Problem: Your son loves lining up Matchbox cars but rare uses the racetrack you bought him.
Problem: Your kindergartener always mixes up the sounds in words
Problem: Your little brother has constant ear infections with fluid in his middle ear
Problem: Your daughter tells you to pak the ca in the garage and she isn’t from Boston.
Problem: You crashed your motorcycle and are struggling to breathe.
Problem: Your neighbor can't remember the code to their lock on the front door.
Problem: Your former loud-mouth cousin now speaks in almost a whisper.
Problem: Your brother, a long-term smoker has oral lesions.
Problem: The person in the booth behind you at the diner coughed throughout his entire dinner.
Problem: Your friend has ALS and cannot talk
During articulation therapy your speech language pathologist will move through a hierarchy of levels, beginning with accurate production of the sound in isolation and moving through all levels until the sound is considered mastered. A speech sound is mastered when a child is able to accurately produce it in conversational speech.
SLPs use Dynamic Temporal Tactile Cueing to help children with apraxia. Childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) is a motor speech disorder that makes it difficult for children to speak. Children with the diagnosis of apraxia of speech generally have a good understanding of language and know what they want to say. However, they have difficulty learning or carrying out the complex sequenced movements that are necessary for intelligible speech.
SLPs may use Pivotal Response Training (PRT) when working with a child with autism. Pivotal response training is described as a naturalistic intervention model adapted from ABA approaches. A child’s intentional attempts at a target behavior are rewarded with a natural reinforcer (e.g., if a child attempts a request for a stuffed animal, the child receives the animal, not a piece of candy or other unrelated reinforcer).
Children with hearing loss may have trouble understanding and using sentences. They may: Understand and use shorter sentences than children with normal hearing and have problems with more complex sentences. They may not use clauses in their sentences. An example of a clause is "When I get home, I will eat dinner." They may not use passive voice. An example of this is "The ball was thrown by Mary."
Dysarthria (difficulty speaking) and dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) can be severely limiting symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Both can be helped by seeing a speech pathologist or speech therapist. In particular, the Lee Silverman Voice Therapy Program has demonstrated significant value for people with Parkinson's.
If you have a tracheostomy or need a ventilator to help you breathe, an SLP will help with any speech, language, and swallowing problems. The SLP will work with your doctor and/or respiratory therapist to find ways for you to speak. The SLP can help determine if you are a good candidate for a speaking valve and can work with you to learn how to speak with it. They can help you find other ways to communicate if you cannot speak by using your finger to cover the trach tube opening or a speaking valve. These other ways of communicating may include writing, texting, pointing to pictures on a board, or using a computer. These options are also known as augmentative and alternative communication, or AAC.
An SLP can help you get used to the changes in your mouth after surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation. The SLP can help you learn how to make sounds more clearly. Some people sound like their speech comes out of their nose after surgery. This will happen if there is damage to your soft palate.
Dysphagia is a difficulty swallowing effectively. Oral dysphagia refers to problems with using the mouth, lips and tongue to control food or liquid. Pharyngeal dysphagia refers to problems in the throat during swallowing.
SLPs use spaced retrieval to boost specific recall during early- and mid-Alzheimer's disease. Spaced Retrieval (SR) is a treatment approach developed to facilitate recall of information by individuals with dementia. An errorless learning procedure that can be used to facilitate recall of a variety of information, SR gradually increases the interval between correct recall of target items.
SLPs set-up and train individuals with ALS to use AAC. AAC means all of the ways that someone communicates besides talking. People of all ages can use AAC if they have trouble with speech or language skills. Augmentative means to add to someone’s speech. Alternative means to be used instead of speech. Some people use AAC throughout their life. Others may use AAC only for a short time, like when they have surgery and can’t talk.
