Speech therapy

The term Speech therapy refers to a variety of treatments that deal with disorders of speech or speech as well as hearing and swallowing. This specialist discipline is also known under the name of speech therapy. The aim of speech therapy is to improve the person's ability to communicate.

What is speech therapy?

The designation Speech therapy, also called speech therapy, stands for a medical-therapeutic specialist discipline that deals with disorders of speech / speech, hearing and swallowing.

While in the past the main focus was on the medical component, nowadays the therapeutic approach is often the focus. A speech therapist needs extensive theoretical and practical knowledge in order to recognize and treat the various disorders and to advise those affected accordingly. Patients who use speech therapy come from all age groups.

Children who are noticeable at kindergarten or elementary school age due to language problems are also treated in particular. Disturbances in speaking or hearing can lead to massive communication problems in everyday life and, in the worst case, to isolation of the person concerned. Appropriate speech therapy should counteract this.

Function, effect & goals

A Speech therapy comprises different treatments and is aimed at a wide range of disorders and complaints, all of which have to do with the linguistic communication skills of the person affected. The fields of application of speech therapy include, for example, articulation errors such as lisp, speech disorders such as stuttering, but also speech disorders, for example in people with dementia or speech and swallowing problems after a stroke or after an operation.

Speech therapists also deal with a poor vocabulary or pathological grammatical restrictions. When a patient visits a speech therapist, it must first be determined exactly what the disorder is. This is often done on the basis of a medical report prepared in advance and after detailed tests that examine language and writing skills, articulation, vocabulary and breathing function. Once an exact diagnosis has been made, a treatment plan can be drawn up with the patient or, in the case of children, with the parents.

This usually consists of specific exercises that are carried out in the practice and later also independently, until the person concerned gradually internalizes the interference-free speech and thus uses it automatically. Conversations with the patient or their family are also part of the scope of speech therapy. An individual therapy goal is set for each person affected, depending on age, symptoms, and the cause and severity of the disorder. If, for example, after a serious illness or an accident, it is no longer possible to completely restore the abilities, a gradual improvement is aimed for, whereas in the case of a child with a speech impairment a complete elimination of the speech problems should be achieved.

Basically, speech therapy always has the overarching goal of improving the communication skills of the individual and strengthening their self-confidence. People with language problems are often ashamed of their symptoms and often avoid contact with others. Speech therapy aims to reduce speech defects so that a normal life is possible.

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Risks, side effects & dangers

Speech therapies are often used because many people suffer from language, speaking or swallowing disorders. Speech therapy measures actually only involve risks if they are not carried out correctly or if the respective disorder is not correctly recognized and, as a result, incorrect treatment is carried out.

In the context of dysphagia (swallowing therapy), for example, patients may experience permanent, severe symptoms if the treatment is insufficient or incorrect. However, such incidents can be referred to as rare individual cases. Since many patients are very sensitive to their language problems, the therapist must be particularly careful, because the success of speech therapy depends not least on the extent to which the person concerned engages in the exercises.

If children are involved, the treatment should be playful so that the little patient can enjoy the exercises and enjoy going to therapy sessions. The speech therapist should work closely with the attending physician so that an optimal treatment result can be achieved.