Speech-Language Pathology

The history of Speech Therapy and Speech Language Pathology has gone through a development process and shifted throughout time. From its early days beginning with a focus on elocution in the 18th century, things begin to center around disorders in communication and language in later years. Over time, new developments in speech language and persons with communication issues would transform and again influence the history of Speech-Language Pathology. The discipline of speech pathology had been around for a long time - the American Academy of Speech Correction was established in 1926, but it did not become speech-language pathology for a couple of decades. 

Who Works with SLPs?

From every age group, little babies to adults, individuals can work with a speech-language pathologist to help them with many different disorders or issues they are experiencing. What some people don’t realize is that SLPs deal with all kinds of things related to speech, language, and communication. This could mean something that we might already associate with the discipline, like speech fluency (stuttering), but especially with children and babies, it might center upon feeding and swallowing. The sounds we make fall into this discipline as well, with our voice and how we speak being something they can address - if we talk too loudly or might lose our voice quickly, it might be time to see a speech-language pathologist to find out how they can help.

There are many different disorders that a child may have that requires work with an SLP, like issues with apraxia of speech, which can be a frustrating motor speech disorder to deal with. The words that you are trying to say sometimes will come out as different words or sounds, and your brain has trouble connecting the right words or sounds to your mouth’s ability ot make them. Or sometimes the muscles in your mouth are not able to move in the correct ways to create the sounds the brain is looking to make. 

Reasons to Find an SLP

If your child has been experiencing issues with their ability to say the right words or become frustrated when speaking, this could be a sign of apraxia. If there has been a traumatic brain injury, this would be indicative of potentially leading to speech problems in the future. An SLP would be able to assess the way your child moves their mouth when speaking, their lips and tongue as well, and listens to how things sound and how well you can repeat different words, phrases, or sentences. How your child understands what a person says to them is another measure your SLP will take to assess how your child understands words and how they might use them to explain what is on their mind. 

Sounds

We put sounds together to form words, then phrases, then ideas and sentences. When children are developing sounds, they might have trouble with articulation or certain sounds or have phonological disorders that contribute to having difficulties with speech.

Communication

Conversational aspects are also important to measure as a child learns how to socially communicate with others. As a caregiver or parent, you’ll want to notice any change in how your child speaks to different people, or whether they understand how to take turns when talking as well. 

Voice

If you are concerned your child’s voice is often hoarse or they lose their voice quickly, it might be a good time to see an SLP. You may have noticed that they have trouble making certain sounds or have a nasal or very loud voice.

Literacy

Reading also ties into language disorders, and children who already have speech-language disorders often have trouble with spelling, writing, and their literary achievements. If your child has trouble reading and writing, it might be smart to look into possible issues related to speech-language pathology.

Stuttering

It is common with young children, but stuttering usually does go away as a child learns and develops. How well your child’s speech flows is something to consider, and getting assistance from an SLP is a smart first step.

Feeding

Eating food and how children chew and swallow their food can affect everything, as poor nutrition affects overall health and mental capacity. When a child has a disorder like dysphagia (swallowing disorder), they may also experience weight loss or the inability to gain weight along with many other health problems. 

What Does It Take to Become an SLP?

Speech-language pathologists are required to possess a Master’s degree from an accredited institution as a first step to practicing. They also must pass an examination as well as apply for certification, have a mentorship with an accredited SLP along with at least 1,260 hours of experience, and process their information to receive the CCC-SLP designation. Some people are not aware of the time and education commitment that comes along with speech therapy. 

What is ASHA?

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association is an organization that assists individuals interacting with speech-language pathology at any stage in the process. There is information for current students, practicing SLPs, faculty, audiologists, as well as lots of introductions to disorders to raise awareness and understanding for the general public. They are an advocate for Better Hearing & Speech month, which they take the opportunity each May to talk about treatments and disorders in communication. Their resources are available to non-members as well. 

Looking for some answers about something speech or language-related with your child that concerns you? Take the first step and contact Tilton’s Therapy for Tots. As Las Vegas’ go-to provider for mobile speech therapy for children, our therapists are ready to help! Start by learning more about some of the issues that you might be experiencing with some of our resources, or fill out a patient form to get started.

Help us spread the word about the wonderful work of speech-language pathologists and share this article with someone you know who might benefit during Better Hearing & Speech Month. 

Additional Resources:

https://hsl.lib.unc.edu/speechandhearing/professionshistory

https://www.asha.org/public/Who-Are-Speech-Language-Pathologists/