What is speech therapy?

Speech therapy is a treatment program designed to help patients regain and increase their ability to communicate through speech. The healthcare team member who provides this treatment is called a speech therapist.

The speech therapists will work closely with your physician to determine what therapy is best for the individual person. This is based on many factors including the person's:

• illness
• disability
• motivation
• home situation and * extent of the speech impairment

A speech therapist is usually consulted for clinical conditions such as:

• birth defect problems like cleft palate or cleft lip
• stuttering or other problems with speech, such as problems with forming words or sentences
• delayed speech in childhood
• abnormal childhood languages
• speech loss or difficulty swallowing resulting from trauma or stroke or
• after cancer surgery involving the mouth or throat when there is difficulty speaking due to the effects of the surgery

Speech therapy includes:

• training and repetitive exercises and
• use of devices that can make it easier for some people to speak

Speech therapists also work closely with the family members, who will help care for the person upon discharge from the hospital or treatment center.

Speak with your healthcare provider if you think you or a loved one might benefit from speech therapy.

Last Reviewed 2005

Disclaimer: This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information provided is intended to be informative and educational and is not a replacement for professional medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.

HIL File GHEA3461.rf2 VRS# 7648 Data Version 7.0 Copyright 1998, 2002 McKesson Health Solutions LLC. All rights reserved.