pathologist is to assess, diagnose, and treat the individual in hopes of remedying their speaking difficulties. With the specialized training that they have, they may also be able to identify other difficulties or disorders that could be affecting your ability and guide you in a direction that will help you further. Remember, seeking help is a positive step toward improving your communication skills. Whether you are a preschooler with a lisp, an elementary student who stutters, a high school student with a language impairment, an adult with a foreign accent, or a senior citizen with a cognitive-communication disorder, speech therapy can help you improve your communication skills.