What is Speech Therapy?

Speech therapy is a service that is available for all ages to evaluate, diagnose, and treat speech, language, cognition, voice, and swallowing deficits.

Speech/Language/Swallow Evaluations

Full assessments are conducted in an hour-long session and may include standardized and informal evaluations, clinical observation, medical record review, and patient interview/ report. Assessment results identify the problem, if one is present, and determine the severity and nature of the deficit. Recommendations will be made concerning treatment, frequency, and duration, following the evaluation.

Speech/Language/ Swallow Therapy

To ensure the highest quality of treatment, therapy sessions for adults are 30-45 minutes. Individualized treatment programs are developed to help achieve optimal functioning in the patient’s daily environment. Home practice programs are provided as appropriate to allow for optimal carry-over of new skills.

Individualized Speech Services Offered In The Following Areas:

  • Aphasia: reduced ability to communicate and understand language, usually due to a stroke or brain injury.
  • Cognitive Communication Impairments: Following stroke or brain injury, an individual may experience deficits in the following areas:
    • Attention
    • Memory
    • Problem Solving
    • Organizing Thoughts
  • Swallowing Disorders (i.e., Dysphagia): difficulty, or partial inability to swallow as a result of injury to the parts of the brain, muscles, or nerves that control swallowing.
  • Instrumental Swallow Study: Assessment enables the clinician to observe which parts of the swallow are normal and which muscles are functioning normally or abnormally.
  • Voice Disorders: include vocal nodules, polyps, and/or any deficit of vocal volume, quality, resonance or endurance.
  • Dysarthria: a nervous system or muscular disorder that makes it difficult to understand a person’s speech.

If any of the following examples describe yourself or a loved one, a request for a speech and language evaluation through your doctor may be appropriate:

  • Difficulty expressing thoughts and ideas using spoken or written language.
  • Difficulty understanding written or spoken language to follow directions or participate in a conversation.
  • Trouble retrieving words to name or describe objects, people, or actions.
  • Noticeable decline in the ability to speak clearly in a way that others are able to understand (e.g., changes in rate, the pronunciation of sounds, or quality of voice).
  • Difficulty remembering events, people, appointments, dates, etc.
  • Cough or wet-sounding voice while or soon after eating or drinking.

How Do I Receive Speech Therapy?

  • Determine that you may need help in one of the discussed areas
  • Discuss your concerns with your doctor
  • Ask your doctor if he/she feels speech therapy services would help
  • Get an order for speech therapy with the diagnosis from your doctor
  • Call (217) 222-6550, ext. 3418