Although often considered treatment for childhood speech and language issues, speech therapy is sometimes recommended for adults. Adult speech therapy is a part of recovery programs for many illnesses, and may be used to help manage conditions that affect speech, language, eating or swallowing. When choosing an adult speech therapy program, a variety of different settings and treatment options exist depending on diagnosis.
Adult speech therapy helps people gain greater control over speaking and language skills. For many adults, a medical issue such as stroke, or onset of motor-skill affecting conditions like Parkinson's Disease or Multiple Sclerosis. Brain injury and accidents that cause damage to the throat, jaw, or facial structure can also impair speaking ability. Other people may require adult speech therapy due to mental difficulties which affect comprehension of language or the ability to speak intelligibly.
Finding a speech therapist is often done through recommendations from a primary care doctor. After an injury, accident, or stroke, a doctor may suggest adult speech therapy to help language and speaking skills improve or to help a patient better cope with the language disabilities caused by his or her condition. A speech therapist can give a more focused diagnosis of language-based issues, and be able to create a personalized program to improve skills.
Diagnosis of a speech or language disability is done through a variety of tests, both mental and physical. If the problem is not physical in nature, the patient may be assessed for language comprehension and retention skills. Once the specific underlying cause is identified, treatment programs to help the patient can begin.
Treatment done in adult speech therapy may be done in many different ways, as best fits the need of the patient. Some people receiving adult speech therapy have group classes focusing on comprehension and pronunciation, similar to those taken when learning a foreign language. Depending on the nature of the condition, exercises for muscular improvement and homework may also become a part of the program. Some speech therapists even make house calls, particularly for patients that are bedridden or in hospital treatment.
Related topics
Speech Therapy
Pediatric Speech Therapy
Speech Therapy Activities
Aphasia Speech Therapy
Speech Therapy Articulation
Speech Therapy Stuttering
Children Speech Therapy
While adult speech therapy may not be able to cure all speech or language disabilities, it can go a long way to giving adults confidence and focused training. Some patients may see a great improvement and even full recovery of all skills, while others may have to work hard to achieve every bit of increased ability. Struggling to communicate clearly can be greatly frustrating, yet some people may find speech therapy embarrassing or even shameful. A trained speech pathologist should soon be able to put worries to rest, and help to improve the quality of language, and life, for many patients.
Coutsey: wisegeeks.com
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Speech therapy for toddlers
Speech Therapy For Children: Tips & Resources for Parents and Speech Therapists
Welcome to Speech for Kids, your online resource for speech and language therapy resources for children. Whether you're a parent looking for answers about your child's speech problems or a professional looking for online resources for speech therapy lessons, speech for kids is a an excellent resource.
NEW SPEECH THERAPY RESOURCES
* Children's Speech and Language Problems: When Does a Child Need Speech Therapy?
* Children and Autism - is my child autistic?
* Why does my autistic child need a diagnosis?
* Speech therapy toys for children with autism
* Funding for speech therapy for working with children with autism
* Frequently asked Questions About Stuttering
Are you concerned that your preschool child is starting to stutter? A certified Speech Language Pathologist can help.
* Speech Therapy Toys and DVD's
Wondering what toys or movie or audio resources might be best for your child's speech therapy needs? Check ou these tips
* Toddler Talking Quiz
How well does your toddler talk? Find out. Take the quiz.
Courtsey: speechforkids.com
Welcome to Speech for Kids, your online resource for speech and language therapy resources for children. Whether you're a parent looking for answers about your child's speech problems or a professional looking for online resources for speech therapy lessons, speech for kids is a an excellent resource.
NEW SPEECH THERAPY RESOURCES
* Children's Speech and Language Problems: When Does a Child Need Speech Therapy?
* Children and Autism - is my child autistic?
* Why does my autistic child need a diagnosis?
* Speech therapy toys for children with autism
* Funding for speech therapy for working with children with autism
* Frequently asked Questions About Stuttering
Are you concerned that your preschool child is starting to stutter? A certified Speech Language Pathologist can help.
* Speech Therapy Toys and DVD's
Wondering what toys or movie or audio resources might be best for your child's speech therapy needs? Check ou these tips
* Toddler Talking Quiz
How well does your toddler talk? Find out. Take the quiz.
Courtsey: speechforkids.com
Speech therapy courses
Training as a speech and language therapist
This page describes the degree courses in speech and language therapy.
Pre registration speech and language therapy programmes
Most speech and language therapy students will do a three or four year degree or honours degree course. These are provided by a number of universities in the UK.
The courses will include a balance of both theoretical and practical components. The theoretical components will include lectures and seminars in language pathology and therapeutics, speech and language sciences, behavioural sciences, biomedical sciences, education, acoustics, research, methodology and statistics, psychology, sociology and professional issues.
The practical components of the course will give the student the opportunity to apply the theory to practice and to develop their clinical skills by working with a variety of patients in a range of work settings under the supervision of qualified speech and language therapists.
There is an accelerated course available for those who already have an appropriate first degree. The courses will be over two years and are for people who have graduated in other disciplines and wish to qualify as a speech and language therapist.
These courses will lead to either a postgraduate diploma or a masters degree.
All accredited programmes have been approved by the Health Professions Council for regulatory purposes and students who graduate from these programmes will be eligible to apply for registration with the Health Professions Council.
NHS Careers strives to maintain an up to date list of HPC-approved courses. However, for the latest list of approved courses, please visit the HPC website
Courtsey: nhs.co.uk
This page describes the degree courses in speech and language therapy.
Pre registration speech and language therapy programmes
Most speech and language therapy students will do a three or four year degree or honours degree course. These are provided by a number of universities in the UK.
The courses will include a balance of both theoretical and practical components. The theoretical components will include lectures and seminars in language pathology and therapeutics, speech and language sciences, behavioural sciences, biomedical sciences, education, acoustics, research, methodology and statistics, psychology, sociology and professional issues.
The practical components of the course will give the student the opportunity to apply the theory to practice and to develop their clinical skills by working with a variety of patients in a range of work settings under the supervision of qualified speech and language therapists.
There is an accelerated course available for those who already have an appropriate first degree. The courses will be over two years and are for people who have graduated in other disciplines and wish to qualify as a speech and language therapist.
These courses will lead to either a postgraduate diploma or a masters degree.
All accredited programmes have been approved by the Health Professions Council for regulatory purposes and students who graduate from these programmes will be eligible to apply for registration with the Health Professions Council.
NHS Careers strives to maintain an up to date list of HPC-approved courses. However, for the latest list of approved courses, please visit the HPC website
Courtsey: nhs.co.uk
Stuttering device
Electronic fluency devices (also known as assistive devices, electronic aids, altered auditory feedback devices and altered feedback devices) are electronic devices intended to improve the fluency of persons who stutter. Most electronic fluency devices change the sound of the user's voice in his or her ear.
Types
Electronic fluency devices can be divided into two basic categories.
* Computerized feedback devices provide feedback on the physiological control of respiration and phonation, including loudness, vocal intensity and breathing patterns.
* Altered auditory feedback (AAF) devices alter the speech signal so that speakers hear their voices differently.
Computerized feedback devices
Computerized feedback devices (such as CAFET or Dr. Fluency) use computer technology to increase control over breathing and phonation. A microphone gathers information about the stutterer’s speech and feedback is delivered on a computer screen. Measurements include intensity (loudness), voice quality, breathing patterns, and voicing strategies. These programs are designed to train features related to prolonged speech, a treatment technique which is frequently used in stuttering therapy. No peer-reviewed studies have been published showing the effectiveness of commercial systems in a clinical context. A study of electromyographic (EMG) feedback in children and adolescents found it to be as effective as other treatments (home-based and clinic-based smooth speech training) in the short and longterm.
[edit] Altered auditory feedback devices
Altered auditory feedback (AAF) such as singing, choral speaking, masking, delayed or frequency altered feedback have long been known to reduce stuttering. Early altered auditory feedback devices were large and thus confined to the laboratory or therapy room, but advances in electronics have permitted increasingly portable devices such as Derazne Correctophone, the Edinburgh Masker, the Vocaltech Clinical Vocal Feedback Device, the Fluency Master and the SpeechEasy. Current devices may be similar in size and appearance to a hearing aid, including in-the-ear and completely-in-the-canal models.
Types
Electronic fluency devices can be divided into two basic categories.
* Computerized feedback devices provide feedback on the physiological control of respiration and phonation, including loudness, vocal intensity and breathing patterns.
* Altered auditory feedback (AAF) devices alter the speech signal so that speakers hear their voices differently.
Computerized feedback devices
Computerized feedback devices (such as CAFET or Dr. Fluency) use computer technology to increase control over breathing and phonation. A microphone gathers information about the stutterer’s speech and feedback is delivered on a computer screen. Measurements include intensity (loudness), voice quality, breathing patterns, and voicing strategies. These programs are designed to train features related to prolonged speech, a treatment technique which is frequently used in stuttering therapy. No peer-reviewed studies have been published showing the effectiveness of commercial systems in a clinical context. A study of electromyographic (EMG) feedback in children and adolescents found it to be as effective as other treatments (home-based and clinic-based smooth speech training) in the short and longterm.
[edit] Altered auditory feedback devices
Altered auditory feedback (AAF) such as singing, choral speaking, masking, delayed or frequency altered feedback have long been known to reduce stuttering. Early altered auditory feedback devices were large and thus confined to the laboratory or therapy room, but advances in electronics have permitted increasingly portable devices such as Derazne Correctophone, the Edinburgh Masker, the Vocaltech Clinical Vocal Feedback Device, the Fluency Master and the SpeechEasy. Current devices may be similar in size and appearance to a hearing aid, including in-the-ear and completely-in-the-canal models.
Speech therapy techniques
Speech therapy techniques are used are used to treat a variety of problems affecting the clarity of a person’s speech. The techniques vary depending on the particular problem. Most speech therapy is carried out on children, as the treatment is usually more effective while a patient’s speech is still developing.
There are three major types of problem which could require speech therapy techniques. Articulation involves difficulties producing sounds clearly enough for other people to understand what the speaker is saying. Fluency is when there are problems with the pattern of speech, most commonly in the form of a stutter. Resonance covers problems which affect the qualities of the voice’s sound, for example the volume or pitch. These problems can both distract the listener from the message being communicated, and may also cause physical pain to the speaker.
There are three main categories of speech therapy techniques. These do not necessarily match up with the three types of problem. The most appropriate technique will depends not only on the specific problem, but also its causes and the personal circumstances of the patient.
The best known category is articulation therapy. This involves the therapist concentrating on explicitly teaching the patient how to produce particular sounds and syllables. This can include physical demonstrations of how to use the tongue and mouth for specific sounds. The exercises will usually be built into play techniques appropriate for the child’s age.
A second category is language intervention. This can appear much more play- and activity-based and less formal. The goal of such techniques is usually to encourage the child to talk more to help develop their language abilities. The therapist will then use this activity to make sure the child pronounces words correctly.
The final category is oral motor therapy. This is more of a physical exercise routine designed to develop the muscles in and around the mouth. These techniques are more appropriate where the speech problems are caused by a physical issue rather than underdeveloped skills. Some therapists will also use these techniques for problems which don’t necessarily involve speech issues, for example where a child has trouble with eating or swallowing.
Related topics
Speech Therapy
Pediatric Speech Therapy
Speech Therapy Activities
Aphasia Speech Therapy
Speech Therapy Articulation
Speech Therapy Stuttering
Children Speech Therapy
The work of people who research and carry out speech therapy techniques, along with the underlying problems, is known by a variety of names internationally. The field is generally known as speech-language pathology, or SLP in North America. In the United Kingdom, speech and language therapy is a more common term, often with the acronym SALT. Australia simply calls it speech pathology.
Courtsey: wisegeek.com
There are three major types of problem which could require speech therapy techniques. Articulation involves difficulties producing sounds clearly enough for other people to understand what the speaker is saying. Fluency is when there are problems with the pattern of speech, most commonly in the form of a stutter. Resonance covers problems which affect the qualities of the voice’s sound, for example the volume or pitch. These problems can both distract the listener from the message being communicated, and may also cause physical pain to the speaker.
There are three main categories of speech therapy techniques. These do not necessarily match up with the three types of problem. The most appropriate technique will depends not only on the specific problem, but also its causes and the personal circumstances of the patient.
The best known category is articulation therapy. This involves the therapist concentrating on explicitly teaching the patient how to produce particular sounds and syllables. This can include physical demonstrations of how to use the tongue and mouth for specific sounds. The exercises will usually be built into play techniques appropriate for the child’s age.
A second category is language intervention. This can appear much more play- and activity-based and less formal. The goal of such techniques is usually to encourage the child to talk more to help develop their language abilities. The therapist will then use this activity to make sure the child pronounces words correctly.
The final category is oral motor therapy. This is more of a physical exercise routine designed to develop the muscles in and around the mouth. These techniques are more appropriate where the speech problems are caused by a physical issue rather than underdeveloped skills. Some therapists will also use these techniques for problems which don’t necessarily involve speech issues, for example where a child has trouble with eating or swallowing.
Related topics
Speech Therapy
Pediatric Speech Therapy
Speech Therapy Activities
Aphasia Speech Therapy
Speech Therapy Articulation
Speech Therapy Stuttering
Children Speech Therapy
The work of people who research and carry out speech therapy techniques, along with the underlying problems, is known by a variety of names internationally. The field is generally known as speech-language pathology, or SLP in North America. In the United Kingdom, speech and language therapy is a more common term, often with the acronym SALT. Australia simply calls it speech pathology.
Courtsey: wisegeek.com
Stammering treatment
Stammering Therapies
Information about the best therapies presently available to stammerers can be found on this page. Stammering can basically be treated with four different therapeutic approaches:
Stammering Self-Therapy
Electronic devices
Speech Language Pathologist
Speech Clinics
There are two things you should consider when choosing a stammering therapy:
1. Stammering cannot be eliminated overnight. If you have been living with stammering for years or even decades it won’t go away that easily. Whatever therapy you choose, it will probably take several weeks or months before stammering can be effectively controlled. Claims that you can “cure” stammering in a few days should be looked at with extreme caution.
2. Stammering is not only a speech disorder but also a communication and behavioural disorder. Stammering can be compared to an iceberg and the speech disorder only represents the tip of the stammering iceberg. The bulk of the iceberg is made of the communication and behavioural disorders as well as all the negative feelings such as shame, guilt, embarrassment etc. A therapy that exclusively focuses on the speech disorder is bound to fail over the long run. An effective therapy should be based on a holistic approach and should address every aspect of stammering: the speech disorder (the "disfluencies") as well as the communication and behavioural disorders and negative feelings associated with stammering. See What is Stammering? for more information.
Self-therapy is an affordable and effective way to treat stammering and this is definitely where you should start.
To get started, all you need to do is invest a few pounds and commit yourself to spending 30 minutes to one hour a day doing simple exercises. You will probably notice significant improvements in your fluency within a few weeks and should be able to eliminate stammering within a few months.
We have chosen two self-therapy stammering programs for you:
Comprehensive Stuttering Therapy (Phillip J. Roberts):
Comprehensive Stuttering Therapy is probably the most comprehensive and most effective self-therapy presently available to stammerers. It includes 29 exercises addressing every single element of the stammering phenomenon: the “disfluencies” as well as the negative feelings and behaviours associated with stammering. By going through these exercises, the stammerer will gradually improve his fluency and alter the destructive feelings and behaviours that promote stammering. The end result is a self sustainable fluency lasting for a lifetime. Click here to access Phillip J. Robert's web site.
Understanding & Controlling Stuttering (William D. Parry)
Understanding & Controlling Stuttering is another excellent self-therapy program. William Parry developed a new theory to explain stammering. According to his theory, stammering results from a neurological confusion between the voice and the Valsalva mechanism (a set of muscles that we tighten when exerting effort). The book then suggests a technique that eliminates stammering by controlling the Valsalva mechanism. Click here to access William D. Parry's web site.
It is very likely that self-therapy is all you will need to achieve fluency. If you still stammer after trying self-therapy, you can then consider other therapeutic options. In any case, reading these books will provide you with in-depth knowledge about stammering, and this knowledge will be extremely useful when visiting a speech-language pathologist or attending an intensive stammering program in a speech clinic.
If one of your relatives stammers, we strongly recommend that you read these books. Many stammerers feel that they are left alone to struggle helplessly with stammering. They wish they could talk about it with their friends or relatives but they feel so embarrassed by their disfluencies that it is difficult for them to take the first step. These books provide valuable information about stammering and will help you understand the feelings and frustrations experienced by stammerers. After reading these books, it will be easier for you to take the initiative and talk about stammering with your relatives. You will then be able to provide the support the stammerer needs and suggest a therapy to follow.
If your young child stammers, you will definitely find these books useful as they will help you to understand stammering as well as your child's inner feelings. Besides, Comprehensive Stuttering Therapy (Phillip J. Roberts) explains in details what parents can do to help their child become fluent.
Electronic devices
Fluency enhancing devices are based on DAF (Delayed Auditory Feedback) and FAF (Frequency-Shifting Auditory Feedback). The electronic device picks up your voice from a microphone, delays the sound for a fraction of a second (in the case of DAF) or shifts the frequency (in the case of FAF) and feeds your voice back through earphones.
DAF and FAF can instantly reduce and in most cases eliminate stammering with minimal efforts from your side. But you should keep in mind that DAF and FAF should ideally be used in combination with a comprehensive stammering self-therapy or visits to a speech pathologist. As explained earlier, stammering is a communication and behavioural problem and you will need to change your communication patterns, your attitudes and your way of life. You will also need to learn fluency enhancing techniques and to synchronize breathing with your speech.
DAF and FAF are not a substitute to a holistic approach to stammering but can certainly help you to successfully follow a comprehensive stammering therapy. DAF and FAF will help you slow down. You will therefore be more in control of your speech and it will be easier for you to put the fluency techniques that you learned from the self-therapy or from the speech pathologist into practice. After a while, you should be able to speak fluently without the help of electronic devices.
DAF and FAF devices can be ordered from Casa Futura Technologies.
Speech Language Pathologist:
Another way to treat stammering is to visit a speech-language pathologist. Visiting a SLP is costly both in terms of time and money and you will probably want to spend some time reading about stammering before your first visit. This will help you define your goals and make your discussions with the SLP more fruitful. We recommend that you read about the two self- help stammering therapies described above.
During your first visit to the speech-language pathologist, you should make sure that the person is experienced and comfortable in treating stammering and that a holistic approach will be used.
Several speech clinics provide intensive therapy programs for stammering. Click here to access our list of speech clinics. Please note that we do not endorse any particular organisation and this list is only provided to help you locate a speech clinic. We recommend that you keep in mind the guidelines given earlier about selecting a speech clinic: 1) Stammering cannot be eliminated overnight; this means that an intensive therapy program for stammering should be followed-up by a therapy of some sort. 2) Only a holistic approach can effectively reduce and eliminate stammering and you should make sure the speech clinic provides a comprehensive therapy addressing every aspect of the stammering phenomenon.
Again, it is important that you gain some basic understanding about stammering before contacting any speech clinic. We recommend that you first read books about stammering such as Comprehensive Stuttering Therapy (Phillip J. Roberts) and Understanding & Controlling Stuttering (William D. Parry).
what is Stammering
What is Stammering?
Stammering is usually perceived as being a speech disorder. Stammering is actually an extremely complex condition involving much more than repetitions of sounds, prolongations of syllables and other "disfluencies". Stammering affects the person as a whole and can more adequately be described as a combination of speech, communication and behavioural disorders.
Stammering is often compared to an iceberg and speech disorders only represent the tip of the stammering iceberg.
The bulk of the stammering iceberg lies below the surface and represents the communication and behavioural disorders. A whole set of unusual communication patterns and behaviours work hand in hand with the speech "disfluencies" that non-stammerers inevitably notice:
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Stammerers tend to avoid eye contact with their listeners. They probably do so because they don’t want to see their listener’s reaction to their stammering.
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Stammerers often have irregular breathing patterns and try to speak with little or no air in their lungs. Some stammerers even try to speak while inhaling.
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Some stammerers avoid or try to avoid stammering by resorting to word substitution: If they feel they will stammer on a particular word, they will replace it with another word with a similar meaning. Some stammerers are so successful in using this technique that nobody, not even their spouse, knows that they stammer.
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Stammerers often resort to the use of useless words such as “you know”, “let’s see” etc. They feel that these junk words will give them a running start that will help them successfully rush through a feared word.
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Stammerers tend to react to stress by tightening the muscles of their vocal cords. This probably explains why stammering often becomes worse when under stress.
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Many stammerers avoid stammering by avoiding speaking altogether.
In addition to these unusual communication patterns and behaviours, many stammerers also have negative feelings and perceptions about their stammering and about themselves:
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Shame: stammerers are often ashamed of their stammering and often go to great length to try to hide it.
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Guilt: stammerers often feel guilty about not being able to achieve what they think they would be able to achieve if only they could speak fluently.
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Frustration: stammerers often feel frustrated by their inability to communicate effectively with other people.
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Lowered self-esteem: stammering often induces a feeling of worthlessness.
All these hidden elements of the stammering phenomenon tend to reinforce the speech disorders and a speech therapy focusing only on the speech mechanism is bound to fail. Only a holistic and comprehensive stammering therapy addressing each and every aspect of the phenomenon can succeed in totally eliminating stammering from your life. This is something you should keep in mind when choosing a therapy for stammering.
Article courtsey: stammering[dot]net
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