06/06/2022
How speech therapy helps you,
Speech therapy is an intervention method that focuses on helping children with impaired speech or swallowing capabilities.
Speech therapists, commonly known as speech-language pathologists (SLPs), are highly educated, trained, and experienced professionals that can provide such services to children and adults.
Children or adults that have difficulties communicating may also suffer from mental health and behavioural issues, suffer from poor confidence levels, and find social interactions hard. Speech therapists can help people with these issues as well. Here’s how speech therapy can help with these challenges:
1. BETTER ARTICULATION FROM SPEECH THERAPY,
For people affected by impaired speech, articulation is important.
As people learn to articulate words properly, they improve their communication skills and confidence. A very common example of this is when children are unable to make the “R” sound. Some grow up with this problem because of the lack of articulatory exercises.
There are several ways in which SLPs can help people articulate words better, one example being that of a ‘race to 100 games’.
2. IMPROVE SWALLOWING WITH SPEECH THERAPY,
People with speech disorders are often ailed by difficulties swallowing as well. Also known as dysphagia, swallowing disorders can be a result of a stroke, brain injury, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, or other neurological diseases.
An SLP utilizes a blend of techniques and exercises to improve the oral intake process and reduce the risk of aspiration. Some of these techniques include:
1. Head positioning technique
2. Swallow maneuvers
3. Biting techniques
4. Modification of food and liquids taken
5. Improve the range of motion (ROM), coordination and strengthening of the jaw, lips, cheek, and tongue muscles by doing exercises.
3. HOW SPEECH THERAPY REDUCES STUTTERING,
Stuttering can cause problems in speaking fluently.
A SLP can help reduce stuttering by modifying the way a person speaks and by giving them exercises to strengthen the tongue.
SLPs will advise the patients to:
1. Take deep breaths before the encounter and pace their breaths while talking
2. Talk slowly
3. Avoid certain words.
4. Find a rhythm while talking
5. Use gestures and pacing to calm the nerves, and in turn, the tongue.
4. INCREASED CONFIDENCE & REDUCED ANXIETY,
Unfortunately, people who can’t speak well often suffer from anxiety and decreased confidence levels. They fear being ridiculed by peers.
An SLP can help decrease that anxiety by giving patients confidence in their speech naturally. When you speak with flair and without any faults, it is only natural that your self-esteem rises, allowing you to be more independent and lead a better quality of life.
