When thinking about speech therapy, many people tend to think about speech issues and communication training for kids. Although it is true that speech therapy can help children with lisps and stuttering, it can do so much more for people with speech, language, and communication needs. There are many reasons why people might need speech therapy. Speech therapists are experts in communication, and they help people of all ages cope with a wide variety of disorders and ailments. Here are five things you might not know about speech therapy.
1. Speech Therapy Can Help You Become a Strong Communicator
Communication is everyone’s strong point, and if you find it difficult to speak clearly or you repeat yourself often when you’re out and about, chances are you could benefit from speech therapy. This type of therapy can enhance your speech production so that you can articulate yourself better and mumble less. A speech therapist, also known as a speech-language pathologist, can also help you optimize your voice and teach you about how you can modify it so that you are heard in different types of environments. Overall, speech therapy can help you become a stronger communicator, which is important for career advancement and in life in general.
2. The Quality of Your Voice Can Improve with Speech Therapy
Besides helping you strengthen your communication skills, speech therapy can help improve the quality of your voice. This is handy for people who rely on their voices in professional settings. For instance, performers, radio hosts, and people who do a lot of public speaking can benefit from a strong speaking voice. Speech therapists can help clients use their speaking voices more efficiently.
3. You can Modify Your Accent with Speech Therapy
Speech therapy can help with accent modification. People who seek help in this area include actors and performers who want to modify the way they speak in public. The reasons can vary from the ability to apply for a wider variety of roles to being able to speak and relate to different types of audiences. In addition, some people with distinctive accents seek the help of speech therapists to ‘dilute’ their accents or learn how to speak without one altogether.
4. Speech Therapists Can Help People With Swallowing Disorders
Speech-language pathologists are experts in communication and have received substantial training in a variety of matters that help people with speech and communication problems. People with swallowing disorders can enlist the help of a speech pathologist to help them cope with their issues. Speech pathologist for adults, and children, understand how the throat muscles and the larynx work and can offer exercises that will help people swallow easier. They can also offer suggestions for alternative foods and drinks that are easy to swallow.
5. Speech Therapy Can Help Children Develop Social Communication Skills
Communication and language development can differ from child to child; however, there are standard language milestones to look out for that will signify a child’s ability to communicate. From crying and babbling to your child’s first words, the stage of language development and your child’s age will give an indication of whether or not your child needs extra support. Speech therapists can help children with speech and communication delays and can help them communicate in social settings more effectively.
