Speech and Language Therapy
Speech and Language Therapists/Pathologists (SLPs) are health professionals that work with individuals of all ages, presenting with communication, speech, language, literacy, fluency, voice, swallowing, and cognitive disorders:
- Communication: SLPs work on improving verbal and nonverbal communication and social language with others.
- Speech: this includes improving a person’s articulation of sounds and speech intelligibility.
- Language: this implies what is understood and what is said, such as understanding simple and/or complex sentences, building correct sentences, expanding vocabulary, etc.
- Literacy: this covers reading strategies, reading comprehension and writing skills.
- Fluency: SLPs help people who stutter and/or clutter maintain fluent speech.
- Voice: SLPs treat voice disorders and implement strategies for proper use of voice.
- Swallowing: this includes treating problems with sucking, chewing, and swallowing foods and liquids, also known as dysphagia.
- Cognitive: SLPs target problems with memory, attention, problem solving, planning skills, and other intellectual abilities.
Speech and Language Therapists/Pathologists can work in schools, hospitals, homes, and clinical settings. Their responsibilities cover prevention, screening and assessment, diagnosing, intervention and rehabilitation, parental coaching, and professional mentorship. In addition, they also assume an important role of advocating for children, adolescents and adults’ rights to be appropriately included in society.
