We have often heard from patients referred by physicians, “I don’t know what speech therapy can do for me, I don’t have any difficulty talking.” However, speech therapy intervention for adults encompasses a wide range of disorders impacting communication, voice, cognitive and swallowing disorders. This may result from conditions like stroke, brain injury, neurological disorders, or age-related issues. The goal of speech therapy is to improve quality of life by enhancing speech, language, cognitive-communication, and swallowing abilities.

Here are the key areas of focus in adult speech therapy at South Tampa Voice Therapy:

1. Voice Disorders

• Voice Disorders: For those who have been experiencing hoarseness, change in vocal quality and difficulty making themselves heard, speech therapists collaborate with ENTs and other physicians to assist in diagnosing the cause. Therapy focuses on improving vocal quality, pitch, volume, and resonance for people with voice disorders. This can occur after surgery, trauma, or overuse. Therapy can also address voice modification to sound more effective at work. Voice intervention also assists with gender congruent voice.

2. Swallowing Disorders (Dysphagia)

• Oral Motor Exercises: For adults with difficulty swallowing (dysphagia), speech therapy often includes strengthening exercises for the muscles used in swallowing.
• Safe Swallowing Techniques: Therapists teach patients strategies to swallow more safely and effectively, such as changing eating posture, taking smaller bites, or using specific swallowing maneuvers to avoid aspiration (food entering the airway).
• Dietary Recommendations: Based on the swallowing evaluation, speech therapists may work with other healthcare providers to adjust a patient’s diet to include easier-to-swallow foods or liquids, such as pureed foods or thickened liquids.

3. Articulation Disorders

Therapy to help improve the clarity of speech, particularly for individuals who have difficulty pronouncing sounds correctly such as after a stroke, Parkinson’s, or brain injury. This may include those with slurred speech, effortful production, or uncoordinated speech patterns. 

4. Language Disorders

• Aphasia: A common result of brain injuries or strokes, aphasia affects a person’s ability to produce or understand language. Speech therapists work on improving language skills, including speaking, understanding, reading, and writing. Different types of aphasia (e.g., expressive, receptive) require different approaches.
• Receptive Language: For individuals who have difficulty understanding spoken or written language, therapy can include exercises to improve comprehension skills, such as identifying words, following directions, or reading.
• Expressive Language: This involves improving the ability to form words, sentences, and ideas. Exercises may focus on word retrieval, sentence formation, or improving conversational skills.

5. Cognitive-Communication Disorders

• Memory: Speech therapists work on strategies to improve short-term and long-term memory, helping adults recall names, appointments, and daily tasks. Techniques like repetition, association, and external memory aids may be used.
• Attention: Therapy can include exercises to improve focus, concentration, and multitasking, which may be affected by conditions such as dementia or brain injuries.
• Executive Function: This includes working on skills such as problem-solving, planning, and organizing thoughts. For individuals who struggle with these skills, therapy might involve tasks that help improve cognitive flexibility and decision-making.

6. Social Communication Skills

• For adults who have difficulty with conversation due to a neurological condition (e.g., dementia or Parkinson’s disease), speech therapists help improve social interaction skills. This can include turn-taking, maintaining eye contact, staying on topic, and understanding nonverbal cues.

7. Parkinson’s Disease and Other Neurological Conditions

• Therapy may involve exercises and strategies specifically designed for conditions like Parkinson’s disease, where speech may become softer, slower, and less clear (a condition known as hypokinetic dysarthria). Techniques like the Speak OUT! approach and LSVT focus on improving voice strength and clarity for effective communication.
• Cognitive-Communication for Dementia: Therapy can help adults with dementia work on memory, word-finding, and maintaining daily routines, along with strategies for compensating for cognitive deficits.

8. Multidisciplinary Approach

• Speech therapists often work in coordination with other healthcare professionals (e.g. ear, nose and throat doctors, neurologists, pulmonologists, GI doctors, primary care doctors) to provide comprehensive care for adults with complex needs, ensuring that speech therapy integrates well with the patient’s overall treatment plan.

Conclusion

Speech therapy for adults is tailored to meet the specific needs of the individual and includes much more than the sound of someone’s speech. Depending on the condition and the severity of the disorder, therapy may focus on improving communication skills, addressing swallowing issues, or enhancing cognitive abilities. With appropriate interventions, many adults can achieve significant improvements in their ability to communicate, eat, and engage socially. 

About the Author: Cara Bryan, MA, CCC-SLP, is a speech-language pathologist and voice specialist in Tampa, Florida. She evaluates and rehabilitates voice, communication difficulties, cognitive disorders, upper airway disorders and swallowing difficulties at her private practice, South Tampa Voice Therapy. Cara is a classically trained soprano with a major in vocal performance from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has spent her career working in medical speech pathology in the hospital setting, ENT offices, and now in private practice. Cara mentors on voice, upper airway, business and private practice through www.southtampavoicetherapy.com. You can follow her on Instagram and FaceBook.