Adult Therapy

If a person is unable to produce speech sounds correctly or fluently, or has problems with his or her voice, then he or she may have a speech disorder and may be in need of speech therapy. Difficulties pronouncing sounds and stuttering are common types of speech disorders. Other speech disorders may include:

  • A decline in one's ability to complete daily activities as a result of changes in one or more of the following areas: memory, attention, processing speed, word retrieval, or executive functioning (planning, organizing, self-monitoring, etc.). This could be a result of a stroke, Traumatic Brain Injury, the aging process, neurodegenerative disorders (i.e., Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's Disease, Alzheimer's Disease), etc.

  • A decline in one's ability to understand/process language or express themselves. These deficits could make it difficult to follow a conversation or TV show, understand what is being read, speak thoughts/ideas in a timely manner, come up with specific words/names, answer questions, etc. These impairments are often referred to as "Aphasia" and could be a result of a stroke, head injury, or neurodegenerative disorder.

  • Difficulty producing speech in an efficient or effective manner. This may be due to dysarthria or apraxia of speech. Dysarthria occurs when there is a weakness in the muscles used to speak, resulting in "slurred" or imprecise speech production. Apraxia of speech occurs when there is planning/programming difficulty and results in effortful, inconsistent speech production. Each of these could be the result of a stroke or another form of brain injury.

  • Any difficulty in vocal function, whether that be with the quality (sound), pitch (tone), or intensity (volume). This may result in inconsistent sounding voice, tension/strain when speaking, feeling of exhaustion from talking, difficulty singing, trouble being heard in noisy environments, and more. These deficits could be a result of inefficient vocal use, physical changes to the vocal mechanism (from surgery, aging, misuse, etc.), or neurogenic changes (such as a tremor or paralysis).

    Aerodigestive disorders are conditions occurring within the airway, pulmonary, and digestive tracts. Some common examples include: paradoxical vocal fold motion (or vocal cord dysfunction), chronic cough, breathing/swallowing incoordination, reflux, and more.

  • Any difficulty within the three phases of swallowing, including: oral, pharyngeal, and upper esophageal. Deficits in any of these phases may present as difficulty: chewing food, containing foods/liquids in the oral cavity, coughing/choking during eating and/or drinking, pain or sensation or things being "stuck" in the throat, difficulty initiating a swallow, and much more.

  • Electrical stimulation is provided to increase muscle recruitment and aid in muscle strengthening and swallow rehabilitation. NMES is used in combination with traditional swallowing exercises to treat some swallowing impairments.

  • This is a Parkinson's (and Parkinson's Plus) specific treatment program founded by the Parkinson Voice Project that helps to restore strong and intentional voice and speech activation for improved intensity and clarity when communicating. This program emphasizes converting speech from an automatic function to an intentional act; by doing so, individuals with Parkinson's disease can take back the power of their voice and find an improved quality of life.

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