Speech and language therapist facts for kids

A speech and language therapist is a special health expert. They help people of all ages who have trouble communicating or swallowing. Their main job is to figure out what kind of help someone needs and then plan how to help them. They work in many places like schools, hospitals, and clinics.

How Speech Therapists Help with Communication

Speech and language therapists help people with many kinds of communication challenges. These can include problems with how smoothly someone speaks (like stuttering), making sounds and words, building sentences, understanding what others say, and using language in social situations. These difficulties usually fit into two main groups:

Understanding and Using Language

Language difficulties can be divided into two types:

• Receptive language difficulties: This means someone has trouble understanding what they hear or read. Because of this, they often also have trouble speaking, but not always.
• Expressive language difficulties: This means someone can understand language but struggles to say the words and sentences they want to. This might be because they have trouble finding the right words or putting sentences together.

Language Challenges in Children

When children have language difficulties, they are often described in two ways:

• Delay: This means a child's language skills are developing in the usual way, but at a slower pace. For example, a four-year-old might have the language skills of a three-year-old.
• Disorder: This means a child's language development is not following the typical pattern. It's different from what is usually expected.

If a child only has language difficulties and no other challenges, they might be diagnosed with something called Specific Language Impairment.

Language Challenges in Adults

Adults can also develop language problems, often after a brain injury or stroke. These acquired language difficulties are known as aphasia. There are many types of aphasia. The type depends on which parts of the brain were affected and what symptoms the person shows.

How Speech Therapists Help with Swallowing

Speech and language therapists can also help people who have trouble swallowing. This difficulty is called dysphagia. They help patients by suggesting changes to their diet, like eating foods with different textures or consistencies. Sometimes, they might recommend other ways for a person to get food and drink if swallowing is too difficult or unsafe.

See also

In Spanish: Terapia del lenguaje para niños