Why see a neuro SLT?

I am very much aware that when I visit someone for the first time, they may have had limited experience of speech and language therapy beforehand. Someone who has need for speech and language therapy as an adult is often in the situation of having a new health condition such as stroke, Parkinson’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis. Up to that point, they may have heard of speech therapy, but many people are surprised to find out exactly what our job involves.

In the world of neurorehabilitation and speech and language therapy, these are the main areas we will assess and provide input for:

·       Speech changes: this refers to speech that is slurred, unclear, too loud or quiet—for example, someone may have difficulty pronouncing certain words or may speak in a monotone voice. These changes often occur because the muscles controlling our lips, tongue, and vocal cords become weaker or less coordinated, which affects how clearly and effectively we can speak. This is called dysarthria.

·       Language changes: this covers a wide range of possible changes. A person may describe difficulties in “getting the right word”, understanding what others say, or difficulties reading and writing. These are all associated with changes in the parts of our brain that control these functions. This is called aphasia.

o   It’s worth pointing out here that language changes can be closely tied with changes in our thinking skills, and when a speech and language therapist is assessing language they are also going to be looking for the possibility that such changes are having an additional impact.

·       Swallowing changes: many people with neurological conditions can have difficulties chewing food, safely swallowing food or drinks, or have the feeling of things getting stuck in the throat. This is called dysphagia. While our job title doesn’t reflect it, if you are experiencing these issues, seeing a speech and language therapist means you’re seeing the best healthcare professional to assess and guide you to reduce these difficulties. 

Perhaps you are surprised to read about the broad range of issues speech and language therapists are able to assess and offer therapy for? You are not alone in that response!

It is also possible for someone to be experiencing difficulties across more than one of these areas. For example, someone’s speech may be slurred or slow and they also have difficulties managing to take a drink easily. So, even if you see a speech and language therapist because of your communication, don’t be surprised if they check in on how you’re managing eating and drinking.

Over time, I’ll explore each area of difficulty in more detail with separate blog posts. Hopefully at this point, you have read this brief introduction in the core areas of speech and language therapy and feel a growing confidence that if any of the difficulties covered sit close to home for you, there is a profession dedicated to supporting you.