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.
What causes stuttering
Stuttering is one of the most common speech disorders. In addition, this pathology is the oldest. There are a large number of references to the fact that Egyptian pharaohs, Persian kings, great poets, philosophers and even orators suffered from stuttering. The Greek writer Plutarch described the story of Demosthenes, who was an excellent speaker despite his illness.
The first symptoms of the pathology usually appear in children aged 3–5 years. It is during this period that active formation of speech is observed, and therefore its violations become noticeable. Statistics say that around the world, approximately 2-3% of children stutter. It has also been noted that this problem occurs more often among boys. There is another interesting observation that almost all stutterers are overt or hidden left-handed. In adults, this pathology is less common, since timely correction can restore smoothness and rhythm to speech. And only about 1% of people remain stutterers throughout their lives.
There is an opinion among ordinary people that people become stutterers after severe fright or shock. But not everyone who has had a serious traumatic situation in their life begins to stutter. Severe stress is only an impetus, and the predisposition to this speech disorder was already inherent in the central nervous system.
Since the phase of active formation of phrasal speech occurs precisely at the age of 3 to 5 years, it is during this period that the speech function becomes most vulnerable. Any disturbances associated with the functioning of the central nervous system can cause a malfunction of the speech apparatus. That is, stuttering is a speech disorder caused by changes in the functioning of the central nervous system.
This pathology has a rather complex origin. Certain centers of the brain are responsible for the smoothness of speech; disturbances in the process of impulse exchange between neurons leads to the development of seizures in various parts of the speech apparatus. The causes of this dysfunction of the central nervous system can be infectious diseases and complications after them, as well as organic lesions of the nervous system of various natures.
Recently, an increasing number of children are being born with pathologies of the central nervous system due to unfavorable pregnancy or difficult childbirth. There are a number of psychological reasons, these include an overly demanding attitude towards the child on the part of parents and other family members, lack of attention and love, family conflicts, etc.
Many experts argue that the predisposition to stuttering can be transmitted genetically. But if the pathology has not manifested itself before the age of seven, then in the future the child will no longer stutter. However, there are cases where stuttering occurs in adulthood.
Actor John Bradley, who gained fame after the release of the series “Game of Thrones,” became so accustomed to the character of Samwell Tarly that he began to stutter after filming ended. He spoke about this in one of his interviews. Anxiety attacks and speech disorders seriously complicate the actor’s life and prevent him from getting new roles.
One might assume that a good psychotherapist would allow John Bradley to get rid of all the worries and habit of stuttering that he developed over the many years of working on the series.
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.
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.
Content
- Components of diction
- Why do you need good diction?
- Causes of poor diction
- How to develop diction
- Exercises to improve diction and clarity of speech Warm-up
- Pronunciation of individual sounds
- Breathing
- Tongue Twisters
- Diaphragm training
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.
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.
Institute of Modern Psychological Technologies
Address: Belorusskaya metro station, 5th Yamskoye Polya street, 5, building 1 Website: https://www.paracels.ru/ Phone: , +7 (985) 806-32-26
The Institute has been providing additional education in the field of psychology and speech therapy for more than 20 years and offers a distance retraining program “Speech Therapy and Child Psychology” . The program has 2 options: for students with any higher education (554 academic hours) and for students with a psychological or pedagogical education (452 academic hours).
The purpose of the training is to prepare specialists for practical activities in the framework of speech therapy and psychological counseling of children. Classes are held in the form of “live” webinars; at the end, students take an interdisciplinary exam online.
Upon completion of training you will be issued:
- a diploma of professional retraining of the established form with the qualification “Speech therapist”,
- certificate of advanced training in the program “Integrative fairy tale therapy as a method of work of a practical psychologist” (training includes this author’s course by I. Vachkov).
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.
How to improve your child's speech
For any child, parents are role models in everything, including spoken language. To develop good speech skills in children, parents themselves must possess them. You should always talk to your baby at a level higher than his own. It is important to articulate well, to pronounce with different intonations, like a question and an answer. Thus, the child will constantly improve his speech.
While the child is still small, unfamiliar words need to be repeated many times (this can cause difficulties) so that he remembers them and pronounces them with clear articulation. If by the age of 5-6 years the child has a diction disorder and speaks indistinctly, do not neglect visiting a professional speech therapist for speech correction, he will help correct the situation. You need to understand that improving your vocabulary is only possible with your help: read books, poems and communicate clearly with your child.
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.
National University of Modern Technologies
Website : https://nust.rf Phone Cost : course prof. retraining - 10,000-15,000 rub.
Prof. course retraining: Teacher-speech therapist in accordance with the Federal State Educational Standard
Duration of training:
- 520 hours/3 months
- 1100 hours/6 months
Accelerated training is possible. Assigned qualification: Teacher-speech therapist.
Enrollment on the basis of any higher or secondary vocational education.
How the training works:
- You are given access to the distance learning system, where you study educational material according to the curriculum
- If necessary, ask questions to teachers through your personal account, by phone or email. mail
- Choose one topic from the proposed list and complete the final work with the support of teachers
- Defend your work via email, Skype or in person at the university
- You receive your diploma with all documents by mail
You will be able to take a refresher course in the First Aid program for free.
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.
