Speech Therapy

So just who can benefit from speech therapy? The fact is that while most people tend to automatically assume that it is only small children who tend to benefit the most from speech therapy, the truth is that people of all ages can and frequently do reap positive benefits from it. However; by far it is children who are most likely to undergo treatment.

New Effective Treatment Techniques

The most common speech impediment that will bring a young child into a speech therapists office is stuttering. The reason for this is simple and that is that stuttering is the most commonly heard speech problem in children. Still one more factor that is motivating more parents to bring their child in for speech therapy, is new positive developments in the treatment of stuttering.

More Is Known Today About Stuttering

This is because more is known today about stuttering and its treatment then ever before. What this means is the depending on each persons individual case, treatments for stuttering are also delivering faster results. Remember that stuttering often simply goes away as a child ages but often times it can develop into a life long adult condition.

Speech Impediments and Social Development

Human developmental experts are all in agreement that the personality that a person will carry with them their entire adult life is for the most part developed while they are a child. What this means is that by delaying speech therapy treatment for stuttering or any other speech impediment for that matter can have far reaching effects on an individual. Low self esteem and problems with socializing with peers are just two of the long term problems that can arise from stuttering.

Common Speech Therapy Treatments

There are several common speech therapy treatments for stutterers and they can be used individually or in any number of combinations. The age of the person being treated, the severity of the speech condition and the level of response to any individual treatment method or technique all can be and often are determinate factors in tailoring a course of therapy.

One Common Speech Therapy Technique

One of the most common speech therapy treatment techniques involves working with a patient to eliminate or minimize areas of their vocabulary where problems occur. That is that replacements or alternatives for certain words that may be giving a stuttering child or adult problems will be inserted into their vocabulary, thus eliminating the problem. Further along, as the child improves, the child can then begin to "re-use" those words that were eliminated.

Another Common Speech Therapy Treatment Method

Another common speech therapy technique for children and adults with stuttering issues involves methodically slowing down their speech during therapy sessions. Through this type of slow motion speech therapy, problem areas can be more effectively addressed. After progress has been made, just like a student driver in a drivers training course, the child will be allowed to gradually increase their speech speed until they can talk through problem areas unimpeded.

By Chriss Tyrrell

Labels: occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech, speech and language, speech language, speech language pathology, speech pathologist, speech pathology, speech therapist, therapy

The term Speech therapy is an abbreviation for the longer term Speech and Language Therapy as practiced by a Speech and Language Therapist. A speech and Language therapist working with Young People would need to understand;

Play and imagination skills

Listening and concentration skills

Expression of language concepts - correct use of concepts such as big, little on, under

Language structures - can they follow words in sentences

Expression in sentences - are the sentences well formed?

Social communication and understanding of social rules; can the person contribute to conversations, understanding humor etc.

Behavior; people may appear agitated and frustrated as a result of not being able to communicate themselves effectively

Use of language – ability to comment, request and greet etc.

Speech therapists will often specialize as either a Pediatric or adult therapist, although some therapists may also work with adults with learning disabilities as well.

Therapists can decide to specialize even further, for example working predominantly with clients on the autistic spectrum, with clients with dysfluency, with clients who have eating and drinking needs, with pre-school clients, with secondary school aged clients and some therapists may develop into managing therapists working as team leaders, or within the management structures.

Training to provide Speech Therapy?

A speech and language therapist carries out a degree course in Speech and Language therapy at one of only 10 Universities offering the course throughout the U.K.

Most courses run over four years and two or three Universities offer a post grad entrance following a previous degree.

Candidates require A levels to enter onto the course, although some equivalent qualifications may be accepted.

The course itself Is very intensive, running across five days a week, plus placement. Throughout the course training speech therapists should gain lots of practical experience of Paediatrics and adults through their weekly or block placements.

When qualifying a newly qualified practitioner must meet the Royal College Speech and Language therapists Competencies with the first year or two of practicing.

What other disciplines work alongside Speech and language Therapists?

Often Speech and Language Therapists will work alongside Educational Psychologists if the child or young person attends school or a nursery. The therapist may work alongside Occupational therapists, Physio therapists, Music therapists and play therapists.

It can be really beneficial for therapists to make joint visits in order to fully assess the child’s needs in relation to their physical development, cognitive development and emotional development.

Where you will come across Speech Therapy?

Speech therapists can work for the National Health Services or Independently as part of the therapists own practice, or where they are employed directly by a school/care setting.

By IC

Labels: occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech, speech and language, speech language, speech language pathology, speech pathologist, speech pathology, speech therapist, therapy

Do you have a stutter? Does one of your children have a stutter? Do you know somebody who has a stutter? This article is all about the speech impediment known as stuttering or stammering. It includes information about stuttering and also treatments which are available to help people who stutter to achieve fluency.

Stuttering is a much larger problem than many people think. Latest research suggests that as many as one percent of the population of the UK has a stuttering problem and that around eighty percent of these people are male.

I had a stutter for eighteen years. I have been informed that I started stuttering when I was only four years of age. I regularly attended speech therapy over the next fourteen years before deciding that it was unlikely to ever help me to achieve fluency.

The stutter was one huge frustration for me as at times I could talk very well. Certain situations such as when I felt under pressure or when I was very tired, was when speaking fluently became very hard for me. I had a number of words which I believed that I was unable to say and would often fear these type of sounds. I would go to great lengths to avoid having to say them, which was not that easy at times.

Some people I have met have become extremely good at hiding their own stutter. They have stated that most of the people that they know are not even aware that they have a speech impediment.

Other people are not able to hide their stutter in this way and will have what is perceived to be a much more severe stutter.

There are a number of treatments for stuttering including the normal route of speech therapy via the local doctor or hospital. Many people who stutter find this form of therapy very frustrating as there are often long waiting lists, and the sessions are normally quite short and irregular.
There is also private therapy in the form of people who have managed to overcome their own stutter. This can be on a one-to-one basis or in a group situation.

Other people attempt to seek help via hypnotherapy or confidence based courses.

I managed to overcome my own stutter after a lot of hard work and practice. It was not easy by any stretch of the imagination, however the results have totally transformed my life. I have now enjoyed speaking fluently for the last ten years.

I have met many people who stutter in that time and have been amazed to hear some of the stories of how they started to stutter. Contrary to popular belief it does not just originate in childhood but can start at any age. A traumatic event can at times trigger the start of a stutter problem in people as can certain forms of abuse.

By Steve Hill

Labels: occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech, speech and language, speech language, speech language pathology, speech pathologist, speech pathology, speech therapist, therapy