In celebration of Better Speech and Hearing Month, our goal is to bring knowledge and awareness of a profession that impacts so many, yet is often misunderstood.
We asked Lauren Carter, SLP in Home Health and our Jennings Clinic, for information on the type of disorders commonly treated in speech therapy.
“One in 6 (42 Million) Americans have a speech, language, or hearing disorder. Being able to properly diagnose and treat a patient is truly a team effort with the patient, physician, and often times the patient’s family”, Lauren explained.
Some of the verbal and language disorders commonly treated by SLPs include:
- Aphasia – a receptive (comprehension) or expressive (verbal) language disorder
- Apraxia – a motor planning disorder
- Dysarthria – slurred speech or disordered sound articulation
- Voice disorders – includes inappropriate pitch or loudness due to vocal abuse or cancer
- Articulation delays – due to developmental delays, Cerebral Palsy, or Autism
- Fluency disorders- includes stuttering
- Social communication problems- such as attention and turn-taking
- Cognitive-linguistic impairments- including memory, problem-solving, reasoning, sequencing and organization
- Dysphagia – difficulty swallowing due to muscle weakness which places patients at risk for aspiration or food/liquids entering the airway when swallowed
“Therapy Center has provided opportunities for me to treat people in various settings, with the common goal of improving their lives. There is nothing better than seeing a person overcome a disorder and improve their quality of life. I wouldn’t trade this career for anything!”- Lauren Carter, SLP
Therapy Center provides speech therapy in a variety of settings including skilled nursing , home health, and outpatient rehabilitation.
Follow our blog for information on speech therapy.
For speech therapy career opportunities with Therapy Center, visit our Careers Page.
