5 Things You Didn’t Know About Speech And Occupational Therapy

September 22, 2021

Children and sometimes older adults often have difficulty articulating sounds to make meaningful communication.

Speech therapists are charismatic professionals trained to help affected individuals overcome communication disorders and various conditions such as autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, traumatic brain damage, and delays in development.

Read on to discover the top five services your child can acquire from a speech-language pathologist (SLP).

Dysphagia

Dysphagia, commonly referred to as swallowing disorder, can arise due to traumatic brain injury, stroke, and even dementia in old age. Infants born immaturely are at high risk of developing swallowing difficulties.

The body organs involved in sound and speech are the same ones that aid in swallowing food. Since SLP experts have a deep understanding of oral anatomy, they are best placed in diagnosing and treating swallowing disorders in young children and the old.

The therapist performs an x-ray examination on the patient to correct swallowing disorders to understand how food moves down their throat. Once the condition’s root cause is established, the SLP expert may recommend oral motor exercises, tactile stimulation, and other train safe procedures to alleviate the swallowing problem.

Reading

Difficulty in reading may indicate a language processing problem. Reading ability becomes more important as a child develops and moves from pre-school to elementary school and eventually high school. The channels that facilitate reading are the same ones involved in the processing and absorbing of information.

Speech therapists can improve both reading and comprehension skills in both young kids and adults. They do this by evaluating the patient to develop an effective strategy to improve their reading ability.

Augmentative communication

Though speech is crucial in communication, gestures, symbols, and writing are other ways individuals can relay messages. Speech and occupational therapy experts will assess the patient’s ability to effectively utilize signs and gestures in expressing their needs and wants.

The occupational therapists will then teach patients how to pick up and interpret non-verbal communication cues to improve overall interaction skills.

Problem-solving

Patients with problem-solving challenges often have difficulty making inferences, sequencing events or patterns, and memory maintenance. Experts also believe there is a strong connection between language processes and cognitive ability.

SLP experts help Kids who have difficulty organizing their thoughts or understanding patterns and sequences to improve their problem-solving skills over time.

Speech valve issues

Pitch, loudness, and breathing sequence are some of the aspects used to gauge the vocal quality of an individual. Hoarseness and loss of voice can indicate a disorder in the anatomy associated with sound production.

SLP experts work closely with physicians and respiratory therapists to correct speech disorders using speaking valves to improve audible speech in affected patients.

Children with language processing disorders often have difficulties in reading, writing, getting dressed, and socialization. Speech-language pathologists are qualified to treat a broad range of communication disorders and offer these services in schools, hospitals, mental health institutions, and outpatient clinics. Visit sites like SpeechPathologyGraduatePrograms.org for more insights on the benefits of involving a Speech-language Pathologist in your child’s treatment.

About the Author Prabhakaran

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