Why Should You Visit A Speech And Language Therapist In Katoomba?

According to several reports, communication disorder is one of the most common communication disabilities, affecting almost 1.2 million Australian people globally. Speech and hearing disorders can occur from many circumstances such as developmental delays, stroke, brain injuries, learning disability, intellectual disability, cerebral palsy, dementia, etc.
While the difficulties are not entirely curable, they can be improved by a speech and language therapist in Katoomba. Keep on reading to know more about speech therapy and how it works.

What is speech therapy?

Speech therapy is a method of assessment & treatment of communication disorders and language difficulties. It is performed by trained and qualified speech-language pathologists (SPLs) who are also commonly known as speech therapists.

How does speech and language therapy work?

The therapy starts off with a thorough assessment of the affected person by a speech therapist or pathologist. This process helps identify the type of disorder and the appropriate way to treat it.

Once after determining the requirements and the best possible reception, the SLP progresses with the speech therapy exercises. Below are the exercises:

1. Activities to improve memory, problem-solving abilities, and organization.

2. Cognitive communication stimulating practices.

3. Conversational tactics to enhance social communication 

4. Exercises to strengthen oral muscles

5. Breathing exercises to improve resonance

7 justifiable reasons to see a speech and language therapist in Katoomba

Now that you know how speech therapy works, check out how a leading speech pathology for adults can be helpful.

1. Fluency disorder

Fluency disorder causes troubled flow, rhythm, and speed of speech. Symptoms like cluttering and stuttering are some of the common fluency disorders. Cluttering causes a person to speak faster causing the merger of words together. On the other hand, stuttering affects the sound getting out and interrupted or blocked speech. A speech therapist helps with muscle strengthening and voice-controlling exercises that help treat these disorders.

2. Articulation disorder

Articulation means the incapability to pronounce words correctly. People with an articulation disorder may add sounds to a word that distorts the original pronunciation. For instance, pronouncing “this” as “thith” is an easy example of word distortion due to articulation disorder. An assessment & treatment of communication disorders helps strengthens the oral muscle to improve the sound-forming ability in a person.

3. Receptive language disorder

The receptive disorder causes problems in understanding and processing a conversation. A person with such a disorder may seem uninterested while a conversation, while in reality, he/ she is having trouble following what others say. This also causes a lack of vocabulary and communication difficulties. Such a disorder can cause due to other language disorders, hearing loss, autism, and a head injury. A speech therapist in Katoomba helps with vocabulary and social communication to deal with receptive language.

4. Resonance/ speech disorder

A resonance disorder starts from an obstruction or blockage of airflow in the nostril or oral cavities. It causes a vibration that affects the voice quality creating a resonance problem. It can also occur when the velopharyngeal valve does not close properly. Speech pathology services in Katoomba, Australia help mitigate such disorders and other associated problems like neurological disorders, cleft palate, and swollen tonsils.

5. Cognitive-communication disorders

Often cognitive communication disorder occurs due to a heavy brain injury or past trauma. However, sometimes biological issues such as adverse neurological conditions, abnormal brain development, or brain stroke can also lead to a cognitive communication disorder. It affects the part of your brain which is responsible for maneuvering your thinking ability. Such a disorder may result in difficulty in problem-solving, speaking, memory, and listening. An expert pathologist can help treat such disorders with appropriate exercise.

6. Expressive language disorders

An expressive language disorder refers to the difficulty of expressing or conveying what a person wants to say. Symptoms like trouble with an accurate sentence or word formation indicate an expressive language disorder. It can occur from hearing loss or developmental impairment like Down syndrome. A speech and language therapist in Katoomba helps develop communication skills with proper exercises to target such a disorder.

7. Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)

Augmentative and alternative communication includes all the other types of communication except for speaking. While during infancy, AAC is one of the primary means of communication, growing up makes it a supplementary means of communication. People dealing with speech and language disorders can pave a new way of communication with AAC. This method is prescribed by most qualified SLPs or speech therapists where families can teach AAC and track down the improvement with proper devices and techniques. 

Final takeaway

Medical practitioners are pioneering innovations in the treatment of communication disorders. With every passing era and tough grind hard work, they are uncovering new ways to battle speech and communication difficulties. Therefore, finding a reliable and reputed speech and language therapist in Katoomba can help combat any communication and language problems, leading to a better social life for all.