Speech-language pathologists (SLP) work to prevent, evaluate, diagnose and treat speech, language, social communication, cognitive communication, and swallowing disorders in children and adults. Speech sounds are the way we say sounds and put them together to form words. Other terms for these problems are phonological or articulation disorders, apraxia of speech, or dysarthria. If you have a medical condition that has caused a speech disorder, your healthcare provider will tell you when it's time to see a speech therapist.
Infants and toddlers with swallowing disorders may have a pattern of irritability when eating, avoiding certain textures or temperatures of foods (called sensory aversion), congestion or vomiting after eating, or feeling nauseous during meals.
Speech therapy
can help some people regain the ability to express wants and needs, establish relationships, carry out daily tasks, and succeed in school or work. A speech therapist, also called a speech-language pathologist, evaluates, diagnoses, and treats speech disorders and communication problems. To become a speech-language pathologist, you must first earn a bachelor's degree in a related field of study, or else complete a leveling course if your bachelor's degree is in another area.For example, if your child has trouble communicating, your healthcare provider will find out if it's due to a speech disorder or a hearing problem. State speech-language pathology and audiology associations also maintain lists of licensed and certified therapists. For children, speech therapy is most successful when started early and practiced at home with a parent or caregiver. Speech-language pathologists (SLP), often called speech therapists, are trained in the study of human communication, its development, and its disorders.
These disorders have a variety of causes, such as autism, strokes, brain injuries, hearing loss, developmental delay, cleft palate, and psychological problems, among others. Speech therapy is a wonderful resource that can give you or your child more independence, confidence, and a better quality of life. The American Speech, Language and Hearing Association (ASHA) is the national professional, scientific and accrediting association with 223,000 members and affiliates who are audiologists, speech-language pathologists, speech-language pathologists, speech, language and hearing scientists; support staff in audiology and speech-language pathology; and students. So what's the difference between a speech therapist and a speech therapist? Well, speech-language pathologists are also called speech therapists.
There are many different approaches and categories of speech therapy, and your healthcare provider will find the one that works best for you. With opportunities to work in professional environments such as universities, hospitals and research laboratories, speech-language pathologists have a wide variety of professional options to choose from.
