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Speech disorders include the following problems, according to
Diane Paul-Brown, PhD, director of clinical issues in
speech-language pathology at the American
Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA):
- Articulation disorders include difficulties producing
sounds in syllables or saying words incorrectly to the point
that other people can't understand what's being said.
- Fluency disorders include problems such as stuttering,
the condition in which the flow of speech is interrupted by
abnormal stoppages, repetitions (st-st-stuttering). or
prolonging sounds and syllables (sssssstuttering).
- Resonance of voice disorders include problems with the
pitch, volume, or quality of a child's voice that distract
listeners from what's being said. These types of
disorders may also cause pain or discomfort for the child
when speaking.
Language disorders can be either receptive or expressive.
Receptive disorders refer to difficulties understanding or
processing language. Expressive disorders include
difficulty putting words together, limited vocabulary, or
inability to use language in a socially appropriate way.
| Specialists
in Speech-Language Therapy Speech-language pathologists (SLPs), who are often
informally known as speech therapists, are professional
educated in the study of human communication, its development,
and its disorders. They hold at least a master's
degree and state certification/licensure in the field, as well
as a certificate of clinical competency from the
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
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By assessing the speech, language, cognitive-communication,
and swallowing skills of children and adults, speech-language
pathologists can determine what types of communication
problems exist and the best way to treat these challenges.
Speech-language pathologists typically treat problems in
the areas of articulation; dysfluency; oral-motor, speech, and
voice; and receptive and expressive language disorders.
Remediation
Speech-language therapy involves having a speech-language
specialist work with a patient on a one-to-one basis, in a
small group or directly in a classroom, to overcome difficulties
involved with a specific disorder. Speech-language therapy
uses a variety of therapeutic strategies, including:
- language intervention activities - These exercises
involves having a speech-language specialist interact with a
patient by interacting and talking to him or her. The therapist may
use pictures, books, objects, or ongoing events to stimulate
language development. The therapist may also model
correct pronunciation and use repetition exercises to build
speech and language skills.
- articulation therapy - Articulation, or sound production,
exercises involve having the therapist model correct sounds
and syllables for a patient. Articulation therapy involves
physically showing a patient how to make certain sounds, such as
the 'r" sound. A speech-language therapist may
demonstrate how a patient should move his tongue to produce
specific sounds. For children, this is often practiced
during play activities. The level of play is
age-appropriate and related to the child's specific needs.
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