Speech therapy is a fundamental discipline in healthcare that addresses problems affecting speech, communication, and related skills.
Speech therapist
In speech therapy, the speech-language pathologist is the specialist responsible for preventing, diagnosing, treating, and rehabilitating disorders of language, speech, communication, and swallowing. This work is carried out in collaboration with other professionals, such as neurologists, ENT specialists, psychiatrists, and pediatricians, who help address the underlying conditions that affect a person’s ability to communicate.
The speech-language pathologist carries out several key roles when assessing and treating patients:
- Evaluation and diagnosis: conducts specialized tests to identify disorders such as dyslexia, aphasia, dysphagia, or language delays.
- Treatment design: develops personalized therapeutic programs for each patient, which may include vocal exercises, breathing techniques, or articulation activities.
- Rehabilitation: aimed at patients who have undergone surgery in the oropharyngeal region or who have developed neurological alterations such as stroke.
- Education and family support: teaches families how to reinforce therapy at home to improve treatment outcomes.
The speech therapist not only addresses communication problems but also difficulties related to oral function and swallowing.
Speech-language pathology
The speech-language pathology combines the treatment of speech, hearing, and communication disorders with a more comprehensive approach that includes auditory aspects.
Among the speech and language disorders frequently addressed in speech-language pathology are stuttering, aphasia, and articulation difficulties.
For auditory disorders, it allows the evaluation and fitting of hearing aids, as well as the management of cochlear implants.
It also includes dysphagia, a swallowing disorder associated with neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
In essence, speech-language pathology broadens the medical perspective of communication by integrating auditory and orofacial aspects that complement speech therapy treatments.
Pediatric speech therapy
Pediatric speech therapy is a crucial area for detecting and treating language and communication problems at early developmental stages, which can prevent future complications in learning, socialization, and children’s emotional well-being.
Language is one of the most important skills children acquire in their early years.
Delays or difficulties in communication may be due to multiple causes:
- Developmental disorders: autism, Down syndrome, or specific language disorder.
- Neurological conditions: cerebral palsy or epilepsy.
- Hearing loss: congenital or acquired problems that affect language perception.
Pediatric speech therapy not only focuses on improving speech and language; it also addresses associated problems such as the use of gestures, social interaction, and cognitive development.
Speech therapy is an indispensable tool in healthcare. Its comprehensive approach makes it possible to address complex communication and swallowing disorders, significantly improving patients’ quality of life.
Speech therapists near me
At the ABC Medical Center’s Internal Medicine Department, we have a team of speech therapy specialists, highly trained and dedicated to providing comprehensive and personalized care for all your communication disorder needs.
Our speech therapists in Mexico City are committed to your well-being and use the latest technology and the most advanced treatments to manage conditions such as language development delay in children, aphasia, stuttering, and more.
Fuentes:
MedlinePlus, NIH, Kids Health
