May is Better Hearing and Speech Month (BHSM)! This month was created in 1927 by ASHA, the American Speech-Language Hearing Association. BHSM aims to raise awareness to speech and hearing problems and encourage those to seek the help they need. SLPs can evaluate and treat so many areas! Keep scrolling to learn about all the ways an SLP can help others:
Speech production:
This is how sounds are produced and put together in running speech. Difficulties with speech production can impact intelligibility, or the amount understood of one’s speech message. SLPs are trained to treat a variety of speech production disorders, including: articulation disorders (individual sound production), phonological disorders (sound patterns), apraxia, and dysarthria.
Language:
Language includes one’s receptive, or understanding of, language and expressive, or one’s ability to communicate, language. Receptive and expressive communication includes: grammar, morphology, syntax, semantics, vocabulary, categories, and following directions. SLPs are trained to treat verbal and written expressions of language.
Social-Pragmatics:
Language skills also include social-pragmatic language, or social communication skills. This can include greeting others, turn taking, understanding and using nonverbal body language and facial expressions, staying on topic, and more. SLPs are trained to work with patients one-on-one or in group settings to target social communication skills. Accent Modification:
SLPs can work with individuals who want to communicate more effectively by modifying their speech production sounds.
Voice:
Voice disorders include problems with pitch, volume, tone, and other qualities of your voice. Hoarseness, breathiness, or losing one’s voice quickly are all examples of voice disorders. These occur when there are anatomical or functional issues with the voice box. An SLP can be trained to treat both pediatric and adult voice disorders.
Fluency/Stuttering:
Fluency is the flow of speech, whereas stuttering includes repetitions, prolongations, and blocks of sounds. Beyond dysfluencies, stuttering may include tension or negative emotions around talking. SLPs are trained in both direct and indirect treatment strategies.
Literacy:
Literacy includes reading, writing, and spelling skills. SLPs play a crucial role in literacy development, as spoken language provides the foundation of reading and writing. Research shows children with speech and language deficits are at higher risk for literacy difficulties. SLPs have extensive knowledge of speech sounds, word meanings, sentence structure, and how words are formed. Identification, assessment, and direct intervention are all roles SLPs can play when treating literacy needs.
Cognition:
A cognitive disorder can be a result from dementia, traumatic brain injury, stroke, genetic factors, and disease. SLPs can treat cognitive-communication disorders which impact attention, problem-solving, organization, memory, and executive functioning.
Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC):
AAC refers to the different systems and devices to assist those with limited verbal communication. Augmentative communication includes systems/devices is used to supplement speech, whereas alternative communication is used to enhance or replace verbal speech. AAC can be no-tech (gestures), low-tech (picture books), or high-tech (iPad) and are used to help people communicate more effectively. An SLP can help find and implement the AAC system and train loved ones on its use.
Life Skills:
SLPs can assist patients in life skills, such as understanding road and community signs, identifying appropriate clothing options, or care of household tasks. SLPs can help increase a person’s functional language and independence in their home and community.
Hearing loss:
SLPs are trained to assist patients with hearing impairments, including the following therapies: auditory-verbal therapy (increasing listening skills to better their speaking skills), auditory-oral therapy (lip reading and observing visual cues to learn language), and total communication therapy (a combination of spoken and sign communication).
Feeding and Swallowing:
SLPs can treat individuals who have difficulty chewing and/or swallowing food. They can also assist individuals with feeding disorders, such as extremely limited diets.
We are appreciative and proud of our incredible group of speech-language pathologists at OWLS Therapy. Join us in celebrating our wonderful profession and therapists all month long!
About the Author
Janene Besch
Director/Speech-Language Pathologist
Janene Besch, née Martin, holds a Master's degree in Speech Language and Hearing Sciences from San Diego State University and a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of California at San Diego. Janene is a member of the American Academy of Private Practice in Speech Pathology
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