How to Help People with Speech Difficulties?
Communication is an essential part of the human experience and a crucial element of development and learning. However, communication skills are often taken for granted by those who communicate successfully and easily. If you or someone close to you is struggling with a speech difficulty of some kind, you know how hard it can be to navigate daily life and effectively express oneself. It can be challenging to know what to do to help someone who is struggling to communicate, but ensuring they know you are there for them and keen to help is an important first step.
There are many different ways to help and support people with speech difficulties, from modifying the way we speak and interact with them to providing opportunities for them to practice and strengthen their skills. Encouraging someone with a speech difficulty to explore speech therapy is also an important part of providing support, as speech therapists are experts at helping individuals of all ages overcome their speech, language, and communication challenges. If you or someone close to you needs communication support, getting started with speech therapy is a simple and easy process. All you need to do to connect with one of our incredible speech therapists is schedule your free introductory call today!
Understanding Speech Difficulties
In order to effectively help and support someone with speech difficulty, it is important to first gain an understanding of speech problems and how they affect communication. In general terms, individuals who have speech impairments have difficulty producing clear and fluent speech. Speech difficulties can be classified into three broad categories:
Fluency Disorders - A fluency disorder affects the continuity, smoothness, rate, and effort in speech production. Stuttering is the most commonly seen type of fluency disorder, affecting approximately 3 million Americans.
Voice Disorders - A voice disorder affects the tone, pitch, quality, volume, and resonance of an individual’s speaking and singing voice. An individual with a voice disorder may have a voice that sounds overly breathy, hoarse, quiet, or inconsistent.
Articulation & Phonological Disorders - These types of disorders affect the proper production of specific speech sounds, causing some people to fully omit sounds, mispronounce certain sounds, or replace some sounds with other sounds.
If you, your child, or a loved one is struggling to produce clear and fluent speech, help via speech therapy is available. By bringing speech therapy services online, connecting with the perfectly suited speech therapist is easier than ever. Get started with us by scheduling your free introductory call today!
What Causes Speech Problems?
Speech problems can be caused by a wide number of factors, though often the cause of a speech disorder is unknown. Some of the most common contributing factors to speech difficulties include:
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
- Physical Differences (Such as Cleft Lip or Palate)
- Cerebral Palsy
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Stroke
- Muscle Weakness
- Vocal Cord Damage
- Down Syndrome
- Hearing Loss or Impairment
- Degenerative Diseases (Such as Huntington’s or Parkinson’s Disease)
- Damage to the Vocal Cords
- Developmental Delays
- Tongue or Lip Ties
- Cancer that Affects the Mouth or Throat
While the conditions listed above can cause speech difficulties, some speech disorders develop without a clear underlying cause or contributing factors.
How to Help Someone with Speech Problems? How to Help a Person with Speech Disability?
Outside of encouraging an individual with speech problems to seek the support of an experienced speech and language pathologist, there are a few things you can do to make communicating with them easier and more effective, including:
Focus on Respect - Respect is essential for helping someone overcome their communication challenges. Always treat them with care and respect, ensuring to protect their dignity and self-esteem.
Prioritize Attention - Before you begin to speak to the individual, ensure they are aware of your wish to communicate by maintaining eye contact and facing your body towards them.
Find a Quiet Environment - Effective communication relies on focus and attention, so find a quiet space to interact in before you begin to attempt communication. By limiting distractions and other noises, you increase the likelihood that effective communication will take place.
Use Clear and Simple Language - Using clear and simple language can be incredibly helpful when communicating with someone who struggles with speech. Avoid using figurative language, slang terms, and cliches, and keep your sentences short and to the point.
Take Your Time - It is important that the individual not feel rushed, as this can increase feelings of stress and anxiety around communication. Speak slowly and deliberately, and also allow the individual as much time as they need to listen, understand, and respond to you.
Above all, it is important to remember that effective communication requires a give-and-take between those involved and is a shared responsibility. Be patient and kind whenever you interact with someone with a communication disorder, and try to imagine what it might be like to live a day in their shoes.
How Does Speech Therapy Address Speech Problems?
While it is important to provide care and support to people with speech problems, nothing can replicate the benefits of working closely with an experienced speech and language pathologist. Speech therapists are experts at helping individuals overcome their speech difficulties by using a wide variety of exercises, techniques, and approaches. Every speech therapy treatment plan is tailored to the unique needs, learning styles, challenges, and goals of the individual.
Speech therapy begins with an evaluation by the speech and language pathologist to identify the specific areas of concern and any underlying causes, and establish realistic and practical goals. From there, regular speech therapy appointments occur, progress is closely monitored, and approaches may change as goals are reached and skills are mastered.
Whether the goal of speech therapy is to improve articulation, phonology, fluency, or vocal quality, working with a qualified speech and language pathologist offers the best outcome for achieving clear and fluent speech and a major confidence boost. If you think you or a loved one is ready to get started with speech therapy, the time is now! Schedule your free introductory call today!