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Better Hearing and Speech Month |
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Wednesday, 14 May 2008 |
The "first impression" is a phrase that is often referred to regarding the importance of how one presents him or herself. Whether at a job interview, on a first date, at work with clients, or in everyday interactions, people are often trying to make a good first impression. A combination of many factors will aide an individual in forming an initial opinion about someone. How they dress, eye contact, how they walk, a handshake, and even how they talk will contribute to whether someone is deemed as trustworthy, successful and knowledgeable or someone whose skill level is called into question. One key factor in presenting yourself to others is your speech and social skills. A professional who plays a crucial role in the development of these skills is a speech therapist or speech-language pathologist (SLP).
In recognition of Better Hearing and Speech Month, a short description of the services offered by a speech language pathologist seemed appropriate. Many people think that speech therapists are the people who sit around and teach children how to say their "r" and "l" sounds correctly. In actuality, this is just one of the services that a speech therapist has to offer.
Speech therapists work with individuals of all ages for a multitude of speech, language, and swallowing/feeding problems. SLPs are regularly employed in places such as rehabilitation facilities, hospitals, nursing homes, schools, and private practices. A therapist can work with individuals from newborns to the elderly.
Newborns will sometimes need speech therapy services to improve feeding and swallowing skills. This is especially evident with children who were in the NICU for an extended period of time and were fed via a feeding tube during their first weeks of life. As children begin talking, some children need additional assistance to improve their expressive (what they say) and receptive (what they understand) language skills, as well as their accurate production. There has also been an increasing number of children with the need for therapy to improve pragmatic (social) skills. This may include providing social stories to give children an appropriate response to daily routines or common activities at home or school. Some children also need assistance with figurative language, such as humor and metaphors improve their communication at home and school. Fluency, or stuttering, can be addressed in speech therapy services, as well, to give individuals techniques to smooth out their speech and to make them more comfortable with their speech.
Speech therapy services are not just for students. Adults can be referred for speech therapy services to improve their voice quality. Hoarse or breathy voices can be a symptom of having vocal nodules or polyps or a more serious problem, such as laryngeal cancer. In these instances it is important for a speech therapist to work with an otolaryngologist (ENT) to make an appropriate diagnosis and determine the most effective method of treatment for the individual. Individuals who suffer strokes may also require speech therapy services to improve their cognition, expressive language, receptive language, or swallowing skills.
While the speech, language and swallowing issues above are concerns that a speech therapist may work with a physician, nutritionist, audiologist or other medical professional, there are also aspects of speech that some individuals may opt to address on their own. For instance, some companies hire speech therapists for accent reduction if there is a concern that an employee's accent or speech may affect how he or she is perceived by potential clients.
When making your first impression or forming an impression of someone it is clear to see why speech therapy is an essential service. Speech, language and pragmatic skills are evident to others and are significant factors when forming an impression of someone. It is important to know that there is help available when these skills are in need of support.
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