Our ability to hear and understand those around us, as well as express our thoughts, feelings, and ideas can be impacted by a variety of disorders experienced from infancy into adulthood and old age. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) help people with communication disorders in a variety of ways. Articulation therapy focuses on shaping appropriate pronunciation of the sounds used to form words (e.g. getting rid of a lisp or saying “r” correctly). Stuttering is treated by teaching strategies to improve the fluency of speech, and voice therapy targets disorders of the vocal cords and other body parts that are needed to speak with a clear voice.
SLPs work to foster development of social communication skills and improve an individual’s ability to carry out tasks necessary for successful daily living. SLPs work to find other ways to bring the power of communication to all, based on each person's unique situation.