What Is Speech-Language Therapy?

Speech-language therapy is the treatment of kids with speech and/or language disorders. A speech disorder refers to a problem with the actual production of sounds, whereas a language disorder refers to a difficulty understanding or putting words together to communicate ideas.

Specialists in Speech-Language Therapy

Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs), often informally known as speech therapists, are professionals educated in the study of human communication, its development, and its disorders. They hold at least a master's degree and state certification/licensure in the field, as well as a Certificate of Clinical Competency from ASHA.

By assessing the speech, language, cognitive-communication, and swallowing skills of children and adults, speech-language pathologists can identify types of communication problems and the best way to treat them.

SLPs treat problems in the areas of articulation; dysfluency; oral-motor, speech, and voice; and receptive and expressive language disorders.

When Is Therapy Needed?

Kids might need speech-language therapy for a variety of reasons, including:

• hearing impairments
• cognitive (intellectual; thinking) or other developmental delays
• weak oral muscles/motor planning problems (apraxia, dysarthria) 
• birth defects such as cleft lip or cleft palate
• autism
• motor planning problems
• traumatic brain injury
  • concussion related sports injuries
  • additional injuries

Therapy should begin as soon as possible. Children enrolled in therapy early in their development (younger than 3 years) tend to have better outcomes than those who begin therapy later. This does not mean that older kids can't make progress in therapy; they may progress at a slower rate because they often have learned patterns that need to be changed.