Adult Speech Therapy: What It Is & How It Works

While most people associate speech and language therapy with children, especially those with developmental delays or a stutter, adults can greatly benefit from learning how to speak confidently and clearly, too. Whether a patient recently survived a stroke, wants to nix an accent, or struggles with a degenerative disease, speech therapy can help significantly improve someone’s quality of life.

In this comprehensive guide, we will explore what adult speech therapy is, how it works, and why it might be necessary for you or a loved one.

What Is Adult Speech Therapy?

Speech therapy for adults often includes an assessment, diagnosis, and treatment plan carried out by a qualified speech-language pathologist (SLP). There is a broad spectrum of communication disorders that impact a person’s ability to express or understand language, including fluency disorders, such as stuttering, motor speech disorders, voice disorders, and language disorders.

Unlike pediatric speech therapy, which often focuses on developmental delays, adult speech therapy is tailored to address communication issues that arise due to stroke, traumatic brain injuries, degenerative diseases like Parkinson’s, or conditions such as cleft palate. It can also help adults who wish to improve the clarity of their speech, alter, or reduce an accent, or improve their public speaking abilities.

Key Areas Addressed in Adult Speech Therapy

1. Motor Speech Disorders: These disorders happen when an individual has a difficult time coordinating lip, teeth, tongue, and respiratory movements to produce the correct speech sounds. They are categorized into two types: dysarthria and apraxia. Dysarthria involves issues with speech execution or control, often resulting in slurred or garbled speech. Apraxia involves difficulties in motor planning or programming for speech, which may include trouble sequencing sounds or words correctly.
2. Fluency Disorders: Stuttering, speaking with an abnormal flow, repetition of sounds, words, or syllables, and interruptions in speech are common fluency disorders. These issues can negatively impact a person and make it hard to communicate.
3. Voice Disorders: Examples of voice disorders include hoarseness, raspiness, loss of voice, issues with pitch, volume, or vocal quality. These commonly affect teachers, singers, coaches, and professional speakers as it can be caused by talking too loudly, shouting, constant throat clearing and more. Voice disorders can also result from medical conditions such as asthma and allergies, surgical procedures, smoking, and alcohol use.
4. Language Disorders: This refers to problems with understanding or processing language, such as putting words together to communicate ideas. Targeted therapy can help address these problems whether they are due to cognitive deficits or brain injury.
5. Cognitive Communication Disorders: Speech can be impacted due to impairments in memory, attention, or problem-solving abilities. Therapy would focus on enhancing cognitive skills, which in turn would improve overall communication.

How Does Adult Speech Therapy Work?

The process of speech therapy for adults begins with a thorough assessment by a speech-language pathologist. This evaluation typically includes interviews, observations, and tests to identify the problem and determine what kind of therapy would be best.

The Therapy Process

1. Assessment and Diagnosis: This initial step involves determining the type and severity of the communication disorder. The SLP will use various tools to assess language skills, speech clarity, voice quality, and cognitive abilities.
2. Individualized Therapy Plan: Based on the assessment, a personalized therapy plan is developed. This plan outlines goals, therapy techniques, and the frequency of sessions.
3. Therapy Sessions: During sessions, the SLP works with the individual to address specific communication issues. Techniques may include articulation exercises, language activities, cognitive exercises, and voice therapy.
4. Home Practice: The success of speech therapy for adults often relies on practicing outside of sessions. Therapists might assign exercises to do at home to help reinforce what’s learned during therapy.
5. Progress Monitoring: The SLP will regularly evaluate the individual’s progress and adjust the plan as needed. This ongoing monitoring ensures that the therapy remains effective.

How Long Does Adult Speech Therapy Last?

There is no right answer to this question. Many variables are at play when determining the duration of speech therapy, such as the severity of the diagnosis, frequency of sessions, and the person’s commitment to making progress. Completing daily exercises at home can help improve outcomes as consistency and hard work might speed up the process.

Common Techniques Used in Adult Speech Therapy

• Articulation Exercises: These exercises focus on improving the clarity of speech by practicing production of or sequencing between specific sounds, syllables, words, or sentences.
• Language Activities: Therapy may include activities that improve vocabulary, sentence structure, and comprehension.
• Voice Therapy: Individuals with voice disorders may work on breath control, pitch regulation, and vocal hygiene to improve the quality of their voice.
• Cognitive Exercises: Exercises that strengthen memory, attention, and problem-solving skills are useful when trying to improve communication These exercises help individuals to better organize their thoughts and express themselves more clearly. See our speech and cognitive therapy application.

Who Can Benefit from Adult Speech Therapy?

Speech therapy for adults is beneficial for anyone experiencing communication challenges, no matter the cause. Some of the most common reasons adults seek speech therapy include:

• Post-Stroke Rehabilitation: Many stroke survivors experience language or speech difficulties. Aphasia, which can manifest as difficulty reading, writing, speaking, and understanding language, or dysarthria, which is slurred or slow speech, can happen following a stroke. Read about Hemiparesis vs Hemiplegia here.
• Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI): TBI’s can lead to cognitive communication disorders. Speech therapy can help regain any lost communication skills.
• Degenerative Diseases: Conditions like Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s, or multiple sclerosis can affect speech clarity and cognitive abilities. Regular therapy sessions can help manage these symptoms.
• Cleft Palate: Adults with a cleft palate may experience resonance and articulation issues that can be improved through targeted speech therapy.
• Swallowing Rehabilitation: Difficulty swallowing, also known as dysphagia, is most common in older adults and can be a painful condition. Speech-language therapists can help individuals train and strengthen muscles in the throat and tongue that are needed to swallow safely.
• Public Speaking: Some adults seek speech therapy to enhance their public speaking skills or modify an accent. Speech and language therapy can help improve confidence and control, which can make a significant difference when speaking in front of large audiences.

The Role of the Speech-Language Pathologist

A speech-language pathologist (SLP) is a licensed professional with specialized training in diagnosing and treating communication disorders. They play a critical role in adult speech therapy, offering both clinical expertise and emotional support to help individuals achieve their communication goals.

Qualifications and Expertise

SLPs hold a master’s degree in speech-language pathology and are typically certified by relevant professional bodies, such as the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). Their training covers a wide range of communication disorders, which helps them to create effective therapy plans tailored to each individual’s needs.

Constant Therapy Health: At-home Speech, Cognitive, and Language Therapy

Speech and language therapy is a powerful tool for adults facing communication challenges. Whether you’re recovering from a stroke, managing a cognitive disorder, or aiming to enhance your communication skills, Constant Therapy offers a personalized, flexible approach that adapts to your unique needs. It is easy to access via your tablet or smartphone and you can engage in therapy sessions on your own schedule without needing to visit a clinic.

Backed by evidence-based practices and trusted by thousands of users, Constant Therapy provides a proven path to better communication and cognitive health. You can stay connected with professional support throughout the process from the comfort of your home. Visit Constant Therapy today to start your journey to improved communication.