Adult Speech Therapy Covers Range of Issues
When people picture a speech therapy patient, the mental image is often that of a child. Perhaps a toddler who isn’t hitting speech development milestones or a slightly older child who struggles pronouncing certain letters. Speech therapy isn’t just for children, however. Adult speech therapy covers a range of conditions with a variety of causes. And at Comprehensive Rehab we are dedicated to helping our adult patients
Causes of Needing Adult Speech Therapy
Sometimes, the issue is as simple as treating a condition that has continued on from childhood. One study published in the International Journal of Phonosurgery & Laryngology found that 20% of the patients treated for stuttering were over the age of 18.
Oftentimes, however, the problem is one that pops up during adulthood.
Stroke
The need for speech therapy is common after a stroke. Roughly one-third of stroke survivors have language-related issues.
The effects of stroke on speech can come in two different forms. One set of conditions, including aphasia, is more cognitive and affects the ability to choose the correct words – and sometimes understand speech as well. In the other set, which includes dysarthria, the stroke has affected the muscles that are used to produce speech.
Brain Injury
While they might come about in different ways, the damage caused by a brain injury can lead to the same types of conditions as the damage to the brain caused by a stroke.
Brain injuries, like many of the other conditions that lead adults to seek speech therapy, also can cause another issue that speech therapists treat: swallowing problems.
Diseases
People dealing with certain conditions affecting the brain or nervous system can also suffer from speech issues.
In ALS, as the disease degrades the brain’s ability to initiate and control muscle movement, speech is one of the areas it affects.
Another disease that attacks the nervous system, multiple sclerosis also can cause speech problems, ranging from a vocal tremor to some of the more serious speech or swallowing conditions seen with some of the other categories.
Comprehensive Rehab’s Speech Therapists Can Help
At Comprehensive Rehab we treat the speech-related issues that can afflict adults at our Clinton and Maquoketa offices. Contact us for more information or to schedule an appointment.
Read More About Speech Therapy Services for Adults
Speech Therapy After a Brain Injury
Speech Therapy for MS Patients