If you are interested in improving your speech, then you will likely be looking for a speech therapist. A speech therapist, or speech language pathologist, is a speech therapist trained to assist individuals with communication disorders that include stuttering, stammering, and other speech difficulties. In addition to helping individuals overcome their speech challenges, speech therapists also help individuals learn how to deal with their disorder. While some speech therapists are considered advanced communicators who can communicate on a deeper level than others, there is no universal ‘necessary skill’ for becoming a speech therapist. However, there are some skills that all speech therapists must possess in order to become effective at their job.
Communication Disorders Experienced As a Speeh Therapist, you will work to help individuals who have difficulties communicating or displaying speech fluency due to brain-based conditions. Some of these conditions include stroke victims, children with developmental delays, and individuals with a physical impairment affecting speech. These conditions require different approaches to treatment depending on the particular condition of each individual. Speech therapy addresses these conditions using a variety of communication methods such as visual images, sounds, and gestures.
Occupational Therapy Combining speech therapy and occupational therapy can be very beneficial to school systems as well as individuals. Occupational therapists are professionals who specialize in the management of movement within the body and brain. They often collaborate with speech therapists to enhance communication disorders, as well as other learning disorders that students may have. Occupational therapists use a variety of techniques to help patients with physical limitations and neurological issues. In turn, school systems are often able to more effectively serve their students with more complete educational opportunities.
Stuttering Therapy Combining speech therapy and stuttering therapy can prove highly beneficial for individuals who stutter. Stuttering, or stammering, is a speech disorder that involves difficult breathing and speaking patterns that are difficult to control. Individuals who stutter often find it extremely difficult to speak with confidence, and often withdraw from social situations. Learning to communicate with fluency can be beneficial in both social and academic settings.
Communication Disorders Working with a speech-language pathologist (CLP) and a SLP greatly enhances the patient’s ability to function. A speech therapist will often collaborate with a SLP to assess and treat speech disabilities. These two professionals will likely work closely together to develop individualized treatments to address the specific needs of each individual patient. Working with a speech therapist or SLP gives those with communication impairments the chance to achieve fluency in addition to educational success.
The Benefits of Collaboration Utilizing a speech therapist and SLP allows for greater communication flexibility between the two professionals. A speech therapist is better able to work with their patients to create an effective plan of treatment. A SLP is also better able to recognize certain sounds and hand movements that can trigger a stutter or stammer, which can in turn be used to retrain the patient. Working with a combination of these two professionals enables those who stutter to regain their speaking capabilities. In addition, collaboration encourages improvements in the quality of life for those with stuttering disorders.