Speech and language pathology - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Speech-Language Pathology specializes in communication disorders.

The main components of speech production include: phonation

Phonation

Phonation has slightly different meanings depending on the subfield of phonetics. Among some phoneticians, phonation is the process by which the vocal folds produce certain sounds through quasi-periodic vibration. This is the definition used among those who study laryngeal anatomy and physiology...

, the process of sound production; resonance

Resonance

In physics, resonance is the tendency of a system to oscillate at a greater amplitude at some frequencies than at others. These are known as the system's resonant frequencies...

, opening and closing of the vocal folds

Vocal folds

The vocal folds, also known commonly as vocal cords, are composed of twin infoldings of mucous membrane stretched horizontally across the larynx...

; intonation

Intonation (linguistics)

In linguistics, intonation is variation of pitch while speaking which is not used to distinguish words. It contrasts with tone, in which pitch variation does distinguish words. Intonation, rhythm, and stress are the three main elements of linguistic prosody...

, the variation of pitch

Pitch

Pitch may refer to:* Pitch , a viscous substance produced by plants or formed from petroleum* Pitch * sales pitch** elevator pitch, a very short sales pitch such as that made during an elevator ride* Pitch accent-Music and acoustics:...

; and voice

Human voice

The human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal folds for talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, etc. Its frequency ranges from about 60 to 7000 Hz. The human voice is specifically that part of human sound production in which the vocal folds are the primary...

, including aeromechanical

Aeromechanics

Aeromechanics is the science about mechanics that deals the motion of air and other gases, involving aerodynamics, thermophysics and aerostatics. The branch of mechanics that deals with the motion of gases and their effects on bodies in the flow...

components of respiration

Respiration (physiology)

'In physiology, respiration is defined as the transport of oxygen from the outside air to the cells within tissues, and the transport of carbon dioxide in the opposite direction...

. The main components of language

Language

Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication...

include: phonology

Phonology

Phonology is, broadly speaking, the subdiscipline of linguistics concerned with the sounds of language. That is, it is the systematic use of sound to encode meaning in any spoken human language, or the field of linguistics studying this use...

, the manipulation of sound according to the rules of the language; morphology

Morphology (linguistics)

In linguistics, morphology is the identification, analysis and description, in a language, of the structure of morphemes and other linguistic units, such as words, affixes, parts of speech, intonation/stress, or implied context...

, the understanding and use of the minimal units of meaning; syntax

Syntax

In linguistics, syntax is the study of the principles and rules for constructing phrases and sentences in natural languages....

, the grammar

Grammar

In linguistics, grammar is the set of structural rules that govern the composition of clauses, phrases, and words in any given natural language. The term refers also to the study of such rules, and this field includes morphology, syntax, and phonology, often complemented by phonetics, semantics,...

or principles and rules for constructing sentences in language; semantics

Semantics

Semantics is the study of meaning. It focuses on the relation between signifiers, such as words, phrases, signs and symbols, and what they stand for, their denotata....

, the interpretation of meaning from the signs or symbols of communication; and pragmatics

Pragmatics

Pragmatics is a subfield of linguistics which studies the ways in which context contributes to meaning. Pragmatics encompasses speech act theory, conversational implicature, talk in interaction and other approaches to language behavior in philosophy, sociology, and linguistics. It studies how the...

, the social aspects of communication.

National approaches to speech and language pathology

Speech and Language pathology is known by a variety of names in various countries around the world:

Speech-language pathology (SLP) in the United States, Canada and in the Philippines
Speech and language therapy (SLTs) in the United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa. Within the United Kingdom a Speech and Language Therapy team is often referred to by clinicians as the "SALT" team.
Speech pathology in Australia and the Philippines
Speech-language therapy in New Zealand
Speech therapy in India, Hong Kong and other Asian countries.

Speech and Language Pathology is also known as logopaedics.

Prior to 2006, speech and language pathology in the United States was regulated by the individual states. Since January 2006, the 2005 "Standards and Implementation Procedures for the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology" guidelines as set out by The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) have determined the qualification requirements to obtain "Speech-Language Pathology Clinical Fellowship". First, the individual must obtain an undergraduate degree, preferably in a field related to speech-language-hearing sciences. Second, the individual must graduate from an accredited master's program in speech language pathology. Many graduate programs will allow coursework not done in undergraduate years to be completed during graduate study. Various states have different regulations regarding licensure. The Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) is granted after the clinical fellowship year (CFY) when the individual provides services under the supervision of an experienced SLP. After a Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology is acquired, there is a mandatory 3 year "maintenance" or renewal required to demonstrate continued professional development. Post graduate work for a speech pathologist will include both academic study and practical work supervised by a practicing speech and language pathologist. A Ph.D. in speech language pathology is currently optional for clinicians wishing to serve the public.

In the United States, the cost of speech therapy for children ages birth-three years old is usually covered by a state early- intervention program.

The speech and language pathology vocation

Speech and language pathologists provide a wide range of services, mainly on an individual basis, but also as support for individuals families, support groups, and providing information for the general public. Speech services begin with initial screening for communication and swallowing disorders and continue with assessment and diagnosis, consultation for the provision of advice regarding management, intervention and treatment, and provision counselling and other follow up services for these disorders.

cognitive aspects of communication (e.g., attention, memory, problem solving, executive functions).
speech (i.e., phonation
Phonation
Phonation has slightly different meanings depending on the subfield of phonetics. Among some phoneticians, phonation is the process by which the vocal folds produce certain sounds through quasi-periodic vibration. This is the definition used among those who study laryngeal anatomy and physiology...

, articulation
Manner of articulation
In linguistics, manner of articulation describes how the tongue, lips, jaw, and other speech organs are involved in making a sound. Often the concept is only used for the production of consonants, even though the movement of the articulars will also greatly alter the resonant properties of the...

, fluency, resonance, and voice
Human voice
The human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal folds for talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, etc. Its frequency ranges from about 60 to 7000 Hz. The human voice is specifically that part of human sound production in which the vocal folds are the primary...

including aeromechanical components of respiration);
language (i.e., phonology
Phonology
Phonology is, broadly speaking, the subdiscipline of linguistics concerned with the sounds of language. That is, it is the systematic use of sound to encode meaning in any spoken human language, or the field of linguistics studying this use...

, morphology
Morphology (linguistics)
In linguistics, morphology is the identification, analysis and description, in a language, of the structure of morphemes and other linguistic units, such as words, affixes, parts of speech, intonation/stress, or implied context...

, syntax
Syntax
In linguistics, syntax is the study of the principles and rules for constructing phrases and sentences in natural languages....

, semantics
Semantics
Semantics is the study of meaning. It focuses on the relation between signifiers, such as words, phrases, signs and symbols, and what they stand for, their denotata....

, and pragmatic/social aspects of communication) including comprehension and expression in oral, written, graphic, and manual modalities; language processing
Language processing
Language processing refers to the way human beings process speech or writing and understand it as language. Most recent theories back the idea that this process is made completely by and inside the brain.- Spoken language :...

; preliteracy and language-based literacy skills, phonological awareness.
swallowing or other upper aerodigestive functions such as infant feeding and aeromechanical events (evaluation of esophageal function is for the purpose of referral to medical professionals);
sensory awareness related to communication, swallowing, or other upper aerodigestive functions.

Multi-discipline collaboration

Speech-language pathologists collaborate with other health care professionals often working as part of a multidisciplinary team, providing referrals to audiologists and other medical consultants

Specialty (medicine)

A specialty in medicine is a branch of medical science. After completing medical school, physicians or surgeons usually further their medical education in a specific specialty of medicine by completing a multiple year residency to become a medical specialist.-History of medical specialization:To...

; providing information to health care professionals (including doctor

Physician

A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...

s, nurses, occupational therapist

Occupational therapist

An occupational therapist is trained in the practice of occupational therapy. The role of an occupational therapist is to work with a client to help them achieve a fulfilled and satisfied state in life through the use of "purposeful activity or interventions designed to achieve functional...

, and dietitian

Dietitian

Dietitians supervise the preparation and service of food, develop modified diets, participate in research, and educate individuals and groups on good nutritional habits. The goals of dietitians are to provide medical nutritional intervention, and to obtain, safely prepare, serve and advise on...

s), educators

Teacher

A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...

, and parent

Parent

A parent is a caretaker of the offspring in their own species. In humans, a parent is of a child . Children can have one or more parents, but they must have two biological parents. Biological parents consist of the male who sired the child and the female who gave birth to the child...

s as dictated by the individual client's needs.

In relation to Auditory Processing Disorders

Auditory processing disorder

Auditory Processing Disorder , also known as Central Auditory Processing Disorder is an umbrella term for a variety of disorders that affect the way the brain processes auditory information. It is not a peripheral hearing disorder as individuals with APD usually have normal peripheral hearing...

collaborating in the assessment and providing intervention where there is evidence of speech, language, and/or other cognitive-communication disorders.

The treatment for patients with cleft lip and palate has an obvious interdisciplinary character. The speech therapy outcome is even better as the surgical treatment is performed earlier.

Administration

Speech-language pathologists act as case managers and service delivery coordinators as well as manage clinical and academic programs.

Healthcare

Promote healthly lifestyle practices for the preservation of communication, hearing, swallowing, or other upper aerodigestive disorders.
Recognizing the need to provide and appropriately accommodate diagnostic and treatment services to individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds and adjust treatment and assessment services accordingly.
Advocating for individuals through community awareness, education, and training programs to promote and facilitate access to full participation in communication, including the elimination of societal barriers.

Research

Conduct research related to communication sciences and disorders, swallowing disorders, or other upper aerodigestive functions.

Training

Educate, supervise, and mentor future speech-language pathologists.
Educate and provide in-service training to families, caregivers, and other professionals.
Train, supervise, and manage speech-language pathology assistants and other support personnel.
Educating and counseling individuals, families, co-workers, educators, and other persons in the community regarding acceptance, adaptation, and decisions about communication and swallowing.

Working environments

Speech and language pathologists can work in a wide range of settings. The clinical environments include both public and private hospital

Hospital

A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....

s. As part of the support structure in the education system working in both public and private school

School

A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...

s, college

College

A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...

s, and universities. And some community support services in community health and day centers, and the judicial and penal services such as courts, prisons, and young offenders' institutions

Youth detention center

A youth detention center, also known as a juvenile detention center , juvenile hall or, more colloquially as juvie, is a secure residential facility for young people, often termed juvenile delinquents, awaiting court hearings and/or placement in long-term care facilities and programs...

.

Subsequent to ASHA's 2005 approval of the delivery of speech-language pathology via video conference, or telepractice, SLPs have begun delivering services via this service delivery method.

Methods of assessment

There are separate standardized assessment tools administered for infants, school-aged children, adolescents and adults. Assessments primarily examine the form, content, and use of language, as well as reading, writing, and some cognitive functions.

Swallowing assessments often require specialized training. These include formal assessments of Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES) or Modified Barium Swallow Study (MBS). Informal oral motor assessments review the strength, co-ordination, range of movement, symmetry and speed of cranial nerves V, VII, IX, X and XII. The Australian National Guidelines for Stroke Management state that the presence or absence of a gag reflex in an oro-motor examination is not sufficient evidence to determine if someone has a swallowing disorder.

Individuals may be referred to a speech pathologist for Augmentative Alternative Communication

Augmentative and alternative communication

Augmentative and alternative communication is an umbrella term that encompasses the communication methods used to supplement or replace speech or writing for those with impairments in the production or comprehension of spoken or written language...

needs.

There are myriad Speech and Language Assessment tools used for children and adults, depending on the area of need.

Clients and patients requiring speech and language pathology services

Speech and language pathologists work with clients and patients who can present a wide range of issues.

Infants and children

Infants with injuries due to complications at birth, feeding
Feeding
Feeding is the process by which organisms, typically animals, obtain food. Terminology often uses either the suffix -vore from Latin vorare, meaning 'to devour', or phagy, from Greek φαγειν, meaning 'to eat'.-Evolutionary history:...

and swallowing
Swallowing
Swallowing, known scientifically as deglutition, is the process in the human or animal body that makes something pass from the mouth, to the pharynx, and into the esophagus, while shutting the epiglottis. If this fails and the object goes through the trachea, then choking or pulmonary aspiration...

difficulties, including dysphagia
Dysphagia
Dysphagia is the medical term for the symptom of difficulty in swallowing. Although classified under "symptoms and signs" in ICD-10, the term is sometimes used as a condition in its own right. Sufferers are sometimes unaware of their dysphagia....
Children with mild, moderate or severe:
- Genetic disorders that adversely affect speech, language and/or cognitive development including autism
  Autism
  Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
  
  and social interaction difficulties including Asperger's
  Asperger syndrome
  Asperger's syndrome that is characterized by significant difficulties in social interaction, alongside restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior and interests. It differs from other autism spectrum disorders by its relative preservation of linguistic and cognitive development...
  
  , cleft palate
- Developmental delay
- Cranial nerve damage
- Craniofacial anomalies that adversely affect speech, language and/or cognitive development
- Language delay
  Language delay
  Language delay is a failure to develop language abilities on the usual developmental timetable. Language delay is distinct from speech delay, in which the speech mechanism itself is the focus of delay...
- Specific difficulties in producing sounds, called articulation disorders, (including vocalic /r/ and lisps)
  - some infants with injuries due to paralysis of brain.

Children and adults

Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy is an umbrella term encompassing a group of non-progressive, non-contagious motor conditions that cause physical disability in human development, chiefly in the various areas of body movement....
Head Injury
Head injury
Head injury refers to trauma of the head. This may or may not include injury to the brain. However, the terms traumatic brain injury and head injury are often used interchangeably in medical literature....

(Traumatic brain injury
Traumatic brain injury
Traumatic brain injury , also known as intracranial injury, occurs when an external force traumatically injures the brain. TBI can be classified based on severity, mechanism , or other features...

)
Hearing Loss and Impairments
Learning Difficulties including Dyslexia
Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a very broad term defining a learning disability that impairs a person's fluency or comprehension accuracy in being able to read, and which can manifest itself as a difficulty with phonological awareness, phonological decoding, orthographic coding, auditory short-term memory, or rapid...

, Specific Language Impairment (SLI)
Specific language impairment
Specific language impairment is diagnosed when a child's language does not develop normally and the difficulties cannot be accounted for by generally slow development , physical abnormality of the speech apparatus, autistic disorder, acquired brain damage or hearing loss.-Overview:Specific...

, Auditory Processing Disorder
Auditory processing disorder
Auditory Processing Disorder , also known as Central Auditory Processing Disorder is an umbrella term for a variety of disorders that affect the way the brain processes auditory information. It is not a peripheral hearing disorder as individuals with APD usually have normal peripheral hearing...
Physical Disabilities
Physical disability
A physical disability is any impairment which limits the physical function of one or more limbs or fine or gross motor ability. Other physical disabilities include impairments which limit other facets of daily living, such as respiratory disorders and epilepsy....
Speech Disorders
Speech disorder
Speech disorders or speech impediments are a type of communication disorders where 'normal' speech is disrupted. This can mean stuttering, lisps, etc. Someone who is unable to speak due to a speech disorder is considered mute.-Classification:...
Stammering, Stuttering
Stuttering
Stuttering , also known as stammering , is a speech disorder in which the flow of speech is disrupted by involuntary repetitions and prolongations of sounds, syllables, words or phrases, and involuntary silent pauses or blocks in which the stutterer is unable to produce sounds...

(dysfluency)
Stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
Voice Disorders (dysphonia)
Language disorders (dysphasia)
Motor speech disorders
Motor speech disorders
Motor speech disorders are a class of speech disorder that disturb the body's natural ability to speak. These disturbances vary in their etiology based on the integrity and integration of cognitive, neuromuscular, and musculoskeletal activities...

(dysarthria or dyspraxia)
Naming difficulties (anomia)
Dysgraphia,agraphia
Cognitive communication disorders
Pragmatics
Laryngectomies
Tracheostomies
Oncology (Ear, nose or throat cancer)

Adults

Adults with mild, moderate, or severe eating, feeding and swallowing difficulties, including dysphagia
Dysphagia
Dysphagia is the medical term for the symptom of difficulty in swallowing. Although classified under "symptoms and signs" in ICD-10, the term is sometimes used as a condition in its own right. Sufferers are sometimes unaware of their dysphagia....
Adults with mild, moderate, or severe language difficulties as a result of:
- Stroke
  Stroke
  A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
- Progressive neurological conditions (Alzheimer's disease
  Alzheimer's disease
  Alzheimer's disease also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death...
  
  , dementia
  Dementia
  Dementia is a serious loss of cognitive ability in a previously unimpaired person, beyond what might be expected from normal aging...
  
  , Huntington's disease
  Huntington's disease
  Huntington's disease, chorea, or disorder , is a neurodegenerative genetic disorder that affects muscle coordination and leads to cognitive decline and dementia. It typically becomes noticeable in middle age. HD is the most common genetic cause of abnormal involuntary writhing movements called chorea...
  
  , Multiple Sclerosis
  Multiple sclerosis
  Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...
  
  , Motor Neuron Diseases
  Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
  Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis , also referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a form of motor neuron disease caused by the degeneration of upper and lower neurons, located in the ventral horn of the spinal cord and the cortical neurons that provide their efferent input...
  
  , Parkinson's disease
  Parkinson's disease
  Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
  
  , etc.)
- cancer of the head, neck and throat (including laryngectomy
  Laryngectomy
  Laryngectomy is the removal of the larynx and separation of the airway from the mouth, nose and esophagus. The laryngectomee breathes through an opening in the neck, a stoma. This procedure is usually performed in cases of laryngeal cancer...
  
  )
- mental health
  Mental health
  Mental health describes either a level of cognitive or emotional well-being or an absence of a mental disorder. From perspectives of the discipline of positive psychology or holism mental health may include an individual's ability to enjoy life and procure a balance between life activities and...
  
  issues
- transgender voice therapy
  Voice therapy (trans)
  Voice therapy or voice training refers to any non-surgical technique used to improve or modify the human voice. Because voice is a gender cue, transsexual women frequently undertake voice therapy as a part of gender transition in order to make their voices sound female, and therefore increase their...
  
  (usually for male-to-female individuals)

External links

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