How do Speech and Language Therapists Help Students?

Speech and language therapists can be expected to help those who are suffering from stuttering or any other kind of speech and language disorder. A speech disorder can be defined as a problem linked to the actual production of sounds. Language disorder, on the other hand, refers to the difficulty of understanding or of putting together words in order to communicate ideas. The two are different from each other and if you are suffering from any of them, then you should consider seeking the aid of an effective speech and language therapists.

Before seeking the help of therapists, it is advisable for you to determine the different conditions that are included in either speech or language disorders so you will know exactly the kind of therapist that can work perfectly for your specific case. Speech disorders actually include certain conditions such as articulation disorders. This is experienced when you face a lot of difficulty when it comes to producing sounds or words in the form of syllables. This makes it difficult for your listeners to understand you. Another form of speech disorder is the fluency disorder. This involves problems such as stuttering wherein the flow of your speech is often interrupted by repetitions, prolonging sounds and abnormal stoppages. Other speech disorders include resonance or voice disorders and oral feeding disorders.

Language disorders, on the other hand, are divided into two. The first one is the receptive disorder and this can be characterized by facing a lot of difficulties when it comes to processing and understanding languages. The second one is the expressive disorder. This can be defined as that specific condition wherein you experience difficulty in putting together words. This condition also involves having only a limited vocabulary. If you are suffering from expressive language disorder, there is also a great possibility for you to be unable to use language in an appropriate manner socially.

What are The Benefits?

With the help of an effective speech and language therapist, the problems that you have with proper communication can be dealt with right away. The therapist starts to work by first assessing your comprehension or the way you understand language and your expressive language or the manner through which you use language. When evaluating your comprehension, the therapist can be expected to take a look on those specific areas where the difficulties in speech and language occur. This includes your vocabulary or the types of words that you use including nouns, prepositions and verbs. Evaluating your comprehension is also performed by therapists by checking out how you understand language structures. The process of assessing you in this manner works by determining if you are capable of effectively following the instructions provided by the therapist.

Your expressive language will be assessed by the therapist by first checking out your speech sounds. Speech sound which is also referred to as phonology is evaluated by your therapist to find out if you use sounds inappropriately. The therapist can also be expected to work in evaluating if you are facing articulation difficulties. Most sufferers of speech and language disorders face difficulty in producing speech sounds because of physical problems including poor dentition or cleft lip or palate. This is evaluated by the therapist to ensure that the right method in improving speech is used. The therapist can also be expected to work effectively in assessing the severity of the problems that you have in fluency.

Once the severity of your case is already determined, you can expect your therapist to work in improving your condition by using certain methods and tools. These include symbol system, picture or photo system, signing systems, eye pointing and communication aids. These are used to help you convey the right message and improve your speech and language ability along the process.

More Information On Speech and Language Resources

  1. Selective Mutism
  2. Speech Pathology Online
  3. Speechville Express
  4. Talking Point
  5. The Voice Foundation