Functional Activities for Speech Therapists

Speech therapists, or speech-language pathologists, work with children who have speech-related disorders. They also provide screening, consultation, assessment, diagnosis, treatment, management and counseling services for children and adults. Many therapists work with the deaf and hearing impaired children and adults. Speech therapists also help adults and children with craniofacial anomalies that affect vocalization. Generally, a speech pathologist's work involves assessment, treatment and prevention of speech disorders. Therapy frequently involves functional activities designed to improve vocalization and cognition.

Vocalization and Articulation Activities

• Vocalization and articulation of language involves phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and social aspects of communication. People who cannot make sounds or cannot make speech sounds clearly are helped by a speech-language pathologist. Those with fluency or rhythm problems like stuttering are also helped by speech therapists. Traditional speech therapy for children involves helping the child to identify the standard sound and discriminate the standard sounds by comparison, and then correcting the different variations until the standard sound is reproduced by the child. This is accomplished and the results strengthened by engaging the child in games, songs and other vocal games.

Computer Learning Programs and DVDs

• Speech therapists often use interactive computer learning programs and DVDs to help children with their speech development. VideoVoice.com is a site that incorporates video games with functional activities that are fun and engaging. Voice recognition software requires the child to articulate game commands and instructions. Each computer game is designed as a therapeutic aid for voice pitch, volume, duration, articulation, rhythm or any combination of these speech elements. A preliminary study by speech therapists at Media Technology has shown that children respond positively to voice recognition computer games.

Cognitive Communication Activities

• Comprehension is a critical part of oral communication. The speech therapist might engage a child in functional language activities that involve cognition, social interaction, and oral development. Language involves not only the sounds we make (expressive), but the understanding of what those sounds mean (receptive). A functional activity that a speech therapist might employ to help develop cognitive communication includes memory and problem-solving language games.

  Functional activities, suggested by Minnesota State University, to improve expressive communication and receptive communication can include "What Happens Next?" This game involves the therapist starting a story, and then asking the child to tell what happens next. Sometimes children may have difficulty learning the meanings of new words and how to use words appropriately. Speech therapy can help children with cognitive language development. "Pass the Ball" is a fun game for children. The child and the therapist take turns passing a ball back and forth. Each has to think of a new word and correctly articulate the word before they can pass the ball back. This then can be expanded to include the game What Happens Next?

Familiar Games

• Functional activities for speech therapists include flash cards, interactive lessons centered around a craft or other hands-on activity, and play-based activity. Children enjoy card games like "Go Fish" and it works well to help the child learn to articulate sounds. In Go Fish, the child and the therapist take turns asking whether the other player has a particular card that matches one in their hand. "Concentration" is often played in a way that the child says the name of the object on the card when she turns it over. This is a good functional activity, because the child incorporates memory development in the activity.

Speech Therapy for Adults

• Speech therapy for adults may be in the home, an institutional or rehabilitative setting. Some adults are likely to feel embarrassed about their speech impairment, so a private setting like the home is sometimes the better choice. Adults who have suffered a stroke or accident that impairs their speech may also need physical therapy in conjunction with speech therapy. The muscles that are used when a person speaks sometimes need to be "trained" to produce the sounds that make up parts of speech. For adults, therapy often involves the traditional articulation therapy and repetitive activities focusing on one or two sounds. People who have suffered a stroke or accident will require speech therapy to strengthen the muscles of the mouth, tongue and lips.