Voice disorders:

• pitch deviations

• deviations in the loudness of the voice

• quality deviations

Signs and tests

• articulation Screening Examination

• early Language Scale

• picture Test Revised

Treatment

The best treatment is prevention and early intervention by a speech pathologist. Speech training is an involved and time consuming endeavor that can have profound results with consistent treatment.

Expectations (prognosis)

The prognosis depends on the cause of the disorder. Usually, speech can be improved with speech therapy. Prognosis improves with early intervention.

Complications

psycho-social problems associated with ineffective communication

Calling your health care provider

Call your health care provider if your child’s speech is not reaching the standard landmarks, if you suspect your child is in a high risk group, or your child is showing other signs of a speech disorder.

Prevention

Since mental retardation and hearing loss are predisposing factors for speech disorders, at-risk infants should be referred to an audiologist for an audiology exam. Audiological and speech therapy can then be started if necessary.

Stuttering can best be prevented by parents withholding undue attention to dysfluency in their young child. As young children begin to speak, some dysfluency is common. They lack a large vocabulary and have difficulty expressing themselves. This results in broken or dysfluent speech. If parents place excessive attention on the dysfluency, a pattern may develop.

Task 2. Find the words from the text, relating to the following topic: Speech disorders.

Task 3. Give equivalents in Russian: ineffective oral communication, speech impairment, delayed speech development, profound results with consistent treatment, mental retardation, hearing loss, signs of a speech disorder, dysfluency, deviations in the loudness of the voice, speech therapy.

Text 17 Speech therapy

Task 1. Read and translate this text.

Speech therapy (also called Speech & Language Therapy or Speech & Language Pathology) is the rehabilitative or corrective treatment of physical and/or cognitive deficits/disorders resulting in difficulty with communication and/or swallowing.

Communication includes speech (articulation, intonation, rate, intensity), language (including reading and writing) and the non-verbal such as facial expression and gesture. Swallowing problems managed under Speech Therapy are problems in the oral and/or pharyngeal stages of swallowing.

Depending on the nature and severity of the disorder, common treatments may range from physical strengthening exercises, instructive or repetitive practice and drilling, to the use of audio-visual aids and introduction of strategies to facilitate 'functional' communication.

Speech therapists are also trained to assess, treat and manage swallowing difficulties.

Speech Therapists, Speech and Language Therapists (SLTs), or Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) are allied health professionals. Health Services employ most SLTs. Other therapists work for education services or charities. Some therapists work independently and treat patients privately. Speech Therapists hold certificates to practice following a degree course and clinical training.