Blame it on the title of the profession.

Many, especially the uninitiated, think that Speech Therapy is a field of expertise intended for the patients with speech defects. Well, it’s true, but it’s not all. There’s more to it in the actual practice than what the name implies.

If we use, however, the more formal name of it — Speech-Language Pathology – then that might have helped clear up some ambiguities.

Scope of Speech Therapy

Since this is a highly specialized turf, let’s refer to some trusted sources in trying to further clarify things. We choose a less technical rendition from Wikipedia.

It runs thus: “A common misconception is that speech-language pathology is restricted to correcting pronunciation difficulties, such as helping English speaking individuals enunciate their “s” and “r” sounds, and helping people who stutter to speak more fluently. In fact, speech-language pathology is concerned with a broad scope of speech, language, swallowing, and voice issues involving communication, some of which are:

• Word-finding issues, either as a result of a specific language problem such as a language delay or a more general issue such as dementia.
• Social communication difficulties involving how people communicate ideas with others (pragmatics).
• Structural language impairments, including difficulties creating sentences that are grammatical (syntax) and meaningful (semantics).
• Literacy impairments (reading and writing) related to the letter-to-sound relationship (phonics), the word-to-meaning relationship (semantics), and understanding the ideas presented in a text (reading comprehension).
• Voice difficulties, such as a raspy voice, a voice that is too soft, or other voice difficulties that negatively impact a person’s social or professional performance.
• Cognitive impairments (e.g., attention, memory, executive function) to the extent that they interfere with communication.

(You can get more information on it through this link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speech-language_pathology.)

Indeed, Speech Therapy or Speech-Language Pathology is such a broad discipline. It’s not just intended for speech-related conditions. It even tackles the functions of the brain as they relate to communication.

Speech Therapy from Excellent Speech Therapists

If you or any family member has certain impairments related to the above difficulties, it is best that you refer yourself or your loved one to the authority in the field. Our agency Pioneer Trace Healthcare & Rehabilitation, the trusted and highly recommended Rehabilitation Services in Flemingsburg, Kentucky, employs a group of Speech Therapy professionals who are proven expert and experienced in their chosen field.

Here we use tools of evaluation and patient-specific treatment programs in assessing, diagnosing, and treating various communication, voice, swallowing, and cognitive disorders that may have been caused by stroke, dementia, or other disorders.

Receive the best therapy from the similarly best therapy provider in this part of Kentucky. We are just a call away. Pick up your phone now and dial 606-845-2131. We are just too willing to sit down with you for a consultation.

If you cannot do that, please send us a message containing your inquiries or requests. You can relay it to us either by fax at 606-845-3507 o or by email at amanda.mcintyre@pioneertrace.com, or through the Contact Us tab of our website www.pioneertrace.com.

But we would prefer that you see us in person. You are always welcome here in our office at 115 Pioneer Trace Flemingsburg, KY 41041 (view map and directions ›).

We hope the information contained in this blog are helpful to you. Should you have reactions and enlightening ideas and information as regards Speech-Language Pathology, please share them with us in the comments section below.