speech therapy services meaning

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In brief: what is speech therapy.

Created: August 12, 2020 ; Next update: 2024.

Speech therapy can help people who have difficulty speaking to communicate better and to break down the barriers that result from speech impediments. The goals of speech therapy include improving pronunciation, strengthening the muscles used in speech, and learning to speak correctly.

Speech therapy can be used for a lot of different speech problems and disorders, from smaller problems like a hoarse voice up to partial loss of speech due to brain damage. Depending on the type of disorder, other medical or psychological treatments may be used as well.

• What kinds of disorders can speech therapy treat?

Speech therapy can be used to treat language disorders, speech disorders and swallowing problems.

Language disorders

A childhood language disorder can affect the child’s ability to learn to speak, to name objects and build complete sentences. Although the causes of these disorders are often not clear, the main known risk factors include hearing problems , general developmental problems and disorders affecting the development of the brain.

Language disorders in adults are almost always the result of brain injury or disease. People who have had a stroke , for example, often have trouble forming sentences or remembering words. That type of disorder is called aphasia.

Speech disorders

People with speech disorders have difficulty producing the sounds of speech, saying words clearly or talking fluently.

Children often have trouble with pronunciation, and may have a lisp or swap certain sounds for others. Speech disorders may be the result of developmental disorders, but psychological factors might also play a role. Adults with neurological diseases sometimes have speech disorders too, often making it hard to understand them.

Another group of speech disorders, known as fluency disorders, involve problems with the flow or evenness of speech. People with this sort of disorder may stutter or “clutter,” for example. When people stutter, there are often silent pauses in their speech, or they repeat or lengthen certain sounds or syllables. Cluttering is abnormally fast speech that makes the pronunciation imprecise or leaves out sounds or parts of words.

Voice disorders (dysphonia)

A voice disorder is a persistent change in someone’s voice. They might sound hoarse, strained, raspy or nearly silent. Often the voice is somewhat weak – in other words, it cracks easily or the person is not able to speak loudly. Voice disorders may arise from speaking too much or too loudly, from using the wrong breathing technique, or from problems with the voice box (larynx) like vocal nodules . Psychological causes like depression or a reaction to a distressing event can change a person’s voice too.

Trouble swallowing

In people with swallowing problems, the movements of the muscles involved in swallowing are affected. This leads to problems transporting food through the mouth and throat. The cause is often a disease or disorder of the nervous system, such as Parkinson’s disease , multiple sclerosis, dementia , an infection like Lyme disease or tetanus, or a head injury. If food gets into the lungs because of a swallowing disorder, it can lead to life-threatening complications.

What treatments are used in speech therapy?

There are various speech therapy techniques for each of the areas described above – the ones that are considered depend on the particular disorder. A long series of treatment sessions is typically needed, with each lasting 30 to 60 minutes. They may take place in a group or one-on-one.

The treatment approaches used in speech therapy include:

• Perception exercises, for example to differentiate between individual sounds and syllables
• Exercises to produce certain sounds and improve the fluency of speech
• Exercises to improve breathing, swallowing and the voice
• Help with communication using things like sign language, communication boards and computer-assisted speech
• Advice for people who need speech therapy, their parents and other loved ones
• Support in implementing these measures in everyday life

For the treatment to help over the long term, it’s often important to also regularly practice the techniques at home.

• Where is speech therapy offered?

Speech therapy is offered at the following facilities:

• Speech therapy practices
• Rehabilitative care centers
• Special needs schools
• Children's day care facilities specializing in speech therapy

Besides speech therapists, there are a number of other specialists who also use similar methods. These include breathing, speech and voice coaches.

• Do statutory health insurers cover the costs of speech therapy?

Note: The procedures and requirements for applying for and receiving speech therapy may vary according to your country. This information describes the current situation in Germany.

To have outpatient treatment at a speech therapy practice, you need a prescription from a doctor. An initial prescription will generally include up to 10 treatments, each typically lasting 30 to 60 minutes. Appointments are usually offered one to three times per week.

For the medical conditions listed above, prescribed speech therapy is often covered by statutory health insurers (apart from a fixed amount that you have to pay yourself, known as a copayment). The copayment does not have to be paid when getting a treatment that has been prescribed for children. If speech therapy is given as a part of rehabilitative care, an accident insurer or pension fund will cover the costs.

The copayment that you have to pay for yourself is 10 euros per prescription plus 10% of the treatment costs. If each treatment costs 55 euros, for example, for ten treatments you would have to pay 65 euros (the basic fee of 10 euros per prescription plus 10 x 5.50 euros).

Some speech therapists may offer certain treatments without a prescription. You then have to pay for all of the costs yourself. In Germany, these are known as individual health care services (individuelle Gesundheitsleistungen, or IGeL for short).

The German Federal Association of Speech Therapists (DBL) has a search function for speech therapists on their website (in German).

• Bode H, Schröder H, Waltersbacher A (Ed). Heilmittel-Report 2008. Ergotherapie, Logopädie, Physiotherapie: Eine Bestandsaufnahme. Stuttgart: Schattauer; 2008.
• Deutsche Gesellschaft für Sprachheilpädagogik (DGS). Ausbildung in der Sprachheilpädagogik .
• Deutscher Bundesverband für akademische Sprachtherapie und Logopädie (dbs). Der Verband [ dbs homepage ]. 2020.
• Deutscher Bundesverband für Logopädie (dbl). Logopädie . 2020.
• Gemeinsamer Bundesausschuss (G-BA). Richtlinie über die Verordnung von Heilmitteln in der vertragsärztlichen Versorgung (Heilmittel-Richtlinie/HeilM-RL) . July 1, 2020.
• Verband der Ersatzkassen (vdek). Rahmenvertrag zwischen LOGO Deutschland und den Ersatzkassen über die Versorgung mit Leistungen der Stimm-, Sprech- und Sprachtherapie. Anlage 1: Leistungsbeschreibung . June 1, 2017.

IQWiG health information is written with the aim of helping people understand the advantages and disadvantages of the main treatment options and health care services.

Because IQWiG is a German institute, some of the information provided here is specific to the German health care system. The suitability of any of the described options in an individual case can be determined by talking to a doctor. informedhealth.org can provide support for talks with doctors and other medical professionals, but cannot replace them. We do not offer individual consultations.

Our information is based on the results of good-quality studies. It is written by a team of health care professionals, scientists and editors, and reviewed by external experts. You can find a detailed description of how our health information is produced and updated in our methods.

• Cite this Page InformedHealth.org [Internet]. Cologne, Germany: Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG); 2006-. In brief: What is speech therapy? 2020 Aug 12.

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What Is Speech Therapy?

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Speech therapy is a form of healthcare that helps improve communication and speech. It can also help improve swallowing function and other behaviors related to feeding.

About one in 12 children in the United States has a speech or swallowing disorder. Disorders are most common in young children, but many adults have a related condition. For example, about one million adults in the United States have aphasia (difficulty expressing or comprehending written and verbal language).

Speech therapists (STs) or speech-language pathologists (SLPs) assess and treat people of all ages. They use various techniques to help people with challenges related to speech production, language comprehension, hearing, voice quality, fluency, and swallowing. 

What Does Speech Therapy Treat?

Speech therapy treats various disorders involving hearing, speech, language, literacy, social communication, voice quality, executive functioning (for example, memory and problem-solving), feeding, and swallowing.

Specific speech disorders include:

• Articulation disorders: Difficulty pronouncing words or sounds such as the “s” sound (for example, saying “thun” rather than “sun”). This can occur during childhood language development or with structural problems like tongue-tie. A tongue tie is when a small band of skin connects the tip of the tongue to the bottom of the mouth. It is congenital, meaning it's present at birth.
• Dysarthria: Slow, slurred, or unclear speech. This occurs with oral (mouth) muscle control decline due to neurological conditions (related to the brain or nervous system), such as multiple sclerosis (MS) —a condition that occurs when the immune system attacks myelin, the covering wrapped around nerve cells.
• Apraxia: Knowing what you want to say but having difficulty producing the correct sounds or words. Apraxia can cause slow, error-prone speech or the need to intentionally move your tongue and lips in order to produce sounds and words. Apraxia can be present at birth, but it can also occur as a result of brain injuries, brain tumors , or a stroke .
• Fluency disorders: Speech flow disruptions like stuttering. Stuttering is experiencing interruptions in speech and repeating sounds, syllables, or words. Researchers are still exploring possible causes of dysfluency, but they seem to include genetics, developmental components, neurological factors (how the brain processes), and brain injury. Many children outgrow fluency disorders, but they can persist into adulthood.
• Voice disorders: Vocal cord spasming (choppy voice), hoarseness, pitch problems, or voice fatigue are examples of voice disorders. This can result from infection, overusing the vocal cords, or neurological disorders. 

Language or communication disorders include:

• Aphasia : Aphasia is a language disorder in which you have difficulty expressing or comprehending written and verbal language. Receptive aphasia is difficulty understanding written or verbal words. Expressive aphasia is difficulty communicating thoughts and ideas with language components like vocabulary, grammar, and sentence formation. Aphasia can occur with childhood development, language impairment, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), brain injury, or neurological disorders.
• Pragmatic language disorder: This relates to social communication. Signs include misunderstanding social cues like eye contact, body language, and personal space. It can occur during childhood development or with underlying neurodivergence (brain variation), such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) , a brain development condition that affects how a person perceives and socializes with other people.
• Accent or tone: While this is not a disorder, speech therapists can also work with people who wish to modify their accent or an unusual speech rhythm, pitch, or tone. For example, a high-pitched, sing-song, or robotic tone can occur with ASD.
• Executive functioning: Executive functioning challenges include difficulty with memory, planning, organization, problem-solving, and attention. This can occur due to brain injuries or conditions like ASD and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) , a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by inattention (being distracted), hyperactivity (feeling restless), and impulsivity (making hasty decisions).
• Auditory processing disorder: This is a neurological condition that makes it difficult to make sense of sounds. 

Feeding and swallowing disorders affect how you suck, chew, and swallow food and drinks. Difficulty swallowing is also known as dysphagia , which can result in choking during meals—and lung infections if food or liquid enters the airways.  It can occur with structural abnormalities, muscular weakness, or neurological conditions like a stroke.  

How Does Speech Therapy Work?

Speech therapy involves techniques like language practice, pronunciation exercises, voice therapy, and swallowing exercises. It begins with a thorough assessment, including observation of communication strategies, challenges, and frustrations.

Speech therapy for infants, toddlers, and children involves fun and engaging activities like play, language exercises, reading, picture cards, and modeling correct sounds. This helps make learning more enjoyable.  

Parents or caregivers often attend sessions and learn ways to support children at home. The ST or SLP will tailor the treatment plan to the child’s developmental stage. Early recognition and intervention (treatment) can help improve outcomes.

With adults, the ST or SLP will begin with an assessment to identify specific challenges. They will then create a specific care plan that addresses underlying concerns such as:

• Medical conditions
• Accent modification
• Voice challenges
• Pronunciation
• Conversational language
• Problem-solving
• Memory exercises

What To Expect During Speech Therapy

Speech therapy can occur in a class, small group, online, or one-on-one. Speech therapists typically assign exercises to practice at home in order to reinforce what you learn. Activities might include:

• Vocal warm-ups like humming 
• Tongue twisters to improve articulation
• Breaking words into syllables to improve clarity
• Contrasting word exercises—for example, "ship" versus "sheep"
• “Pausing” practice (for stuttering)
• Repetition after listening to a native speaker 
• Repetition exercises for sounds like “s” 
• Speech rate control—for example, by tapping hands to a beat
• Pitch exercises
• Breathing and posture exercises

Receptive language exercises include:

• Memory or problem-solving exercises
• Reading comprehension (similar to a book report)
• Speech supplementation (written, gestural, voice amplifier, speech-generating devices)
• Word association
• Communication partner exercises, such as practicing eye contact and active listening

Exercises for swallowing and feeding include:

• Diet modification (pureed to solid foods)
• Oral muscle strengthening (like tongue “push-ups”)
• Swallowing exercises

Benefits of Speech Therapy

One of the main goals of speech therapy is to enhance a person’s ability to express thoughts, ideas, and emotions effectively. This can lead to a greater sense of self-expression, meaningful interactions with others, and less frustration. Other benefits include:

• Greater self-confidence: Gaining more control over language and communication can increase confidence and boost self-esteem. As a result, you might be more willing and excited to engage in social activities. 
• Improved academic or professional performance: Clear speech and language can lead to enhanced skills in comprehension, reading, and writing. This can support academic success. Better articulation, language, and presentation abilities can help with career development.
• Greater independence: Speech therapy can lead to greater self-reliance, especially if you have severe communication challenges. For example, augmented and alternative communication (AAC) methods , such as speech-generating devices (SGDs), can allow you to express yourself more independently.

How Successful Is Speech Therapy?

Speech therapy's “success” depends on your goals. The meaning of success can vary based on your underlying communication or medical condition and its severity, as well as your motivation and commitment to therapy, the therapist's expertise, and your support systems. The time it takes to reach your goals also varies based on underlying factors like these.

For example, you may define success as improved pronunciation, or you may work towards more effective communication, more skilled accent modification, or swallowing without choking. If you stutter, your goal might be improved fluency or feeling more comfortable communicating openly with a stutter. For most people, what’s most important is to set realistic expectations and recognize that any improvement in communication is a success.

How To Find a Speech Therapist

A qualified speech therapist or speech-language pathologist holds a master's degree in speech-language pathology and state licensure to practice in your area. You can find speech therapists in settings like:

• Home health agencies
• Rehabilitation centers
• Private practice
• Telehealth (online)

You can also ask for recommendations from healthcare providers or school personnel who may know local speech therapists. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) also offers an online directory of certified speech therapies to help you locate someone in your area.

Check with your health insurance provider to see if they cover speech therapy. They can provide you with information about your co-payments and deductibles. If your insurance doesn't cover the cost, the clinic or speech therapist may offer payment plans. Some children may also qualify for:

• Individualized education programs (IEPs) that cover speech therapy costs as a service from the school district
• Early intervention (EI) or Preschool on Preschool Special Education (CPSE) programs for infants and toddlers for little or no cost to families
• State and federal programs, like Medicaid
• Financial assistance programs from non-profit and advocate organizations

A Quick Review

Speech therapy is a specialized healthcare field in which trained professionals help improve speech, language, hearing, swallowing, and feeding for people of all ages. Speech therapists (STs) and speech-language pathologists (SLPs) thoroughly assess and develop specific treatment plans for a wide range of conditions including difficulty communicating or processing language, stuttering, and voice disorders.

Speech therapy takes place in locations like schools, hospitals, and private practice. It can be one-on-one or in a group setting. Success depends on underlying factors such as the severity of the condition. It also depends on personal goals and your definition of success—which can vary widely from person to person.

Many people who have speech therapy experience powerful benefits that affect them in nearly every aspect of life, including greater self-confidence and self-reliance.

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. Quick statistics about voice, speech, language .

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American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Who are speech-language pathologists, and what do they do? .

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. Stuttering .

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Stuttering .

Law J, Dennis JA, Charlton JJ. Speech and language therapy interventions for children with primary speech and/or language disorders . The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews . 2017 (1). doi:10.1002/14651858.CD012490

Krekeler BN, Weycker JM, Connor NP. Effects of tongue exercise frequency on tongue muscle biology and swallowing physiology in a rat Model . Dysphagia . 2020; 35 (6):918. doi:10.1007/s00455-020-10105-2

National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. Speech and language developmental milestones .

National Institute of Health Clinical Center. Speech and language pathology .

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Dysarthria in adult

Brady MC, Kelly H, Godwin J, Enderby P, Campbell P. Speech and language therapy for aphasia following stroke . The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews . 2016 (6). doi:10.1002/14651858.CD000425.pub4

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Scope of practice in speech-language pathology .

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Help finding a professional .

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Speech-Language Therapy Services & Treatment

Do you or your child have communication, swallowing or voice difficulties? Our speech-language pathologists help patients of all ages develop and maintain their ability to speak more clearly, understand and express thoughts and feelings, and eat and swallow safely.

Find out more about our speech-language services:

Conditions and consultations, diagnosis and treatments.

• Speech-language Therapy specialists
• Speech-Language Therapy locations near you
• Speech-Language Therapy providers near you

Our speech-language pathologists care for children and adults.

Conditions treated include:

• Articulation problems
• Augmentative and alternative communication systems
• Cleft palate
• Communication problems associated with autism, cerebral palsy, emotional concerns, head injury, hearing loss and pervasive developmental disorders
• Delayed/disordered speech and language
• Difficulty swallowing, also known as dysphagia
• Executive function, such as difficulty planning and carrying out tasks
• Laryngitis or hoarse voice
• Laryngectomy
• Oral, oropharyngeal (mouth and pharynx) or nasopharyngeal (nose or nasal cavity) cancer complications
• Problem-solving and reasoning
• Stroke-related deficits
• Traumatic brain injury
• Voice disorders

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Our speech-language pathologists see patients in the outpatient setting.

Treatments provided include:

• Cancer rehabilitation
• Electric stimulation therapy
• Fiber-optic endoscopic swallowing evaluation
• Evidence-based therapy for neurological conditions
• Neuromotor clinic services
• Parkinson's disease therapy to improve voice communication and quality of life
• Pediatric speech therapy
• Swallowing difficulties and video swallowing studies
• Videostroboscopy for voice assessment

Speech-Language Therapy specialists

Speech-language pathologists are licensed practitioners who are experts in assessing and treating communication disorders.

Additional care and therapies may be provided by:

• Gastroenterology & Hepatology
• Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy
• Otolaryngology (ENT)/Head & Neck Surgery Services
• Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine

Find a speech-language therapist near you.

A referral is required, and your primary care provider can help refer you. Be sure to check your insurance plan to see if speech therapy services are covered. Call the appointment number of your preferred Speech-Language Therapy location to learn more.

What should I expect during my first appointment, and what should I bring?

During your initial visit, you will discuss your goals for therapy, and the speech-language pathologist will evaluate your speech-language concerns. After the evaluation, the pathologist will diagnose the concern and develop an individualized treatment plan with you. Your therapy team will provide education, treatment, intervention, management and counseling for you and your family.

For your first appointment, bring any imaging or medical records from non-Mayo Clinic Health System facilities. Complete a medical records release form (PDF) to authorize the transfer of health records from another healthcare facility to us. Visit our Medical Record Forms page for this form and other forms in multiple languages.

What are my payment options, and do you offer financial assistance?

Visit the billing page of your preferred location for information on insurance, billing and payments.

We serve patients in difficult financial circumstances and offer financial assistance to those who have an established need to receive medically necessary services. Learn more about financial assistance options .

Can you provide a second opinion?

Yes — simply call the appointment number at your preferred Speech-Language Therapy location . See What should I expect during my first appointment? for tips on how to prepare.

Do you have an after-hours number in case of emergency?

Always call 911 in case of emergency. For after-hours help for other issues, review our convenient care options .

Explore locations or providers near you for details on high-quality speech-language therapy:

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What Is a Speech Pathologist?

Also Known as a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) or Speech Therapist

• What They Do
• Conditions Treated

Training for Speech Pathologists

• When to See an SLP

A speech pathologist, also known as a speech therapist, is a healthcare professional who helps you improve your speech and communication if you have been ill, injured, or have a chronic disability. Speech pathologists may also be called speech-language pathologists (SLP).

Speech pathologists also work with people who have difficulty swallowing food or drink to help them stay safe while eating.

This article examines the important work that speech pathologists do as part of a rehabilitation team of professionals. You will learn what conditions they treat and when you should seek out the services of an SLP.

What a Speech Pathologist Does

A speech pathologist is a trained medical professional who works with patients who are injured or ill and are having difficulty speaking or swallowing. They work to prevent, assess, and treat these disorders in adults and children.

Speech pathologists help people communicate, and this may involve:

• Expressive communication : The ability to communicate verbally and nonverbally
• Receptive communication : The ability to understand verbal and nonverbal communications

Some speech therapists work closely with audiologists (healthcare professionals who treat hearing and balance problems) to ensure that you can hear and understand language correctly. Others work with otolaryngologists , also called ear, nose, and throat physicians (ENTs), to help patients swallow food and drink safely and to assist patients with oral motor function.

Common Specialty Areas

Some speech pathologists have a more generalized practice, while others have a more narrow focus on specific areas or problems such as:

• Social communication
• Voice and vocal hygiene
• Speech sound disorders

Some of the official certifications that a speech pathologist may receive include:

•  Intraoperative monitoring
•  Fluency disorders
•  Swallowing and feeding disorders
•  Child language disorders

Speech pathologists seeking specialty certification have to meet education, experience, and clinical practice requirements as established by independent specialty certification boards.

Where Speech Therapists Work

There are a variety of settings in which speech pathologists work. This may include:

• Schools: Speech therapists working in schools help children with speech disorders learn to overcome their communication challenges.
• Nursing homes: Speech therapists in nursing homes help patients with dementia or communication issues caused by other conditions like stroke learn communication strategies. They also work with staff on ways to help residents communicate more effectively.
• Hospitals: A speech pathologist working in a hospital may help diagnose and treat language communication problems and swallowing disorders in hospitalized patients. 
• Private practices: Speech pathologists may also work in private practices where they may specialize in one or more language problems or health conditions in specific populations.

Speech pathologists can also work as educators in colleges and universities, and they may be involved in research.

Conditions Speech Therapists Treat

Speech pathologists work with people of various ages and with a variety of conditions. They sometimes work with young children who are having problems speaking properly, or they may help older adults with cognitive communication (communication that is affected by memory, attention, organization, and problem-solving, which are examples of executive functioning ).

A stroke can cause damage to the part of the brain responsible for language and communication. Depending on the extent of the stroke, this loss of ability may be short-term or long-term. A speech pathologist can help someone who is recovering from a stroke regain their ability to speak and understand language.

What is aphasia?

Aphasia is a condition of the brain that affects how you communicate with others. It is caused by damage to the part of the brain responsible for language and can affect your ability to speak and understand what is being said.

Hearing Loss

A speech pathologist may work with other professionals such as audiologists and ENTs to help assess, manage, and treat someone with hearing loss. Some of the things a speech pathologist might do to help someone with hearing loss include evaluating the person's speech, helping them improve listening skills, and working with them to develop alternative communication strategies.

Vocal Damage

Vocal cords can become damaged in various ways including persistent coughing and voice overuse. A speech pathologist can teach you muscle strengthing and voice rehabilitation excercises and other strategies to help your vocal cords heal (such as cough modification). 

English Language Learners

If you are learning a new language and wish to alter your accent, you may benefit from the services of a speech-language pathologist, as well. They can help you form words and sounds correctly to alter your normal speech in learning a new language.

Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic brain injury after a blow to the head or an accident that affects the parts of the brain that control language can also lead to problems with communication. A speech therapist can help someone with this type of injury recover lost speech and language skills.

Swallowing Disorders

Dysphagia is the medical term for difficulty swallowing. It can be caused by several different medical conditions including muscular problems, a narrowed esophagus, damage caused by gastroesophageal reflux disease, or esophageal cancer. 

Untreated dysphagia can lead to problems eating and drinking including choking. A speech pathologist can help you develop strategies for safe chewing and swallowing, including exercises, correct body position, and food preparation recommendations. 

People with autism can have difficulty with both written and spoken communication as well as body-language forms of communication such as pointing and waving. Autism is also associated with difficulties relating to and socializing with other people. 

A speech pathologist can help people with autism understand communication norms and improve their written and spoken communication skills. They can also work with the families of people with autism on strategies that can help develop communication skills.

Alzheimer's Disease

People with dementia or Alzheimer's disease may develop communication problems as the disease progresses. A speech therapist can help the person develop memory skills and other strategies that will help them communicate.

Speech pathologists also work with the family and caregivers of people with dementia so they can help the person implement communication tools and strategies.   

Fluency Disorders

Fluency disorder describes speech patterns characterized by differences in rate and rhythm compared to how most people speak. 

Stuttering is the most common example of a fluency disorder. Another example is cluttering, which describes speech that is atypically fast and irregular.

Speech pathologists usually develop an individualized treatment plan for someone with a fluency disorder, which may include strategies such as:

• Minimizing negative reactions to the problem
• Increasing the person's acceptance of the problem
• Improving confidence
• Reducing avoidance behavior

Speech Sound Disorders

Speech sound disorders describe problems articulating words. People with speech sound disorders may be hard for others to understand. This can result in problems with social relationships, at work, or at school. 

Speech sound disorders are common in childhood and can be treated with the help of a speech pathologist. The pathologist will look at how the person moves their tongue, lips and jaw and help them learn the correct way to make sounds. 

People with speech sound disorders often have other problems with language; their speech therapist can also help them develop strategies to overcome these problems.

Gender-Affirming Voice Therapy

Voice therapy for transgender people can be an important part of gender-affirming healthcare. Learning to speak in ways that align with gender identity can improve a transgender person's quality of life as well as their social and psychological well-being.

A speech pathologist can help a transgender person learn to modify the pitch of their voice in ways that limit fatigue and damage to the vocal cords. They can also help the person learn nonverbal communication, articulation, and other strategies that can help their voice align with their gender identity.

To be a speech pathologist, a person must have a master's degree in communication disorders from a program accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA).

Many undergraduate and graduate programs in speech pathology require time spent observing a speech therapist at work prior to admission. This satisfies the requirement for entry into school and provides a good understanding of what a speech pathologist's job is like.

The first year of work as a speech therapist is called a clinical fellowship year. During this time, aspiring speech pathologists will work under the supervision of a licensed speech pathologist.

Additional steps to becoming a speech pathologist include:

• Obtaining a certificate of clinical competence in SLP (CCC-SLP)
• Passing a national Praxis examination for Speech-Language Pathology
• Applying for SLP licensure in the state in which you will be working

A speech pathologist's education does not end when they leave school and pass the national examination. They must also fulfill continuing education requirements from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) to maintain their license.

When to See a Speech Pathologist

There are certain instances in which you may need to see a speech pathologist. For example, parents commonly notice small speech or language impairments in their children and seek out an SLP.

Adults may want to work with a speech pathologist to help with new or existing communication or language problems.

If you become hospitalized, you may have a speech pathologist come to your room and work with you at your bedside. They can help you with speech and language, swallowing and diet issues, and can work with other members of a rehab team to ensure that it is safe and appropriate for you to return home.

When to see a medical professional

Many speech and language disorders benefit from the help of a speech therapist, but some are more urgent than others. Any sudden onset of impaired speech should be considered an emergency, as the person may be experiencing a life-threatening problem such as a stroke.

Children should be closely monitored for speech and language development. If your child does not have the language skills expected for their age, it is a good idea to see a speech pathologist as soon as you can.

If you or a loved one is having trouble communicating or understanding language, then working with a speech pathologist may be a good idea.

SLPs treat children and adults with a variety of conditions, including Alzheimer's disease, stroke, neurological injuries, autism, and more. They are trained to assess your condition and offer strategies to improve your expressive and receptive communication and swallowing function.

Pascoe A, Breen LJ, Cocks N. What is needed to prepare speech pathologists to work in adult palliative care?: What is needed to prepare SPs to work in adult palliative care? .  International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders . 2018;53(3):542-549. doi:10.1111/1460-6984.12367

American Speech Language Hearing Association. Who are speech pathologists, and what do they do? .

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Social communication .

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Speech sound disorders .

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Clinical specialty certification .

Reilly S, Harper M, Goldfeld S. The demand for speech pathology services for children: Do we need more or just different? . J Paediatr Child Health . 2016;52(12):1057-1061. doi:10.1111/jpc.13318

National Aphasia Association. Stroke .

Johns Hopkins Medicine. Aphasia .

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Hearing loss in adults .

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Autism (autism spectrum disorder) .

Alzheimer's Association. Strategies to support changes in memory, language and behavior in the early stages of dementia .

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Fluency disorders .

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Gender-affirming voice therapy advocacy .

SpeechPathologyGraduatePrograms.org. How to become a speech pathologist .

Johns Hopkins Medicine. Identifying speech and language concerns about your child and when should you seek help?  

Salary.com. Speech Pathologist Salary in the United States .

By Brett Sears, PT Brett Sears, PT, MDT, is a physical therapist with over 20 years of experience in orthopedic and hospital-based therapy.

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speech therapy

Definition of speech therapy

Examples of speech therapy in a sentence.

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'speech therapy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

1912, in the meaning defined above

Dictionary Entries Near speech therapy

speech stretcher

Cite this Entry

“Speech therapy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/speech%20therapy. Accessed 28 Apr. 2024.

Medical Definition

Medical definition of speech therapy.

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• Speech and language therapy

What is speech and language therapy?

Back to Speech and language therapy

Page content

What do speech and language therapists do, who do speech and language therapists work with, where do speech and language therapists work, speech and language therapy research.

• Speech and language therapy assistants/support workers

Speech and language therapy provides treatment, support and care for children and adults who have difficulties with communication, or with eating, drinking and swallowing.

Speech and language therapists (SLTs) are allied health professionals. They work with parents, carers and other professionals, such as teachers, nurses, occupational therapists and doctors.

There are over 18,300 practising SLTs in the UK working in a variety of settings .

• Download our What is speech and language therapy? factsheet (PDF) .
• See the  Welsh language version of this page.

Speech and language therapists provide treatment, support and care for people of all ages who have difficulties with speech, language, communication, eating, drinking and swallowing.

Using specialist skills, SLTs work directly with clients and their carers to assess, treat and provide them with tailored support.

They also work closely with teachers and other health professionals, such as doctors, nurses, other allied health professionals and psychologists to develop individual treatment programmes.

Watch our video on becoming an SLT

Speech and language therapists work with people of all ages with a range of communication, eating or swallowing difficulties.

Babies and children

SLTs babies with feeding and swallowing difficulties.

They support children with:

• Autism/social interaction difficulties
• Cleft palate
• Language delay
• Language disorders
• Learning difficulties  – mild, moderate or severe
• Physical disabilities
• Selective mutism
• Specific difficulties in producing sounds
• Voice disorders

SLTs can help adults who have communication or eating and swallowing problems, including those that are a result of neurological impairments and degenerative conditions, for example:

• Brain injury
• Parksinon’s disease
• Head and neck cancer
• Learning disabilities
• Mental health (adults)

Full list of topic pages

Visit our clinical information A to Z for information on the full range of areas an SLT may work in.

SLTs work all kinds of settings including education , justice and children’s services , in the NHS or as an independent/private speech and language therapist.

They work in all settings within the NHS, from acute adult wards to providing services to children within local schools, from general services to highly specialist settings.

How much do speech therapists earn in the NHS?

Visit the NHS careers website for information on pay scales.

Speech and language therapy is a research-active profession, with SLTs taking an evidence-based approach to practice.

Many SLTs may choose to undertake research as part of their career, for example by studying for a master’s or PhD, or they may use their clinical work to investigate research questions by collecting data on patient/client outcomes following a particular intervention.

Research evidence is taken into consideration by a SLT, alongside a patient’s/client’s, or family member’s preferences for their care and appraised in light of a SLT’s clinical expertise to deliver meaningful and effective speech and language therapy – this is the basis of evidence-based practice (or EBP).

How the RCSLT supports research

The RCSLT helps SLTs to access and understand the latest and best evidence about ways of working with people with speech, language, communication and swallowing difficulties. For example, six times a year our journal, the International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders publishes the latest research undertaken in these areas.

We are carrying out a  research priority setting project to identify the top most important areas that require further research in speech and language therapy as agreed upon by a range of stakeholders, including people with speech, language, communication and swallowing difficulties.

You can view our research priorities for  dysphagia , learning disabilities and developmental language disorders .

Speech and language therapy support workers

The speech and language therapy support workforce is an integral part of speech and language therapy services. Currently there is no set academic requirement in order to become a support worker, instead there will be local requirements for these roles.

The best way to find support worker/assistant roles within the NHS is to check the NHS jobs website  or to approach services directly to enquire about vacancies.

Visit our support workers hub to learn more about the role.

Related content

• Learning and development
• Professional guidance

Become a speech and language therapist

Explore the different routes to becoming a speech and language therapist

How to find a speech and language therapist

Details on how you can find a speech and language therapist

Where speech and language therapists work

Explore the different settings SLTs work to learn about the varied roles

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Rave wake and Stalin’s speech: the most unusual events in the Moscow Metro

1. Library, maternity ward and speech hall during the Great Patriotic War

"I stop by almost daily. Not because this station’s on the way home, but to have time to read newspapers and other literature... The only drawbacks are the circulating air from the moving trains and the continuous flow of passengers,” civil engineer Bogdanov (first name unknown) described Kurskaya metro station in the first year of the Great Patriotic War.

By the time the war came to the Soviet Union in 1941, three metro lines had been built. During the bombing of Moscow, residents sought shelter there. It’s hard to imagine now, but during the war the Metro operated 24/7 — trains carried passengers by day, and stations became shelters by night.

The stations were equipped with toilets and water fountains, as well as loungers and cots for people and babies to sleep in. Women with infants, the elderly and the disabled spent the night in carriages, according to historical documents available on the website of the mayor of Moscow. 

Speech by I. Stalin with a report dedicated to the 24th anniversary of the VOSR at the solemn meeting of the Moscow City Council. Mayakovskaya metro station, November 6, 1941

In some stations, people received medical treatment, including the delivery of babies; shops and hairdressers also operated. Children were given DIY lessons and taught how to sew and draw; while film screenings, concerts and historical exhibitions were organized for adults. 

Even Stalin himself descended there on November 6, 1941, to deliver a speech at Mayakovskaya station before the Moscow City Council of Deputies. In preparation for his arrival, the floor was carpeted and a rostrum installed, and the commander-in-chief’s portrait was hung on the wall in front of the bust of Lenin. The speech was followed by a buffet — guests were treated to beer, bread-rings and sandwiches inside the rail cars. 

READ MORE: What went down in the Moscow Metro during WWII? (PHOTOS)

2. Launch of Ptyuch magazine at Krasniye Vorota

Ptyuch magazine presentation at Krasnye Vorota station of Moscow Metro, 1994

Disposable cups and plates with leftovers were scattered on the escalators, nearby were young people — some wearing windbreakers, some in denim, some in printed T-shirts, some in suits. 

Sounds like a trendy rave, but this is how the glossy magazine, Ptyuch, was launched in 1994 — right inside Moscow’s Krasnye Vorota metro station. Appropriately enough, the magazine covered mostly techno music and shock-jock stories about raves, including from the eponymous club in Moscow, owned by the same person as the magazine. The front cover was often adorned by androgynous models, transvestites, designers and musicians. 

Even by today’s standards, Ptyuch was radical. “It printed images of urinating boys with non-child size members, and used curse words liberally. I'll never forget the cover title: GO F*** YOURSELF. And then the cover girl might calmly declare: ‘Drugs are a permanent part of my life,’” is what former contributor Maxim Semelyak has to say about the magazine. 

Ptyuch was closed down in 2003, after the wildness of the 90s had subsided. According to journalist Dmitry Mishenin, the magazine should have “called time before the turn of the millennium when it was still a not-young, but still smoking hot chick.” Nevertheless, the memory of its equally smoking hot launch in the subway lives on forever.

3. Italian opera at Kropotkinskaya

Performance of the Italian composer Pietro Mascagni's opera "Rural Honor" during the night opera concert at the metro station "Kropotkinskaya"

The Moscow Metro usually runs till 1 a.m., when the last handful of passengers can be seen dashing to catch the last train.

But on the night of May 14, 2016, a whole crowd gathered at Kropotkinskaya metro station, where the platform had been converted into a mini-stage for a 170-strong choir.

Italian Opera at Kropotkinskaya

The Moscow Metro was celebrating its 81st anniversary, and subway employees were treated to a performance of Pietro Mascagni's opera, Rural Honor, by the Russian Presidential Orchestra, replete with conductors and five opera soloists. One of the solo parts was performed by the Danish Royal Opera prima donna, Natalia Leontyeva. “During World War II, my mother hid from the bombing in this very station,” said Leontyeva. A symphony orchestra had performed at the same station in 2010, but the opera in 2016 was the largest event in the Metro’s history. 

4. Fashion show at a depot

Givenchy Fashion show at the Moscow Metro Sokol metro station depot

Police officers stand guard while contented, luxuriously fur-coated passengers are served champagne by waiters right inside the moving train. The train pulls into the station, where the platform is decked with several rows of chairs and a podium on which models are about to begin strutting to music, as if in the TV series Sex and the City.

That is how, in 1997, Givenchy put on a show in Moscow at the Sokol metro station depot, attended in person by Alexander McQueen, who also came to visit his own boutique in GUM. According to Kommersant newspaper , McQueen declined to appear on the catwalk, preferring to observe the reaction of guests from the sidelines. 

Show of the collection of fashion designer Alexander Terekhov on the platform of the metro station "Dostoevskaya". 2016

It was 2016 before the Moscow Metro hosted another fashion show, this time by Alexander Terekhov at Dostoevskaya station. There was no catwalk this time. Instead, the models walked up and down the lobby’s slippery marble floor. 

A model showcases creations during a catwalk show for a collection by the Section pop-up store as part of the 42nd edition of the Moscow Fashion Week, at Delovoi Tsentr station of the Moscow Underground

Shows by several Russian designers were held in 2019 at Delovoy Tsentr station, timed to coincide with the start of Moscow Fashion Week. The models descended directly down the escalator to the sound of train wheels as a “musical” accompaniment.

5. Funeral wake on the Circle Line

A topless woman sits in a subway carriage and eats something like Olivier salad with a fork, posing for the camera. In the foreground is a vodka-laden festive table at which both men and women sit. They’re all eating and drinking right in the rail car, without clinking glasses. Some recite poetry in unison, others sing songs to the strains of a guitar. Newly arrived guests are also treated to food and drink; there is not a policeman in sight.

At one point, one of the men says, “Thank you, we’ve done the Circle Line.” Everyone prepares to get off the train, leaving the table inside the carriage.

https://plucer.livejournal.com/CC BY-NC-ND 3.0

“Aren’t we taking the table?? There’s no way I’m going without it!” says one of the women. But she has no time to grab it as the doors close and the train with leftovers rolls off. 

This is not some random party, but a wake held by the art group, Voina (War), 40 days after the death of avant-garde Russian writer and poet Dmitry Prigov, which took place on the night of August 24-25, 2007. In his honor, the performance artists rode around the Circle Line of the Moscow Metro. During his lifetime, Prigov was known for staging unusual performances, one of his most memorable being the media opera Russia, in which he tried to teach a cat to pronounce the name of the country. 

“Before the start, we wondered how many stations we’d go through before the police got us. Incredibly, not a single policeman entered our carriage, and that’s despite the fact that all rail cars on the Circle Line are equipped with surveillance cameras,” the Plucer blog quotes the words of participant Oleg Vorotnikov.

If using any of Russia Beyond's content, partly or in full, always provide an active hyperlink to the original material.

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• The COMPLETE Moscow Metro FAQ guide
• Hollywood stars in the Moscow metro (PHOTOS)
• 5 GHOST stations of the Moscow Metro

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[ mos -koh -kou ]

• Russian Moskva . a city in and the capital of the Russian Federation, in the W part: capital of the former Soviet Union.
• Also called Grand Duchy of Moscow. Muscovy ( def 1 ) .
• a city in W Idaho.

/ ˈmɒskəʊ /

• the capital of Russia and of the Moscow Autonomous Region, on the Moskva River: dates from the 11th century; capital of the grand duchy of Russia from 1547 to 1712; capital of the Soviet Union 1918–91; centres on the medieval Kremlin; chief political, cultural, and industrial centre of Russia, with two universities. Pop: 10 672 000 (2005 est) Russian nameMoskva Muscovite
• Capital and largest city of Russia , located in the west-central region on the Moscow River; Russia's economic and cultural center.

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Example sentences.

Shultz’s efforts on the Soviet Union were aided by first lady Nancy Reagan, who also urged her husband to make what became known as “the turn” in policy toward Moscow.

Victoria Ivleva, 61, a photojournalist in Moscow, who also protested, says that in the mid-1990s Russia was “nearly a free country… you could say and do whatever you wanted”.

In Moscow, the Soviets celebrated their latest space victory over America.

In the 2019 Moscow city elections—the first vote targeted by “smart voting”—the ruling party lost a third of its seats on the city council and saw its majority slashed to only five.

In certain metropolitan areas like London and Moscow, Gett provides transportation services directly.

The Moscow protest was not sanctioned, which meant every participant risked arrest.

Kirill represented the Moscow Patriarchate at the World Council of Churches in the early 1970s.

“He literally went underground to hold services,” Moscow-based dissident and journalist Victor Davidoff said in an email.

On May 9, which Moscow commemorates as World War II “Victory Day,” Klaus paid a highly visible visit to the Russian Embassy.

Washington cannot let others—whether in Pyongyang or Beijing or Moscow, or Tehran—decide what Americans read or watch.

Moscow burnt by the Tartars, who had surrounded the city, and set it on fire at all points.

It was with great disapprobation that he heard Napoleon accept Caulaincourt's advice, and determine to advance to Moscow.

His corps bore its share in the horrors of the retreat from Moscow, forming for some time the rear guard.

He began his systematic musical education in 1860, at Moscow, under the guidance of Dubuque.

His unusual powers were first recognised when he succeeded in founding the Moscow Conservatoire.