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| Speech Therapy -- |
Assessment and treatment as ordered by your physician inclusive of speech and
swallowing disorders. Plans of care are designed to optimize communicative
effectiveness for clients with conditions such as stroke, voice disorders, head
injury and cognitive defects.
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| Speech Therapy Definition -- |
Speech-language pathology is the study of disorders that affect a person's speech, language, cognition, voice
disorders, dysphagia and the rehabilitative or corrective treatment of physical and/or cognitive
deficits/disorders resulting in difficulty with communication and/or swallowing. Speech-language pathologists
(SLPs) or Speech and Language Therapists (SLTs) address people's speech production, vocal production, swallowing
difficulties and language needs through speech therapy in a variety of different contexts including schools,
hospitals, and through private practice.
Communication includes speech (articulation, intonation, rate, intensity), language (phonology, morphology,
syntax, semantics, pragmatics), both receptive and expressive language (including reading and writing), and
non-verbal communication such as facial expression and gesture. Swallowing problems managed under speech therapy
are problems in the oral, laryngeal, and/or pharyngeal stages of swallowing (not oesophageal).
Depending on the nature and severity of the disorder, common treatments may range from physical strengthening
exercises, instructive or repetitive practice and drilling, to the use of audio-visual aids and introduction of
strategies to facilitate functional communication. Speech therapy may also include sign language and the use of
picture symbols (Diehl 2003).
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