Speech Therapy for Adults

Communication is a two-way process in which people exchange information. We send information by speaking, writing, gesturing and touching. We receive information by listening, reading, watching or feeling. Our daily activities, our interpersonal relationships depend greatly on our communication skills. Perhaps this is realized most fully when our ability to communicate is interrupted.

Communication difficulties can have a devastating affect on the quality of our lives, isolation, and loss of self-esteem frequently develop. In adults, impaired communication skills can interfere with social-verbal interactions, economic opportunities, and self-sufficiency. Complete withdrawal form family, friends and society as a whole can occur.

Speech disorders are problems of expression characterized by difficulty with forming speech sounds or producing voice. Language disorders are characterized by difficulty in comprehension and expression. Some common adult disorders may include:

• Stuttering
  
• Voice disorders
  
• Articulation disorders secondary to dysarthria (difficulty coordinating movements for production of speech)
  
• Aphasia (word finding difficulties)
  
• Dysphasia (swallowing difficulties)
  
• Hearing loss