The ability to communicate effectively and efficiently It is something essential in a gregarious and social being like the human being. Communicating helps us transfer and express our thoughts, knowledge, emotions and intentions to the rest of the world, and its correct emission and reception can have a great effect in the social sphere.
We learn to speak, read and write throughout our lives, but for various reasons sometimes this learning is not carried out adequately or is influenced or altered by some type of problem. That is why it is necessary that there be professionals who contribute to improving the situation of those whose abilities have been altered or reduced.
One of the professionals who are in charge of this is the one belonging to the field of speech therapy. However, this discipline covers a large number of different populations and situations, something that means that in practice we can observe different branches of speech therapy Let’s see what they are.
Before focusing on the different branches or outlets that speech therapy can have, it is pertinent to briefly mention what speech therapy is and what its objective is.
Speech therapy is a scientific discipline of a health and social health nature which is dedicated to the study of speech and human communication and the set of organs and elements of the human body linked to these functions. Although communication is one of its main objectives, it also works with aspects such as breathing, ingestion or even auditory perception.
It is a branch of science that aims prevent, detect and diagnose, evaluate and treat disorders and problems at the level of oral communication as well as enhance and optimize these abilities at a bucophonatory level.
Thus, we are faced with a discipline that, although based on firm theoretical bases, focuses especially on the practical exercise of its functions in different contexts, in a healthcare manner.
Although speech therapy is a health discipline, it must be taken into account that the people who practice as such are not doctors, but professionals trained directly in this sector. This implies that the speech therapist does not prescribe drugs nor does it carry out medical or surgical interventions, but rather carries out its professional performance from a fundamentally behavioral, educational and psycho-pedagogical perspective.
Some of the techniques they use are language therapies, the practice of bucophonatory exercises and learning psychoeducational guidelines focused on the improvement and/or rehabilitation of the subject’s expressive/comprehensive abilities. Elements such as articulation, posture, resonances, voice projection or rhythmicity are worked on.
Likewise, although speech therapy is socially identified as a profession focused on the childhood stage, the truth is that this is not the only area of ​​work.
You can work with people of all ages and conditions, such as adults with aphasia or communication problems that may come from brain diseases or injuries, problems acquired or that have not been treated in youth (for example dysphemia or stuttering) or even in dementia (in which it helps maintain and preserve language functions).
Different branches of Speech Therapy
Speech therapy is a profession that focuses, as we have seen, on the functioning of the audiophonatory and maxillofacial system and specifically on language and communication (although aspects such as breathing and chewing can also be worked on).
But the truth is that not all speech therapy professionals are in charge or focus on all aspects of this profession and/or all types of population: There are various specializations and branches of speech therapy some of which we will see below.
1. Children’s speech therapy
As we have indicated previously, language and communication problems do not only occur in childhood, but even so The stage of child and adolescent development is one of those that receives the most attention and one of the best-known branches or specializations.
In this sense, speech therapy professionals who specialize in this sector of the population usually treat cases of dysphasia, articulation problems or dyslalia that have an organic cause (for example cleft lip) or are of a functional nature (learning and psychological causes).
It is common for them to attend to cases of specific language disorder, stuttering or dyslexia , or even work with children who suffer from problems such as autism, ADHD or intellectual disabilities (at the oral and communication levels). Its role usually has a preventive nature in terms of avoiding possible problems or even reducing the impact that a language alteration can have throughout its development.
2. School speech therapy
One of the areas in which language and communication problems are usually detected is at school. In this sense, it is essential and of great interest that there are psychopedagogues and speech therapists who can evaluate the language of the minor their development of this skill or incorporating individualized plans or specific programs that can contribute to improving the situation of the child in question.
In this case, it is also common for professionals to focus on problems such as dyslalia, mutism, dysphonia, stuttering or dyslexia. Also in intellectual disability or autism. Last but not least, the school speech therapist may have to evaluate and enhance the oral communication skills of children with sensory disabilities, especially in the case of deafness
3. Clinical speech therapy
Another of the main branches of speech therapy, now far removed from the school environment, is clinical speech therapy. In this sense, in addition to being minors, clinical speech therapists They often work with adults with problems expressing or articulating words
Among the different difficulties they may encounter, they may need to treat people with slurred speech (for example due to anxiety problems), language problems derived from psychopathologies (for example in the case of negative symptoms of schizophrenia), stuttering, nervous diseases. or muscles, brain injuries, tumors, paralysis or even dementia.
Another age group that may require attention at the speech therapy level is the elderly.
With age, the powers of expression and communication can decrease It is also common for it to be at these ages that neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia or cerebrovascular accidents appear, something that means that in practice it is not uncommon for professionals in this sector to work with problems similar to those of neurology (although in This case does not always have to be a neurological disease).
5. Neurology
This branch or specialty of speech therapy also incorporates the usual knowledge among general speech therapists. knowledge regarding the functioning of the nervous system and various neurological disorders in addition to notions of neuropsychology.
Here the focus of attention is placed on language difficulties arising from specific neurological injuries or diseases, in order to improve the quality of life of patients and if you are facing a neurodegenerative disorder, try to preserve your abilities as much as possible.
6. Speech therapist specializing in voice disorders and voice re-education
Speech therapy is usually associated with our oral communication, but within this category there are many aspects that can be worked on. Within them is the voice, which can be altered in people with hoarseness or respiratory problems, among others, regardless of their pronunciation or articulation. In this sense, there is a specialization or branch of speech therapy focused on voice problems.
In addition to this, its services They may be aimed not at rehabilitating but at enhancing the users’ communicative resources It is also a branch that usually treats professionals who depend largely on their voice to carry out their professional work as patients. Presenters, singers, diplomats or actors may be some of the types of clients who may require this type of service.
