If you or someone you know has a speech or language impairment, the techniques used in speech therapy can help address such challenges and improve overall communication. Perfect for any age group, it is one of the many ways to help children and adults with autism, dysphagia (swallowing issues), stuttering and other medical conditions due to aging and more. 

Autism

Speech therapy is one of the methods used to help people with autism communicate effectively, both verbally and non-verbally. Some autistic patients may have more difficulty expressing themselves than others due to being unable to maintain a conversation or delivering and understanding the whole context (verbally and non-verbally). Here at Elite Core Therapy, we work on understanding body language, clearing speech sounds and strengthening the mouth, jaw and neck muscles. Similarly, for individuals that are unable or do not want to speak, our specialists can teach them alternative ways to communicate such as the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS). 

Dysphagia 

Our specialists also treat dysphagia, an issue that can affect all populations and can be caused due to several reasons including brain injury, birth defects, cleft palate, cerebral palsy, prematurity and more. Depending on the need of the child or adult, our speech therapists may work on developing strength and range of motion in the mouth and throat muscles. At the same time, the patient can be taught new swallowing techniques to return to a prior level of function; however, a cure is not always achievable since it depends on the severity of each patient’s condition.

Youth

According to a few recent studies, males are more likely to stutter than females. Stuttering is typically prevalent in children between ages 2 to 6 and while it usually goes away on its own, it is sometimes best to intervene as early as possible to prevent stuttering from continuing into adulthood. With that being said, speech therapy is beneficial for children and adults since it can reduce interruptions when speaking, teach effective ways to control stuttering, build self-confidence and help individuals become more socially active. 

Dementia 

Seen in people over the age of 65, dementia makes it difficult for an individual to process and maintain information, further affecting other skills as well. A speech therapist can help in the earliest stage of dementia by stimulating the brain and monitoring the condition’s progress, which are ways to help the patient maintain their level of independence as long as possible. 

Sudden Tragic Events 

Unfortunate and unexpected events such as head and neck cancer, stroke, or head injuries caused due to a fall, sports, or car crashes, are some of the other reasons that may require a patient to seek speech therapy. Speech therapy will not only help the patient with articulation, fluency, and voice volume regulations, but also with understanding and expressing language. Each session will stimulate the patient’s brain, which helps with memory as well as other cognitive developments. 

It is our goal to get to know your unique situation to be able to target your specific needs and help you improve at your own pace. While not every person with the aforementioned conditions may need a speech therapist, many will benefit from working with one of our caring professionals.