Communication is the key to life. Everything we do and every interaction we experience is based on how we communicate. Therefore, whatever language a person may prefer, they need to conduct a proper speech. In case there are any issues, Speech Therapy is a guided medium that comes to the rescue.
The speech therapy process focuses on assessing and treating speech disorders and communication issues. Specialized speech-language pathologists cater to this process and help out their clients. If you feel that you do not face any speech disorders and hence, don’t need speech therapy, there are chances that you might be wrong. Here are a few reasons that explain why adults with balanced speech can also rely on Speech therapy:
Comprehension And Information Processing
More than speaking, communication involves comprehending and absorbing the information being conveyed. There are high chances that a person with completely normal speech capabilities might experience difficulty decoding and comprehending information. A speech-language pathologist can help with this. They work with the client and break down the comprehensive communication process to figure out the challenge areas.
Memory
Memory is another important aspect of the communication process. It helps in storing information and using it later for revival. If a person is facing difficulties remembering what they recently heard, saw, or experienced, they might require help. Speech therapy helps clients practice their memorizing skills and helps with strategies that can minimize the negative impact of memory deficit on communication.
Efficient Communication
Communication has built the core of human life for centuries. In today’s world, when there is a lot of information to absorb, effective communication skills have become a must. It is, in fact, a fine balance of science and art that can be perfected with professional help. Speech-language pathologists can help with delays or impairments in a person’s cognitive-communication skills. Apart from speaking, speech therapy helps in areas of reasoning, inferencing, problem-solving, social communication, and more.Find List of Best Speech Therapists Near You: Best Speech Therapy Doctors in India
Apart from the areas mentioned above, Speech therapy specifically helps with speaking related issues such as:
- Articulation Disorders: These kinds of disorders hamper people’s ability to perform certain word sounds and phonics. Speech therapists provide helpful solutions for the same and help people clear the issue.
- Fluency Disorders: Fluency is a prevalent issue faced by people with speech disorders. The aspect of fluency affects the speed, flow, and rhythm of a person’s speech. Common problems that come under fluttering are cluttering and stuttering. A person with this disorder might have blocked or interrupted speech and might tend to merge words and speak very fast, making it sound cluttered.
- Resonance Disorders: This issue occurs when a person faces blockage of proper airflow in the nasal or oral cavities while speaking. In addition, resonance disorders often affect the voice quality, bringing in interruptive vibrations. These can also result from other disorders such as swollen tonsils or cleft palate.
- Expressive Disorders: These kinds of disorders indicate difficulties that a person might face while conveying or expressing information. People suffering from this issue often face trouble in forming articulate sentences. This is often associated with developmental problems like hearing loss or down syndrome. Speech therapy helps identify the root cause of such difficulties and find suitable solutions.
- Dysarthria: Again a prevalent condition faced by people with speech disorders, Dysarthria is characterized by slurred or slow speech, which occurs due to the inability to control one’s vocal muscles. This disorder is commonly caused by nervous system disorders or other issues such as facial, throat, or tongue paralysis.
Speech Therapy Process
The starting step of Speech therapy begins with trained Speech-language pathologists analyzing the patient’s speech and identifying the communication disorder to figure out the best way to solve it. Along with speaking disorders, speech therapy also helps in working with one’s language and cognitive communication. It can also help with medical conditions such as swallowing issues and more.
Some exercises that help in speech therapy include memory, organization, problem-solving, and other activities that aim to improve a person's overall cognitive-communication. Additionally, some pathologists may also use conversational tactics that help in improving social communication, breathing exercise, oral muscle exercises, and more. The amount of time it needs for Speech therapy to work for a person depends on their age, the frequency of therapy, the type and severity of the disorder, and underlying medical conditions.
