WHAT IS SPEECH THERAPY?

Speech therapy is a treatment program designed to help patients regain and increase their ability to communicate through speech. The healthcare team member who provides this treatment is called a speech therapist.

The speech therapists will work closely with your physician to determine what therapy is best for the individual person. This is based on many factors including the person's:

illness
disability
motivation
home situation and
extent of the speech impairment

A speech therapist is usually consulted for clinical conditions such as:

birth defect problems like cleft palate or cleft lip
stuttering or other problems with speech, such as problems with forming words or sentences
delayed speech in childhood
abnormal childhood languages
speech loss or difficulty swallowing resulting from trauma or stroke or
after cancer surgery involving the mouth or throat when there is difficulty speaking due to the effects of the surgery

Speech therapy includes:

training and repetitive exercises and
use of devices that can make it easier for some people to speak

Speech therapists also work closely with the family members, who will help care for the person upon discharge from the hospital or treatment center.

Speak with your healthcare provider if you think you or a loved one might benefit from speech therapy.

Disclaimer: This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information provided is intended to be informative and educational and is not a replacement for professional medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.

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