Relationship

Speech and Language Pathology in a Hearing Center

Many people who have decreased hearing also experience speech problems. Because of this, speech-language pathology is often offered as part of a hearing center’s treatment regimen. Language impairment affects approximately 8 to 9 percent of the US population, and many of these impairments have no known cause. However, doctors and researchers have discovered that the problem is often related to hearing loss.

Because many people who cannot hear well never learn to pronounce words correctly, they can develop a speech impediment based on how they think words should sound. Sometimes your hearing can be so impaired that it causes a very serious speech disorder, such as stuttering or slurred speech.

Therefore, a hearing center will often have several speech pathologists available as part of a multidisciplinary effort to treat the many effects that hearing perception loss can have. This is especially important for children who have impaired hearing. At a young age, it will be easier to treat their speech problems and teach them correct pronunciation and syntax. Treating and correcting your speech impediment can lead to better social skills, better self-esteem, and better academic performance.

Treating children’s speech impediments is just as important for another reason. When a noticeable speech impediment develops very early in life, it probably means that the effect of the underlying problem on the child’s development will be much more severe than if the impediment developed later in life. In the case of an auditory perception problem, this could mean severe limitation or even total loss of hearing for the child. Speech-language pathologists are an important part of the diagnostic process to determine what role, if any, a child’s ears play in the speech impediment.

Speech-language pathologists who work in a hearing center are especially important in treating people with auditory processing disorder. This disorder is technically a problem with the ability to hear. However, it is not the ear that is malfunctioning, but the brain’s ability to process and understand sounds. When a patient is affected by an auditory processing disorder, an audiologist alone will not be able to treat the problem. Once again, it will take a multidisciplinary effort to get to the root of the matter. A speech-language pathologist is a necessary part of this team, as correction of the incorrect speech patterns that have developed will be an integral part of the necessary treatment.

Speech-language pathologists who work in a hearing center can provide a wide range of services to children and adults with speech problems. They may assess patients by performing speech tests and asking questions about the patient’s medical and family history. They can then provide a series of treatments, as well as follow-up counseling and consultations to make sure the problem hasn’t recurred.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *