Speech therapy is a healthcare service that helps people improve their ability to communicate and, in some cases, swallow safely. It is provided by a trained professional called a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP).
Speech therapy can help people to Speak more clearly, Understand and use language more effectively, Communicate with greater confidence, Improve social interactions and Eat and swallow more safely when swallowing difficulties are present.
The therapist first evaluates the person's communication skills and then creates a treatment plan. Sessions may include to Practicing speech sounds and pronunciation, Learning new vocabulary and language skills, Exercises to improve voice quality, Techniques to improve fluency for stuttering and Activities that strengthen muscles used for speech and swallowing when appropriate.
Speech therapy can help with Speech disorders, Language disorders, Stuttering, Voice disorders, Social communication difficulties and Swallowing disorders.