The 6 main branches of Speech Therapy

The ability to communicate effectively and efficiently it is something essential in a gregarious and social being like the human being. Communicating helps us to transfer and express our thoughts, knowledge, emotions and intentions to the rest of the world, and their correct emission and reception can have a great effect on the Social.

We learn to speak, read and write throughout our lives, but for various reasons sometimes such learning is not carried out properly or is influenced or altered by some kind of problematic. That is why it is necessary for there to be professionals who contribute to improving the situation of those whose skills have been altered or reduced.

One of the professionals who are in charge of this is the one belonging to the field of speech therapy. However, this discipline covers a large number of different populations and situations, something that makes it possible to observe in practice different branches of speech therapy. Let's see what they are.

• Related article: "The 8 types of speech disorders"

What is Speech Therapy?

Before entering to focus on the different branches or outputs that speech therapy may have, it is pertinent to make a brief mention of what speech therapy is and what its objective is.

Speech therapy is a scientific discipline of a sanitary and socio-sanitary nature which is dedicated to the study of human speech and communication and of the set of organs and elements of the human body linked to these functions. Although communication is one of its main objectives, it also works with aspects such as breathing, eating or even auditory perception.

It is a branch of science that aims to prevent, detect and diagnose, evaluate and treat disorders and problems at the level of oral communication as well as enhancing and optimizing these capacities at the bucofonatorio level.

Thus, we are facing a discipline that, although based on firm theoretical foundations, focuses especially on the practical exercise of its functions in different contexts, in a healthcare manner.

Although speech therapy is a health discipline, it must be borne in mind that the people who practice as such are not doctors, but professionals directly trained in this sector. This implies that the speech therapist does not prescribe drugs nor does it carry out medical or surgical interventions, but rather carries out its professional performance from a fundamentally behavioral, educational and psychopedagogical perspective.

Some of the techniques they use are language therapies, practice of oral exercises and learning of psychoeducational guidelines focused on the improvement and / or rehabilitation of the expressive / comprehensive abilities of the subject. Elements such as articulation, posture, resonances, voice projection or rhythmicity are worked on.

Likewise, although speech therapy is socially identified as a profession focused on the infant stage, the truth is that this is not the only field of work.

It can be worked with people of all ages and conditions, such as adults with aphasia or communication problems that may stem from brain diseases or injuries, acquired problems or problems that have not been treated in the youth (for example dysphemia or stuttering) or even in dementias (in which it helps to maintain and preserve the functions of the language).

Different branches of Speech Therapy

Speech therapy is a profession that focuses, as we have seen, on the functioning of the audiophonatory and maxillofacial system and on specifically in language and communication (although aspects such as breathing and chewing).

But the truth is that not all speech therapy professionals are in charge of or focus on all aspects of this profession and / or all types of population: there are various specializations and branches of speech therapy, some of which we will see below.

1. Children's speech therapy

As we have indicated previously, language and communication problems do not occur only in childhood, but still the stage of child and adolescent development is one of those that receives the most attention and one of the most well-known branches or specializations.

In this sense, speech therapy professionals who specialize in this sector of the population usually attend to cases of dysphasias, joint problems or dyslalias have an organic cause (for example cleft lip) or are functional (learning and causes psychological).

It is common for them to treat cases of specific language disorder, stuttering or dyslexia, or even working with children who suffer from problems such as autism, ADHD or intellectual disability (at the oral and communication level). Its role is usually preventive in order to avoid possible problems or even reduce the affectation that a language alteration may have throughout its development.

2. School speech therapy

One of the areas in which language and communication problems are usually detected is at school. In this sense, it is essential and of great interest that there are psychopedagogues and speech therapists who can evaluate the child's language, their development of this ability or incorporate individualized plans or specific programs that can contribute to improving the situation of the child in question.

In this case it is also common for professionals to focus on problems such as dyslalias, mutism, dysphonia, stuttering or dyslexia. Also in intellectual disability or autism. Last but not least, the school speech therapist may have to evaluate and enhance the oral communication skills of children with sensory disabilities, especially in the case of deafness.

3. Clinical speech therapy

Another of the main branches of speech therapy, far removed from the school environment, is clinical speech therapy. In this sense, in addition to minors, clinical speech therapists often work with adults with speech or word articulation problems.

Among the different difficulties they may encounter, they may have to deal with people with harsh speech (for example, anxious problems), language problems derived from psychopathologies (for example in the case of negative symptoms of schizophrenia), stuttering, nerve or muscle diseases, brain injuries, tumors, paralysis or even dementias.

• You may be interested: "Stuttering (dysphemia): symptoms, types, causes and treatment"

4. Geriatric speech therapy

Another age group that may require speech therapy care is the elderly.

With age the faculties for expression and communication may diminish. It is also common for it to be at these ages that neurodegenerative diseases such as dementias or cerebrovascular accidents appear, something that means that in practice it is not It is infrequent for professionals in this sector to work with problems similar to those of neurology pediatrics (although in this case they do not always have to be faced with a disease neurological).

5. Neurologist

This branch or specialty of speech therapy incorporates in addition to the usual knowledge among generalist speech therapists knowledge regarding the functioning of the nervous system and various neurological disorders, in addition to notions of neuropsychology.

Here the focus of attention is placed on language difficulties originating from specific neurological injuries or diseases, in order to improve the quality of life of patients and in the event of a neurodegenerative disorder, try to preserve their abilities as much as possible.

6. Speech therapist specializing in voice disorders and voice reeducation

Speech therapy is usually associated with our oral communication, but within this category there are many aspects that it is possible to work on. Within them is the voice, which may be altered in people with aphonia or respiratory problems, among others, regardless of their pronunciation or articulation. In this sense, there is a specialization or branch of speech therapy focused on voice problems.

In addition to this, their services can be aimed not at rehabilitating but at enhancing the communication resources of users. It is also a branch that is usually treated as patients with professionals who depend to a great extent on their voice to carry out their professional work. Presenters, singers, diplomats or actors can be some of the types of clients that may require this type of service.

Bibliographic references:

• Pollens R. (2004). Role of the speech-language pathologist in palliative hospice care. J Palliat Med. 7 (5): 694 - 702.
• Richard G.J. (2011). The role of the speech-language pathologist in identifying and treating children with auditory processing disorder. Lang Speech Hear Serv Sch. 42 (3): 241 - 245.