Speech therapy is a type of therapy that helps to improve a person’s ability to talk and use other language skills to express their thoughts and understand what other people are saying. Speech therapy may also help improve memory and the ability to solve problems. Speech therapy may be used for different speech problems or disorders, as well as swallowing problems. Disorders can include a hoarse voice, partial loss of speech due to a brain injury, and swallowing problems due to a stroke, among others. People of all ages may access speech therapy to address language disorders such as aphasia; speech disorders which occur with developmental disabilities or neurological diseases; voice disorders such as dysphonia; and trouble swallowing from diseases or disabilities such as Parkinson’s disease, dementia, or multiple sclerosis.

Speech therapists may use various techniques for each speech-related disability, and interventions are individualized for each person. Speech therapy sessions may range from 30 to 60 minutes and may take place in a group or in a one-on-one setting. Approaches within speech therapy include perception exercises, sounds and fluency exercises, and exercises to improve breathing, swallowing, and the voice.

NARIC’s information specialists are often asked about speech therapy by parents of children with speech-related disabilities, families of stroke survivors, and professionals seeking to help their clients. This month, we are highlighting evidence-based consumer products from the NIDILRR community on speech therapy. These products may include guides, factsheets, and videos, among others. Below, you will find a few examples of these evidence-based products:

• As part of their work, speech therapists may train people with speech disorders or disabilities and their families how to use technologies to communicate with others, including augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). The Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Augmentative and Alternative Communication (The RERC on AAC) conducts rigorous evidence-based research for designing effective AAC technologies and interventions and develops and evaluates innovative AAC engineering solutions driven by consumer needs. The RERC on AAC creates webcasts on research to practice that speech therapists may use to help them implement the latest research and development into their work. The Center also hosts webinars related to consumer perspectives on the use of AAC.
• The Model System Knowledge Translation Center (MSKTC) enhances the use of research-based information to inform decision-making by spinal cord injury (SCI), traumatic brain injury (TBI), and burn injury stakeholders, and improve the lives of and services for people with SCI, TBI, and burn injuries. The MSKTC published several factsheets in collaboration with the TBI Model System Centers related to cognitive problems after TBI and memory after TBI.
• NARIC’s Research In Focus series covers a variety of topics related to speech therapy, including communication tools, interventions based on technology, and communication supports, among other topics. Below are some examples:
  • For People with ALS, Social Media Can Be a Key Communication Tool to Maintain Relationships and Expand Networks.
  • A Novel Technology-Based Intervention May Reduce the Language-Learning Gap for Children Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.
  • “Even People Who Cannot Speak Should Be Able to Make Their Voices Heard”: Soliciting User Feedback from People with Severe Speech and Physical Impairments.

To learn more about these and other products from the NIDILRR community, contact NARIC’s information specialists.