Thursday, October 22, 2009

Speech Therapy for Speech and Language Problems

By Karen Barta

Remember Elmer Fudd and his constant laugh-getting way of saying 'wascally wabbit'? Of course you do - and surely you laughed with him, as did good old Bugs Bunny. Regardless of the humor in the cartoon though, actual speech-language disorders are far from funny. Kids are harsh with each other and can cause great emotional trauma through teasing and much more. There are roughly 5 percent of all school-age kids that have some form of language disorder. There are two main categories, speech disorders and language disorders (as broken down by the American Speech Language Hearing Association)

Understanding Speech Disorders

There are a number of struggles and areas of concern that fall under the speech disorder category. They include the following: slurred speech, pitch problems, articulation, vocal quality, and stuttering.

Language Disorders - Get A Better Foundation

There are two categories for language disorders: receptive and expressive. If there are problems with understanding language it would fall into the receptive disorder category. For those that have a hard time putting words together, struggle with using language appropriately, or developing vocabulary, then it would fall into the expressive disorder category.

Help Is Available If You Seek It Out

Speech and language disorders may require treatment by a professional speech-language therapist. These therapists are trained to identify communication problems by using specialized testing methods.

Therapist Can Help...But How?

One-on-One sessions are typical and will include the use of proven techniques that improve language, cognitive capabilities, and voice abilities. The therapist will typically use teaching methods that encourage and develop correct pronunciation. This is done through modeling, exercises, and repetition. For maximum value and success, it is good to start working with a therapist early and to continue until maximum results have been acquired.

Can You Help Me?

A speech therapist can help with speech and language problems caused by many things. Areas that typically are treated by speech therapist are as follows: cleft palate, hearing impairments, weak oral muscles, brain injuries, and autism.

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