Our blog is designed for parents, caregivers and families to get to know more about us, what we do, why we love speech pathology and to share our best tips and advice. We add new blogs regularly, so watch this space!
What is a Speech Pathologist?
Speech Pathologists (also known as Speech Therapists and Speech and Language Pathologists) study, diagnose and treat communication disorders, including difficulties with speech, language, literacy, social skills, fluency and voice. They are university-trained allied health professionals that work in a wide range of settings, including schools, preschools, private practice clinics, homes and hospitals.
They work with people who experience difficulties communicating because of developmental delays, learning disabilities, hearing loss and a range of other conditions that can affect speech and language. Speech Pathologists can also work with people who experience difficulties eating and drinking safely.
Speech Pathologists are able to identify and diagnose specific difficulties and collaborate with clients and their families to create goals and treatment plans that best suit their needs.
Who do Speech Pathologists work with?
Speech Pathologists work with many people with different communication challenges. At Discover Speech Pathology, this could include:
Giving advice to parents who have concerns around their child’s speech development
Working with children who are difficult to understand or who are late talkers
Helping a primary school student understand what their teacher is telling them
Working with a high school student with a stutter to speak more fluently
Providing education about different ways to communicate for parents and teachers
Assisting children who are experiencing difficulties learning to read
For more information, please visit https://www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au/
What is a communication disorder or difficulty?
Communication involves speaking, hearing, listening, understanding, social skills, reading, writing and using voice. A communication disorder or difficulty is present when a person has difficulty communicating through any of the above methods. A Speech Pathologist can support people with communication difficulties in the following areas:
Speech: involves saying the sounds in words so that people can understand what is being said. For example, a child who doesn’t say words clearly.
Language: involves the exchange of ideas using words, usually in spoken or written form. For example, a child who has trouble understanding and following instructions.
Literacy: involves reading, understanding what is read and communicating in written form.
Social Communication: is how we communicate and involves interpreting the context of a conversation, understanding non-verbal information and the social rules of communication that are needed to develop a relationship with another person.
Voice: using the vocal cords or voice box to produce speech. For example, a child who frequently loses their voice or has a husky voice quality.
Fluency: commonly known as stuttering. This problem is usually first noticed when a child starts putting sentences together but can continue into adolescence and adulthood.
If you have any questions about the information in this blog post, please leave your question as a comment. Give this post a like if you found it helpful!
Thanks for reading!
The Discover Speech Team
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