What is Speech Therapy?

Speech therapy assists individuals in restoring the ability to speak or correcting speech disorders.

Speech disorders  impact how a person makes sounds to form words, causing communication problems that may lead to low self-esteem.

To aid in recovery, speech therapists first identify the cause of the issue before prescribing specific exercises to help the patient restore his communication abilities.

 Another importance in restoring speech is so that patients can swallow safely.

What causes speech disorders?

A doctor may recommend speech therapy as part of a patient's rehabilitation process.

Autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), brain cancer, strokes, oral cancer, dementia and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are some illnesses that have been linked to speech disorders. Speech disorders may also be inherited, develop over time or a result of an accident. If detected early, these conditions are treatable.

Who needs speech therapy?

Individuals of all ages who have difficulty in communication or swallowing may benefit from speech therapy. Your doctor may suggest speech therapy if you are experiencing:

• Dysarthria - a motor speech disorder in which the muscles of the mouth, face or respiratory system weaken or become difficult to move. Muscles may be weakened due to multiple sclerosis (MS), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), stroke or other nervous system disorders.
• Apraxia - a motor speech disorder caused by brain injury. Patients have trouble forming words despite knowing what they want to say.
• Fluency disorders - Stuttering and cluttering that disrupt the flow, pace and rhythm of a speech.
• Articulation disorders - Difficulties in producing specific sounds in speech. Individuals with this disorder may have difficulty pronouncing words with the letters “th”. Words such as “nothing” and “month” may sound like “nofing” and “mof”.
• Resonance or voice disorders - A result of too much or too little nasal and/or oral sound.
• Aphasia - Patients with aphasia may have trouble with all aspects of language usage including reading, writing, speaking, and understanding. Stroke or other forms of injury to the language-processing areas of the brain can lead to this disorder.
• Receptive disorders - A person with a receptive disorder struggles to listen to and make sense of what others are saying. This can manifest as a lack of interest in a conversation, a limited vocabulary or even a lack of ability to follow commands.
• Cognitive-communication disorders

What happens during speech therapy?

Your doctor will likely suggest some preliminary tests to rule out more serious conditions if they suspect you or your child have a speech disorder.

The specific goals and methods of speech therapy are tailored to the individual, taking into account age and nature of the issue.

For example, speech therapy for children may involve language-based activities or games. As for adults, therapy may focus more on improving or rebuilding a particular skill set.

Patients would be given home exercises in addition to the usual speech therapy sessions to ensure a successful recovery.

Some activities parents may do with their children are:

• be a good speech model. Parents using simple conversations allow children to have an easier time imitating them.
• spend time playing games or reading together. These are great ways to teach proper speech and expand language skills.

Therapies available at REHABCENTRIC

For adults and children:

• Communication
• Speech and Language
• Voice Tone Assessment
• Feeding
• Swallowing (Includes swallowing assessments during Fiberoptic Endoscopic and Video Fluoroscopic procedures)
• Oro-Motor Training (Oral-motor exercises are targeted routines that help you build up the control, coordination and strength of your oral muscles like lips, tongue, jaw and vocal folds)

Speech therapy, like any other form of treatment or rehabilitation, requires time and perseverance. It usually takes several consistent therapy sessions before you see any results.

At REHABCENTRIC in Ara Damansara Medical Centre (ADMC), our team of certified therapists is committed to providing individualised therapy that suits each patient, guaranteeing a smooth readjustment to life after therapy.