What is speech therapy?
Speech therapy is a therapy performed to address various problems related to communication, such as delays in speaking in children ( speech delay ) to language disorders such as aphasia. In addition, speech therapy can also be used to help treat various eating and swallowing disorders.
So far, speech therapy is identical as a treatment for post-stroke patients, this is not completely wrong. Speech therapy is indeed able to help overcome aphasia, which is a language disorder that affects a person's ability to communicate, which often occurs after a stroke, head injury or due to a brain tumor or other disease. However, don't forget the other benefits of speech therapy, one of which is to overcome communication problems in children.
The most common problem of communication disorders is speech delay ( speech & language delay ). Many parents are worried about the development of their children's speech and communication skills, speech therapy is also an option to overcome these problems. Moreover, speech therapy is a therapeutic process that does not cause pain and does not require complicated medical procedures so that it does not cause fear in children.
What is the procedure for speech therapy?
The speech therapy process begins with screening the child's condition, for example related to speech and communication skills when compared to standard abilities at their age stage as well as special diseases or conditions that may be possessed by children and affect communication abilities, such as hearing loss, intelligence level, to environmental stimulation on children's speaking ability. The results of this process will be used as a basis for analysis whether the child is still in the normal speech ability range at his age or indeed has speech delays and needs speech therapy. The results of this process will also determine the treatment plan carried out by the child and the duration of the course of therapy.
Speech therapy is carried out by combining therapy sessions and programs with a therapist as well as the help of tools to stimulate the speech muscles and swallowing muscles, so that maximum results will be obtained. In children, sessions and programs are carried out using the help of other tools such as hand puppets, cards, to toys that will make it easier for children to feel comfortable during therapy sessions.
What needs to be considered during speech therapy?
Speech therapy sessions do not only focus on the patient, but also on companions or people who will interact with patients in daily life. Companions are given education about the things needed to stimulate communication skills or swallowing abilities in patients so that they can carry out independent stimulation at home while waiting for the next therapy session. Education about communication ability milestones is also provided so that therapy session assistants can see how far the patient's ability to therapy has progressed and how close it is to normal ability standards. This is because stimulation plays an important role in the process of speech therapy, proper and continuous stimulation can help improve abilities rapidly and maintain the progress made from therapy sessions. This therapy requires cooperation between therapists at the hospital and companions at home because speech therapy is a type of therapy that requires continuous repetition and habituation for maximum results.
Those are the sundries of speech therapy that you need to know, finding and implementing the right therapy according to the needs of you and your loved ones can certainly help increase the comfort and quality of life for you and your family. #LiveExcellently
Article reviewed by dr. Novaria Puspita, Sp.KFR (Medical Rehab Specialist at EMC Sentul Hospital).