Speech Pathologists work with clients of all ages to treat communication and swallowing problems. The following are some examples of reasons to visit an SLP:
- Speech Sound / Phonological Disorders: how we say different sounds or put them together to form words.
- Language Disorders: how we understand and use words to communicate. Language disorders can be acquired from a stroke or traumatic brain injury (TBI). SLP’s will also work with clients on their cognitive communication along with language to help memory, attention, problem solving and thinking skills.
- Social Communication: how well we follow social communication rules such as turn taking in conversation, social pragmatics like how far away to stand from another person when talking. People with Autism usually benefit from seeing an SLP to help with many communication problems.
- Voice: how our voices sound and to help if it becomes abused due to overuse becoming raspy, horse or nasally.
- Fluency: how well our speech flows. People with a stutter will see an SLP to help correct repeating sounds or getting stuck on a word mid speech.
- Swallowing and Feeding: swallowing disorders can lead to poor nutrition and other health problems. SLP’s help adults re-learn their swallowing following stroke or TBI due to the muscles weakening. An SLP can also help teach a child to swallow and learn to properly suck and chew. Often children with cleft lip or palate need to learn how to eat as an infant.