Speech therapy is the assessment and treatment of communication problems and speech disorders. It is performed by speech-language pathologists (SLPs), which are often referred to as speech therapists.

Speech therapy techniques are used to improve communication. These include articulation therapy, language intervention activities, and others depending on the type of speech or language disorder.

Why do you need speech therapy?

There are several speech and language disorders that can be treated with speech therapy.these disorders are included bellow:

Speech sound disorders

Speech sound disorders  referring to any difficulty or combination of difficulties with perception, motor production, or phonological representation of speech sounds and speech segments.

Classification:

 Speech sound disorders can be organic or functional in nature. 

• Organic speech sound disorders result from an underlying motor/neurological, structural, or sensory/perceptual cause.
• Functional speech sound disorders are idiopathic. they have no known cause.these disorders are referred to as articulation disorders and phonological disorders, respectively.
• Articulation disorders focus on errors (e.g., distortions and substitutions) production of individual speech sounds.
• Phonological disorders focus on predictable, rule-based errors (e.g., fronting, stopping, and final consonant deletion) that affect more than one sound.

signs and symptoms of functional speech sound disorders include the following:

• omissions/deletions
• substitutions
• additions
• distortions
• syllable-level errors

Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) play a central role in the screening, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of persons with speech sound disorders.

Appropriate roles for SLPs include the following:

• Providing prevention information to individuals and groups known to be at risk for speech sound disorders, as well as to individuals working with those at risk.
• Educating other professionals on the needs of persons with speech sound disorders and the role of SLPs in diagnosing and managing speech sound disorders
• Screening individuals who present with speech sound difficulties and determining the need for further assessment and/or referral for other services
• Recognizing that students with speech sound disorders have heightened risks for later language and literacy problems
• Conducting a culturally and linguistically relevant comprehensive assessment of speech, language, and communication
• Taking into consideration the rules of a spoken accent or dialect, typical dual-language acquisition from birth, and sequential second-language acquisition to distinguish difference from disorder
• Diagnosing the presence or absence of a speech sound disorder.
• Referring to and collaborating with other professionals to rule out other conditions, determine etiology, and facilitate access to comprehensive services.
• Making decisions about the management of speech sound disorders.
• Making decisions about eligibility for services, based on the presence of a speech sound disorder.
• Developing treatment plans, providing intervention and support services, documenting progress, and determining appropriate service delivery approaches and dismissal criteria
• Counseling persons with speech sound disorders and their families/caregivers regarding communication-related issues and providing education aimed at preventing further complications related to speech sound disorders.
• Serving as an integral member of an interdisciplinary team working with individuals with speech sound disorders and their families)

voice disorder occurs when voice quality, pitch, and loudness differ or are inappropriate for an individual’s age, gender, cultural background, or geographic location.

Signs and symptoms of voice disorder:

• roughness
• breathiness
• strained quality
• strangled quality
• abnormal pitch
• abnormal loudness/volume
• abnormal resonance
• aphonia
• phonation breaks
• asthenia
• gurgly/wet sounding voice
• hoarse voice
• pulsed voice
•  shrill voice
• tremulous voice

Causes  of voice disorder :                                 

• Vocal fold abnormalities (e.g., vocal nodules, edema, glottal stenosis, recurrent respiratory papilloma, sarcopenia [muscle atrophy associated with aging])
• Inflammation of the larynx (e.g., arthritis of the cricoarytenoid or cricothyroid, laryngitis, laryngopharyngeal reflux)
• Trauma to the larynx (e.g., from intubation, chemical exposure, or external trauma)
• Recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis
• Adductor/abductor spasmodic dysphonia
• Parkinson’s disease
• Multiple sclerosis
• Phonotrauma (e.g., yelling, screaming, excessive throat-clearing)
• Muscle tension dysphonia
• Ventricular phonation
• Vocal fatigue (e.g., due to effort or overuse)
• Chronic stress disorders
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Conversion reaction (e.g., conversion aphonia and dysphonia)

Role of SLT:

SLPs play a central role in the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of voice disorders. The professional roles and activities in speech-language pathology include clinical services (diagnosis, assessment, planning, and treatment), prevention and advocacy, education, administration, and research.

Appropriate roles for SLPs include the following:

• Provide prevention information to individuals and groups known to be at risk for voice disorders, as well as to individuals working with those at risk.
• Conduct a culturally and linguistically appropriate comprehensive voice assessment, including clinical and instrumental evaluation.
• Identify normal and abnormal vocal function, describe perceptual qualities of voice, and assess vocal habits.
• Diagnose a voice disorder.
• Refer individuals to other professionals as needed to obtain a medical diagnosis (e.g., unilateral vocal fold immobility as the cause of dysphonia).

It can lead to health issues and social problems, like choosing not to eat meals with others. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) help people who have trouble swallowing.

Signs of a swallowing problem might be any of these:

• coughing during or right after eating or drinking
• clearing your throat often after eating or drinking
• having a wet or gurgly voice during or after eating or drinking
• feeling like something is stuck in your throat or chest after eating or drinking
• needing extra work or time to chew or swallow
• having food or liquid leak from your mouth
• food getting stuck in your mouth
• having a hard time breathing after meals
• losing weight

Causes of Swallowing Disorders

• stroke
• brain injury
• spinal cord injury
• Parkinson’s disease
• multiple sclerosis
• amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease)
• muscular dystrophy
• cerebral palsy
• Alzheimer’s disease
• cancer in your mouth, throat, or esophagus
• head or neck injuries
• mouth or neck surgery

Autism is also known as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). People with autism have challenges with communication and social skills. They also have repetitive behaviors or restricted interests. Speech-language pathologists, or SLPs, can help.

Signs and Symptoms of Autism:

• understanding and using gestures like pointing or waving
• understanding and using words
• lose early words
• repeat words or phrases they just heard or that they heard days or weeks earlier (echolalia);
• use a robotic or singsong speaking voice
• talk very little or not at all and
• use challenging behaviors instead of words or gestures to communicate what they want.

Role of SLT:

SLPs test the person’s communication and social skills. They may talk with others to learn about the person’s communication in settings like home, school, or work.

Some people with autism are hard to understand, talk very little, or don’t talk at all.SLP can include AAC which can include sign language, gestures, pictures, computer tablets, and other electronic devices.

All people with autism have social communication challenges. But not all people with social communication challenges have autism. SLPs can help figure out if a person has autism or communication  disorder. Knowing the diagnosis will help the SLP find the best treatment.

ADHD is a lifelong brain disorder that makes it hard for a person to pay attention. Some people with ADHD have trouble sitting still or controlling their behavior.

Causes of ADHD:

The exact cause of ADHD is unknown. The most likely cause is genetics. Many children with ADHD have a family history of the disorder.

Signs of ADHD:

A person with ADHD may show some of the following signs  

• Starts thinking about other things
• Has problems staying focused on tasks
• Does not seem to listen
• Does better on some tasks than others
• Has problems planning, organizing, and finishing tasks on time
• Has problems learning new things
• Seems unable to sit still