15Nov

Ultimate Guide – Speech Therapy for Adults

Adult Speech Therapies


There is no stigma associated with seeking assistance with communication, pronunciation, comprehension or other aspects of speech. Here, we’ll discuss what
speech therapy for adults is and how speech therapy for adults works.

 

How is speech therapy defined?

 

Speech therapy can take various forms, depending on the disease being treated and the desired outcome. Speech therapy benefits children and adults alike by assisting with speech, language, and social skills.

 

A person who would benefit from speech pathology may exhibit the following symptoms:

  • Difficulty communicating properly 
  • Difficulty swallowing
  • Problems connecting words and sentences
  • Difficulties reading and writing
  • Mouth dryness
  • Speech impediments and stuttering
  • Chronic painful throat or vocal cord pain

 

Kinds of Speech and Language Disorders 

 

Apraxia is a condition that affects the brain. You may develop apraxia following a stroke, brain injury, or brain surgery. When the brain’s messages are interrupted, it can make speech difficult or impossible.

 

Dysarthria is also associated with a brain malfunction in which messages are received, but the brain area that controls the lips, face, tongue, and throat muscles are injured.

 

Aphasia is another brain condition. It is used to describe someone who has difficulty comprehending, speaking, reading, or writing. Language abilities are located on the left side of the brain, whereas attention and memory abilities are located on the right. Without the other, issues may arise that require the assistance of speech therapy.

 

Other problems may affect your larynx (voice box), causing symptoms such as hoarseness, polyps or nodules on the vocal cords, spasmodic dysphonia, another type of brain condition, or vocal cord paralysis.

 

Larynx problems are common in singers, actresses, public speakers, and those who frequently project their voices.

 

You may also choose to enroll in speech therapy for adults.  Perhaps you wish to alter your accent to speak more effectively with individuals in a different nation. 

 

How does speech therapy for adults work?

Adults can benefit from speech therapy in a variety of ways. Treatment options differ depending on the underlying cause of your speech problems and the desired outcome. Among them are the following:

  • Target selection focuses on specific sounds that you may be having difficulty with. For instance, if you develop a lisp when pronouncing the letter “S,” your speech therapist may concentrate exclusively on those sounds. If you stutter, your speech therapist may identify the words or portion of a sentence causing the disturbance and work on those.
  • Individual syllables are used as the context for speech activities in contextual utilisation. Breaking down words into more manageable components is frequently employed to assist individuals in relearning or solidifying word structures following a brain injury or degeneration.
  • Contrast therapy employs pairs of words to demonstrate their distinctions. During contrast therapy, a speech therapist may use pairs such as “dough” and “display” or “beat” and “feet.” Although these terms are spelled differently, they have a similar pronunciation. Making distinctions between these pairs can aid in the treatment of specific speech and language disorders.
  • Oral-motor therapy focuses on the facial and oral muscles to improve language and communication abilities. It is critical to strengthen and fine-tune the muscles of the jaw, lips, tongue, and throat, and speech therapists offer tools and exercises to assist.

Speech therapy benefits

In addition to improving oral and writing communication, speech therapy can help with a wide range of other abilities. This specialized therapy can help with the development of interpersonal relationships, brain development, as well as improve one’s general well-being.

12Nov

Does speech therapy really work?

Is Speech Therapy beneficial?

Speech therapy provides treatment and support for individuals who are experiencing difficulties with their speech and communication. The method is beneficial for a variety of conditions in both children and adults.  Speech is the articulate sound-based expression of thoughts. A speech disorder is a communication barrier that prohibits a person from conversing verbally. Additionally, they may be referred to as communication disorders.


Speech therapy is a highly successful treatment for disorders of speech and communication. Speech therapy is a service provided by a speech-language pathologist (SLP) to those who have speech difficulties. They are health professionals who have been trained to evaluate and treat individuals who have difficulties with their speech, language, or swallowing.

 

An SLP will begin by conducting an assessment of the individual. They can then differentiate between various sorts of speech impairments and choose how to treat them.

Adult speech treatment can involve a variety of different strategies. These include the following:

 

Social communication: The SLP may increase communication through problem-solving, memory activities, and conversation exercises.

Breathing exercises: This may be used by an SLP to assist with resonance issues.

Mouth exercises: These are an effective method of strengthening the oral muscles, which can improve communication.

Swallowing exercises: Swallowing difficulties may be caused by medical conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, oral cancer, or a stroke. An SLP can assist a client with these challenges by using swallowing exercises.

 

These are the conditions that speech therapy for adults seeks to address

 

Stuttering

Stuttering is a type of speech impairment that specialists define as the repetition of sounds, syllables, or phrases. Stutterers frequently repeat or lengthen words, syllables, or sentences. A person who stutters understands what they want to say but has difficulty communicating it correctly or in a natural manner. A stutter is frequently referred to as a stammer.

 

Aphasia

Aphasia is a neurological disease in which a person has problems with language or speaking. Aphasia may be triggered by damage to the areas of the brain responsible for language. Strokes are the most common cause of death among adults.  Aphasia affects a person’s capacity to express and comprehend language and their ability to read and write.

 

Articulation Disorder

An Articulation problem exists independently of any other speech or linguistic disability.  Articulation disorders are a term that refers to those who have difficulty producing sound through coordinated motions of the lips, tongue, teeth, palate, and respiratory system. Individuals suffering from these diseases may have problems producing specific sounds, such as pronouncing “wabbit” instead of “rabbit.” While a person with phonological problems can produce these sounds appropriately, they may place them incorrectly inside a word.  Individuals who have articulation difficulties frequently mispronounce words. Many people also struggle with other aspects of language development.

 

Resonance disorders

A barrier or impediment to the normal airflow through a person’s mouth while speaking might result in a resonance problem.    Healthcare experts frequently correlate this communication issue with cleft palates and other neurological conditions. These illnesses disrupt the vibrations responsible for speech, resulting in distorted speech.

 

Maybe you are wondering does speech therapy work for adults

YES, it will definitely work.

 

Numerous studies prove that speech therapy is an effective way for developing communication abilities in children and adults. One study of nearly 700 children with speech or language impairments discovered a considerable favorable effect of speech therapy.

The results indicate that an average of six hours of speech treatment each week for six months improved communication performance significantly. Additionally, speech therapy was significantly more beneficial than no treatment within the same period.

Another study examined the impact of speech therapy on persons who had suffered a stroke and developed aphasia. The evidence indicates that speech therapy is beneficial in resolving these communication difficulties. Additionally, the research demonstrates its efficacy in the early phase following a stroke, often the first six months, and indicates that intensive treatments are more effective.

Another study indicates that speech therapy may be beneficial in the treatment of aphasia. This study demonstrates that 16 sessions of speech treatment spread over eight consecutive weeks aided in improving communication abilities.

While communication and speech impairments are prevalent in Australia, speech therapy has been shown to be an effective treatment for different speech disorder conditions.

Speech therapy is helpful for both children and adults, and SLPs can assist a person in improving their communication abilities through a variety of strategies.