What is Speech Therapy?
Speech Therapy focuses on three areas; communication, cognition, and oral functioning.
- Communication involves expression, such as the way we form speech sounds, the words we use, our ability to be appropriately loud, have a clear voice, and speak without becoming out of breath. Communication also involves hearing and understanding what is spoken to us.
- Cognition underlies all communication, including memory for what is said, following directions, recalling recent events, and orientation.
- Oral functioning involves chewing and swallowing (including difficulties with drooling, eating and swallowing).
Do I need a speech therapist?
Speech therapy is required if you suffer from any of the following disorders:
- Articulation disorders: Difficulties producing sounds in syllables or saying words incorrectly to the point that listeners can’t understand what’s being said
- Fluency disorders: problems such as stuttering, in which the flow of speech is interrupted by abnormal stoppages, repetitions (st-st-stuttering), or prolonged sounds and syllables (sssstuttering)
- Resonance or voice disorders: problems with pitch, volume, or quality of the voice that distracts listeners from what is being said
- Dysphagia/oral feeding disorders: difficulties with drooling, eating and swallowing
What will my speech therapy home care services include?
Speech therapy will include an evaluation to determine if any needs are present. Next, the speech therapist works with the client to find methods to compensate or restore adequate functioning.
Therapists work with the client to determine the best approach. Common approaches are:
- Education and training to the structure and function of the language, cognition, speech, and swallowing mechanism
- Exercises for oral motor function
- Exercises for language and cognition
- Use of compensatory strategies
- Modification of the home environment
How are services paid for?
We provide speech therapy home care services on a private pay basis; however our services may be covered under Medicare benefits.
Feel free to contact us for a no-obligation consultation. We look forward to serving your needs.
