Speech therapist for adults – goals, diagnosis and correction

A speech therapist works not only with children, but also with adults. They try to correct speech defects in the preschool or school age period, but sometimes they persist at an older age. There are speech disorders that are characteristic only of adults. In such cases, seek help from a speech therapist.

Some people believe that speech deficiencies cannot be corrected at a later age. But with correct correction work, a specialist can correct them. Adults need to make more efforts to correct, because incorrect pronunciation has been fixed for a long time. But techniques selected taking into account individual characteristics and a qualified specialist will help correct speech.

Types of disorders and their etiology

Not all types of speech defects occur in the older age category. Most often this is the incorrect pronunciation of a certain group of sounds. Usually, adults turn to a speech therapist with a request to correct burrs or incorrect pronunciation of the sound R. Less often, with violations of the pronunciation of whistling and hissing sounds.

This defect may be a manifestation of an erased form of dysarthria, which was not paid attention to in childhood, or it may be the result of incorrect correctional work.

Another group of speech disorders for which people seek speech therapy help are voice and diction disorders. They can manifest themselves in:

impaired voice strength (weak, too loud);
timbre disorders - the voice has a nasal tone (nasal sound);
accelerated or slow pace of speech;
unclear pronunciation of sounds.

The cause of these disorders is the improper functioning of the organs of articulation or the peculiarities of their anatomical structure.

A more complex speech disorder is stuttering. Correction of this defect can take a long time, so a comprehensive intervention by a speech therapist and neurologist is necessary. Adults may need the help of a psychologist. Often a person with a stutter is embarrassed by his defect and worries if after the first lessons there is no noticeable result. Causes of stuttering:

the appearance of convulsions in the articulatory apparatus during speech;
unformed speech breathing;
features of the nervous system;
fright

When working with people who stutter, it is important to create a situation of success and explain the importance and purpose of each activity.

Another complex speech disorder is aphasia, or speech breakdown. A person has formed speech means, but due to organic damage to the centers of the cerebral cortex, a defect in pronunciation and understanding of speech occurs. This can be caused by head injuries or stroke. In this case, the speech therapist re-teaches the person to communicate and compose statements.

Less often, people with dyslexia and dysgraphia – disorders of the reading and writing processes – turn to a specialist. Typically these are clients seeking to improve their literacy levels. After all, errors in reading and writing are not always associated with difficulties in mastering grammar. A speech therapist will help correct these deficiencies in written speech.

Speech therapist services for adults in the following areas:

Consultation with a speech therapist for an adult. If you plan to correct your speech in the future, but now do not have the free time to conduct classes with a speech therapist, then you can get a consultation with a speech therapist. This will allow you to better know the upcoming work front and mentally prepare for classes in the future.
Staging and introducing problematic sounds into active speech. Production of all sounds. A very common question is when you contact a specialist “speech therapist for adults letter R”. About 20% of those who seek help from a speech therapist burr. This difficult sound can be corrected even in adulthood; there would be a desire to work and follow the recommendations of a speech therapist.
Working on diction. The ability to speak is a habit, incorrect diction is an incorrectly formed habit. Classes with a speech therapist for an adult are a chance to see speech defects from the outside and purposefully correct diction.
Correction of the sound pronunciation side of speech (dyslalia, dysarthria).
Correction of voice defects (dysphonia).
Help in preparing for public speaking, working with the voice, its characteristics such as strength and range, and much more.

When adults turn to a specialist

If parents bring a child to a speech therapist, or his speech development is examined in kindergarten or school, then adults independently seek advice. The exception is aphasia, because the causes of this disorder are serious, it is treated in medical institutions where comprehensive care is provided.

Adults can contact a speech therapist if a person:

strives to improve the quality of his speech;
speaks frequently in public or interacts with people;
feels psychological discomfort due to his deficiency.

The main task of the specialist is to motivate the patient to improve speech and create a situation of success. The specialist clarifies the reason why the adult turned to him for help, in order to find an approach to him and increase the effectiveness of correctional work.

Classes with a speech therapist for an adult

Another reason why adults need the help of a speech therapist is the elimination of aphasia (a speech disorder of central origin that occurs when the speech centers in the cerebral cortex are damaged due to injury or a stroke. Read more in the article...).

After diagnosis, the speech therapist aphasiologist draws up an individual correction program and begins to restore the patient’s speech. Home-based speech therapy for adults often practices for such clients. Experience shows that working in a calm home environment is more effective.

Where to contact

Some people believe that a speech therapist only works in kindergartens, schools and development centers. But there is a system of speech therapy assistance in some medical institutions. Adults most often go to clinics and medical centers.

You can sign up for a consultation at a development center. But not everyone feels comfortable studying in a place where there are a large number of children. To improve their diction, adults enroll in special courses in public speaking or stage speech.

If you decide to use the services of a private specialist who will work with you at home, be sure to check that he has a diploma confirming his qualifications.

Diagnostic features

The speech therapist talks with the client, asks if he had problems with speech in childhood and school years; did he work with specialists? Therefore, an adult needs to prepare for a consultation, communicate with parents in order to learn more about their speech development at an early age. This approach will help the speech therapist more accurately determine the speech disorder and the causes of its occurrence.

The specialist looks at the anatomical structure of the organs of the articulatory apparatus and its work. Then he asks to perform tasks to maintain a certain articulatory posture and gives dynamic exercises. Draws attention to the formation of speech breathing.

The speech therapist checks the state of the pronunciation aspect of speech:

whether the person pronounces all groups of sounds correctly;
evaluates the strength and timbre of the voice;
looks at the general state of diction.

The work of phonemic processes is tested (the ability to distinguish sounds in a speech stream, proficiency in sound-letter analysis skills), and the formation of the syllabic structure.

For aphasia and written language disorders, the speech therapist checks impressive and expressive vocabulary; formation of grammatical structure and coherent speech. A special feature of diagnosing patients with aphasia is determining the preservation of speech components. After all, it is on their basis that correctional work will be built.

When stuttering, a speech therapist pays special attention to the person’s psychological state and the activity of the motor sphere. One of the main areas of work in correcting this speech disorder is normalizing muscle tone. Therefore, the specialist evaluates general and finger motor skills.

For dysgraphia and dyslexia, a speech therapist checks writing and reading. Checking in this direction includes the following tasks:

writing from dictation;
cheating;
reading using different fonts;
writing letters on different sides and parts of the sheet;
explanation of the meaning of what was read.

There are several forms of dysgraphia and dyslexia, due to various reasons. It is necessary to do a full speech therapy examination to determine the exact etiology and select appropriate exercises for correction.

Speech therapy assistance in

Classes with a specialist begin with a speech therapy examination, during which the client’s wishes are clarified. The speech therapist clarifies the specific features of the speech defect, as well as:

presence of problems with the structure of the speech apparatus;
neurological status;
mental characteristics (if the client is diagnosed with stuttering).

Based on the information received, the speech therapist develops an individual correction program. It may include various techniques, depending on the specific defect and the reasons for its occurrence. Our speech therapists eliminate any speech pathologies:

correct the pronunciation of various sounds;
improve diction through voice, breathing and articulation exercises;
restore speech after traumatic brain injuries, neuroinfections and strokes;
eliminate stuttering of any origin;
adapt the speech apparatus after performing dental prosthetics.

You can work with a speech therapist for an adult individually or in a group. The cost of one session is indicated in our price list.

Differences between adult speech therapy practice and children's practice

Speech therapy work with adults has several important differences:

The duration of correctional work and its effectiveness largely depend on the patient’s interest and determination.
Speech therapy classes are conducted in the form of a conversation - the specialist does not use game techniques in his work.
The lessons use complex techniques that are not suitable for children's practice.
Features of speech disorders - in adults they have a long-term stable nature. Therefore, correcting even one sound can affect the quality of coherent speech.

Before starting classes, the speech therapist must clearly set a goal and explain why the exercise is being performed. Often, when working with adults, a voice recorder is used to clearly demonstrate the success of correctional work. Creating situations of success allows you to increase the effectiveness of your classes.

Features of correctional work for various disorders

When correcting a speech defect, the etiology of its appearance must be taken into account. By eliminating the cause of the violation, you will eliminate the defect itself. The speech therapist draws up the structure of classes after the diagnostic results.

If sound pronunciation is impaired, the main emphasis is on articulatory gymnastics and the formation of speech breathing. Speech therapy work in this case consists of a preparatory stage, staging, sound automation, and differentiation. Another important area is work on phonetic-phonemic processes.
For voice, timbre and diction disorders, classes include articulation and breathing exercises; expressive reading, pronouncing phrases with different pitches of voice; pronouncing tongue twisters with clear pronunciation of sounds.
When stuttering, work is carried out in the following areas: normalization of muscle tone; formation of speech breathing; articulation gymnastics; formation of communication skills; creating speech patterns for specific situations; correction of the tempo-rhythmic side of speech.
Corrective work for aphasia depends on its form. The main task of speech therapy work is to restore the ability to use speech components.
With dysgraphia and dyslexia, the structure of classes depends on the form of the disorder. The emphasis is on correcting the motor sphere. If necessary, work is carried out on the pronunciation side of speech, phonetic-phonemic processes, or the formation of optical-spatial representations.

The effectiveness of training depends on correctly selected methods. The speech therapist also gives homework assignments so that an adult can consolidate the acquired skills.

Duration of classes and possible results

The duration of correctional work depends on the structure of the speech defect. Even with a mild impairment, classes can last several months, because sometimes difficulties arise at the stage of automation in coherent speech. When working with adults, their determination and interest in improving speech plays an important role.

To be more effective, explain to the client’s loved ones the importance of speech therapy sessions. Their support will be of great help in correction. The prognosis for correcting a defect depends on its complexity and the correctness of the selected techniques.

Our specialists

Catholic Natalya Anatolyevna - Specialist speech therapist-defectologist. Works with children from 1 year old.

Working with adult patients is always longer and more painstaking than with children, since while the speech defect persists, a person develops a persistent conditioned reflex. That is why the course of speech therapy correction lasts longer than for children of the younger age group.

Cost of speech therapy services for adults

The price depends on the region and the qualifications of the specialist, but on average the cost is 1,400 rubles for 30-40 minutes. In some medical institutions, upon referral from a doctor, classes with a speech therapist may be free.

Of course, an adult can try to correct his speech on his own. But a speech therapist will correctly determine the cause of the defect and select appropriate correction techniques. There is no need to assume that only children can work with a speech therapist: adults also have the opportunity to make their speech literate and beautiful.

Range of speech therapy services for adult patients

The following speech therapy techniques and practices will help an adult correct diction and restore speech skills after they have been lost:

speech therapy massage - massage procedures can be carried out using a probe, classical or Chinese method, affecting various structures of the speech apparatus - tongue, cheeks, lips, soft palate, etc.;
gymnastics – correct performance of articulatory gymnastics allows you to correct diction and correct pronunciation of sounds;
physiotherapy – special devices for electrical neurostimulation of the structures of the speech apparatus are particularly effective in speech therapy practice;
thermotherapy - a technique based on contrasting temperature effects on tissue, as well as on the use of special bags with ice cubes, which are placed in the oral cavity, followed by speech exercises;
educational programs – computer and audio programs are especially convenient for home study.

The technique of recording a person’s speech on a voice recorder, followed by listening through special headphones, has found widespread use. This enables the patient himself to overcome the conditioned reflex formed over many years.