Techniques

• What are speech therapy techniques? 
  • Treatment varies significantly for each person as it depends on the type of speech disorder. Your speech pathologist will develop a detailed plan of care specific to each.
• Speech therapy techniques to try at home:
  • Speech therapy techniques for children: 
    • Reduce screen time: Research shows that watching too much television can delay language development. The best way to teach a child proper speech is by modeling speech and language to them directly.
    • Be attentive and patient: If your child has a speech disorder, it’s important to be patient. Don’t push them to get the words out. Make sure your child knows you are there for them, reassure them by telling them, “Take your time, I’m listening.” Be sure to give them your undivided attention while they communicate with you.
    • Play games with your child: Board games that include guessing objects, describing objects or asking questions.
    • Be a good speech model: Use simple grammatically correct speech that’s easy for the child to imitate. Try to label shapes, colors, clothing items, and body parts. Wait for the child to respond. Give them time. When they do repeat the same sound or word, be sure to reassure them.
    • Read to your child: Reading to your child is a wonderful way of developing their speech and language skills. If they’re old enough to read, let them read back to you. If they’re too young to read the words, let them explain what they see in the pictures. Have your child point to the pictures that you name for them, or have them name pictures you point to.
  • Speech therapy techniques for adults:
    • Oral Motor Therapy: Oral motor therapy consists of exercise routines to strengthen the muscles in and around the mouth. This helps with focus control of speech.
      • Tongue exercises: Stick your tongue out, hold for two seconds, then bring it back in. Repeat this process several times. You can also try this same exercise, but move your tongue to each corner of your mouth for two seconds. Finally, move your tongue up and down in the same fashion. These exercises help train your tongue to move in coordinated patterns.
      • Smile: Smile in front of a mirror to help improve motor skills. Smile. Relax. Smile again. Repeat this process several times.
      • Puckering lips: Try puckering your lips, then relaxing. This helps control the movement of the mouth.
    • Reading out loud: If your speech disorder prevents you from moving your mouth and tongue properly, reading out loud can be excellent practice. Start out with a few small sentences and work your way up from there.
    • Games: Memory games, word searches, and crossword puzzles can help maintain cognitive function and improve thinking skills.

Swallowing/Dysphagia

Patients who have or are predisposed to having a swallowing disorder or dysphagia. Dysphagia can occur as a result of a neurological disorder, anatomical/structural concerns, or advanced disease. These include but are not limited to the following diagnoses:

• Stroke, Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s dementia, multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis, inflammatory syndromes, brain tumors
• Head/Neck Cancer, radiation to the head/neck, vocal fold injuries, cervical osteophytes, Zenker’s diverticulum, anterior cervical discectomy and fusion
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), infectious diseases, advanced pulmonary/renal/liver disease

Voice/Dysphonia

Patients who have an organic or functional voice impairment. These include but are not limited to the following diagnoses:

• Vocal fold paralysis, vocal fold nodules, vocal fold hemorrhage, cysts, polyps, granulomas, aging voice (vocal fold atrophy), vocal fold tremor, trauma from intubation
• Muscle tension dysphonia, vocal fatigue, ventricular phonation

Dysarthria/Apraxia/Aphasia/Cognitive Disorder

Patients who have speech, language, and/or cognitive impairments. These include but are not limited to the following diagnoses:

• Stroke, Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s dementia, multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis, inflammatory syndromes, brain tumors, brain injury

Total Laryngectomy

Patients who have undergone a total laryngectomy procedure with or without placement of a tracheoesphageal prosthesis (TEP).