Speech therapy, also known as speech-language therapy, is a specialized field of healthcare that focuses on evaluating, diagnosing, and treating individuals with communication disorders. These disorders can affect speech, language, voice, fluency, and social communication skills.
Speech therapy is usually provided by a licensed speech-language pathologist (SLP) who works with individuals of all ages, from infants to the elderly. The SLP uses a variety of techniques to help improve communication skills, including exercises to strengthen the muscles used in speech, teaching strategies to improve fluency and articulation, and working on language development and social communication skills.
Speech therapy can be used to treat a wide range of conditions, including stuttering, aphasia, dysarthria, voice disorders, developmental delays, and communication difficulties resulting from traumatic brain injury or stroke. The goals of speech therapy vary depending on the individual’s needs and may include improving overall communication abilities, increasing fluency and intelligibility, and enhancing social communication skills.
