What to Expect Series: Speech and Language Therapy Overview
- Elizabeth Ulreich-Moran
- Mar 14, 2023
- 4 min read
Introduction
Do you have concerns about your or your child's speech, language, or feeding development but still feel lost as far as what to do or who to contact?
Have you asked doctors, educators, friends, or family for referrals to a local speech-language pathologist (SLP) for speech or language therapy but continue to feel lost?
Are you following multiple SLPs on social media and still wondering what speech therapy is or looks like?
If you answered, "yes," to any of these questions then this speech and language therapy series is for you!
Over the next few days I will share posts that dive deep into the world of speech-language pathology in an effort to help you navigate the speech therapy process and know what to expect.
Today we will begin with an overview.
What Is Speech Therapy?
Speech therapy is a service provided by a licensed SLP in order to help people with skills related to communication and swallowing. An evaluation is completed to gain more information regarding the specific area of concern and then an individualized treatment plan is developed. The SLP works with patients across an area of facilities, including but not limited to: hospitals, outpatient clinics, home health care, early intervention/birth to three, schools, private practices. For more information about the role of the SLP, check out my blog post here.
Speech therapy is often used as a broad, umbrella term that encompasses many areas of communication and swallowing, which confuses people. The areas an SLP focuses on include:
Language
Receptive Language (what we understand)
Expressive Language (how we use language to express ourselves)
Pragmatic Language (social language)
Literacy
Speech Sound Disorders
Articulation
Phonological Processing
Apraxia
Dyspraxia
Voice and Resonance
Fluency
Stuttering
Cluttering
Augmentative and Alternative Communication
Swallowing/Feeding
Cognitive-Communication
Memory
Attention
Problem Solving
Executive Function
For more detailed information related to these areas, check out my blog post where I talk about the role of the SLP.
Why Would I Need Speech Therapy?
You might be referred to speech therapy if you or your family member are having difficulty in any of the areas listed above.
You may wonder if your child is meeting their developmental milestones and ask for a referral for a speech and language evaluation.
If your child is having difficulty in school, especially with reading, the SLP may look at phonemic awareness and vocabulary skills.
Speech therapy is often recommended as a rehabilitative, habilitative, or elective service. This is specific information that is primarily used for insurance purposes as insurance companies might only cover rehabilitative versus habilitative services. What's the difference?
Rehabilitative services are those that look to restore a lost skill. Think about a patient who has suffered a stroke and needs to regain their communication or swallowing skills. These services are usually covered by insurance.
Habilitative services are those that look at teaching a skill that has not yet developed. Think about a child who has a developmental delay or is late at reaching their milestones. These services are not always covered by insurance and are plan specific. Check with your insurance company to find out if you have a habilitative benefit.
Elective services are those that target skills that are related to a communication difference rather than a disorder. Think about a person with an accent who wishes to modify theirs for a specific reason, whether for acting or to be better understood in a specific situation such as their job. Corporate speech therapy services fall under elective because they are related to developing or perfecting skills that are not necessarily related to a communication disorder. Please note, communication differences such as dialects are not disorders and do not warrant speech and language therapy. However, a person may elect to work with a SLP in order to work on communication strategies related to this difference. These services are often not covered by insurance.
What Is The Difference Between
Medical Speech Therapy & Educational Speech Therapy?
Medical speech therapy is typically defined as services that are provided in order to support a skill that is functional in nature which impacts the ability to perform daily tasks and affects quality of life. A medical diagnosis often accompanies the communication or swallowing impairment, such as stroke, traumatic brain injury (TBI), head and neck cancer, dementia, autism, cerebral palsy, down syndrome, etc.
Educational speech therapy is typically defined as services that are required to support a student's speech and language skills that are negatively impacting them in school. This may include difficulty acquiring or understanding vocabulary skills, following multi-step directions, understanding concepts, articulation impairments that impact reading and spelling, difficulty understanding sound/letter correspondence, difficulty blending and segmenting words, or communication difficulties that impact a student's ability to socialize. Speech or language therapy may be required to help the student access the general education curriculum.
How Do I Find a Provider?
Finding a local SLP can be a daunting task, but it doesn't need to be! Here are some ways to go about finding a trustworthy SLP.
Ask your medical provider (pediatrician, primary care physician, ENT, dentist, orthodontist, therapists). They usually have a few people they refer to.
Ask local moms, family, or friends. Word of mouth is a primary referral source for private practice SLPs
Ask on a community Facebook group that you trust.
Check out ASHA ProFind.
TIP: Request a consultation so that you can speak with the SLP you plan to work with. The relationship you build with this SLP will only help you during the therapy process, so if you don't feel a connection or if you feel you can't express yourself with them, then it's OK to look for someone else to work with!
Questions or Comments?
For more information or if you'd like to schedule a free consultation, send me a message!
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