The Benefits of Speech Therapy – A Comprehensive Guide

If you or a loved one is experiencing communication difficulties or a disorder that impairs speech, it can have a negative impact on both your personal and professional life. The good news is that professional therapy can be a valuable tool in restoring your ability to articulate words clearly and correctly.

As defined by the American Speech, Language, and Hearing Association (ASHA), an articulation disorder is the “atypical production of speech sounds characterized by substitutions, omissions, additions, or distortions that may interfere with intelligibility.”

Speech therapy is a form of intervention that evaluates and treats communication problems, helping those with a communication disorder develop various skills, including comprehension, clarity, voice, fluency, and sound production.

HOW SPEECH THERAPY CAN HELP

Consider the many benefits of speech therapy:

• Treatment of childhood or adult speech disorders caused by stroke, brain injury, or other conditions
• Better communication skills can improve one’s self-esteem and confidence
• Learn how to articulate words correctly, which can lead to better relationships with peers
• Help for those with oral motor problems caused by delays in areas of the brain that are related to speech
• Learn how to initiate communication without being prompted by others

Professional speech therapy begins with an evaluation that assesses your difficulties and then determines if there are any structural problems that are contributing to your speech, language, eating, or swallowing problem. A speech therapist (also known as a speech pathologist) works with you on exercises that help strengthen your speech muscles and teaches you how to shape and form sounds correctly.

SPEECH THERAPY IN WOOSTER, OHIO

The specially trained and highly skilled speech pathologists at HealthPoint at Wooster Community Hospital (WCH) provide top-quality therapy to those having difficulty communicating or swallowing, notably due to illness or conditions such as a stroke, Parkinson’s disease, ALS, autism, swallowing disorders, or a speech disorder. The highly qualified team of professionals in our speech pathology department is specially trained to help you reach your maximum potential by providing individualized evaluation and treatment.

Our speech therapy areas of expertise include:

• Adult Neurogenic Diseases –Conditions such as Parkinson’s disease and ALD can not only affect a person’s ability to communicate effectively but also their swallowing skills. Our speech-language pathologists help these individuals cope with the various stages of their disease and strive to improve their quality of life.
• Autism Spectrum Disorders–WCH therapists work with patients on the autism spectrum to improve their receptive, expressive, and pragmatic (social) language skills, implement alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) devices if necessary, and offer cross-disciplinary social groups as a way of encouraging appropriate peer interaction.
• Brain Injury –Cognitive-linguistic therapy, designed to help re-learn skills lost due to strokes, concussions, or traumatic brain injuries and achieve the highest level of safe and independent function, is available to patients of all ages.
• Language Disorders –These disorders involve persistent difficulties understanding and using spoken or written words to communicate. Our speech-language pathologists work closely with patients and caregivers to improve these skills.
• Speech Fluency Disorders–These affect the flow rhythm and rate of one’s speech. The most common example is stuttering. Our speech-language therapists provide strategies to improve speech fluency, as well as one’s confidence in themselves and their communication abilities.
• Sound Disorders –Our speech-language pathologists diagnose and treat speech-sound disorders, including articulation and phonological disorders in children. Using evidence-based treatment techniques specific to each patient’s error framework, they improve verbal speech to an age-appropriate level.
• Swallowing Disorders (Dysphagia) Treatment –WCH Speech pathologists are specially trained to diagnose and treat swallowing disorders with diagnostic evaluations that include bedside swallowing and modified barium swallow assessments.
• Tongue-Thrust Therapy – If your tongue protrudes when swallowing, speaking, or at rest, our therapists can help. We offer a habit-training technique that focuses on re-educating your tongue muscles and those associated with swallowing and adjusting your swallowing pattern.
• Voice Disorders – These involve changes in vocal quality, pitch, or loudness. Our speech-language pathologists at WCH work with ear, nose, and throat (ENT) physicians to determine the underlying cause of a voice disorder and provide appropriate treatment techniques.

To learn more about our speech therapy services, which we provide on an outpatient basis at Wooster Community Hospital’s HealthPoint facility, please call (330) 202-3300.