What Is Speech Pathology & How Can It Help Those With a Disability?

So, what is Speech Pathology? It’s a field dedicated to diagnosing, managing, and preventing communication and swallowing disorders. It’s more than just helping with speech. It encompasses language, social communication, voice, fluency, and more, all tailored to each individual’s unique needs.

For individuals with disabilities, communication difficulties can be a significant barrier, often leading to frustration and feelings of isolation. Speech Pathology aims to break down these barriers, empowering those affected to communicate effectively and confidently whether it be in a social, home, school, or professional setting. Communication isn’t just verbal. It also encompasses non-verbal communication such as body language, and for some individuals they may communicate through Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) such as Key Word Sign, communication boards, iPad applications or dedicated communication devices.

Common communication difficulties

The range of communication difficulties is as diverse as the people experiencing them. These may include:

• Difficulty in producing sounds or words due to challenges with the physical ability to move the tongue, lips, jaw and palate (also known as articulation),
• Difficulty with speech intelligibility, which is how well people can understand the individual’s speech,
• Comprehension and receptive language, which is being able to understand or use language, regardless of whether it is written or auditory,
• Difficulties with voice and resonance, including pitch, volume, breathiness, intonation and tone,
• Stuttering or other fluency issues,
• Challenges with social and pragmatic language, which is the way the individual utilises language to communicate, and
• Cognitive-Communication disorders, which relates to how the person’s attention, memory, abstract reasoning, awareness and executive function impacts on communication.

Communication issues in disability

Speech and communication issues can manifest in a wide range of disabilities, both congenital and acquired. Here’s a look at some of the disabilities that may lead to speech and communication challenges:

1. Autism Spectrum Disorder: Many individuals with Autismexperience challenges with social communication, language skills, and may have difficulty with verbal and non-verbal communication.
2. Cerebral Palsy: This neurological disorder can affect muscle coordination, which might lead to difficulties in articulation and speech production, as well as impacting on speech intelligibility.
3. Down Syndrome: Individuals with Down Syndrome often experience delays in language development. They can also display anatomical and physiological differences, as well as lower muscle tone, impacting on verbal communication and speech intelligibility.
4. Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI): Damage to specific areas of the brain can lead to speech and language disorders, impacting the ability to speak, understand language, read, or write. Damage to other areas of the brain can also impact social and pragmatic language.
5. Stroke: A stroke can affect areas of the brain responsible for speech and language, leading to aphasia, a condition characterised by difficulty in speaking, reading, writing, and understanding speech.
6. Intellectual and Learning Disabilities: Various intellectual and learning disabilities may affect the development of communication skills, including both expressive and receptive language abilities.
7. Hearing Impairment: Hearing loss can greatly impact speech development and communication skills, especially if it occurs early in life.
8. Parkinson’s Disease and Other Neurodegenerative Disorders: These conditions can affect the control of muscles needed for speech, leading to difficulties with articulation and speech intelligibility.
9. Dementia: People with dementia can experience difficulty with word-finding, and may use nonsensical speech, or struggle to follow conversations and participate socially.
10. Specific Language Impairment (SLI): A developmental disorder where language skills are below what’s expected for age, without an apparent cause.
11. Apraxia of Speech: A motor speech disorder that makes it hard to speak. It can occur with conditions such as brain injury or stroke, as it occurs when the brain experiences difficulty planning the movement of the mouth, lips and tongue to produce speech sounds.
12. Situational Mutism: An anxiety disorder where an individual can speak in certain social situations, but are unable to in others. It is often seen that they can communicate effectively in environments they are comfortable in and feel safe in (i.e., home) and with people they are familiar with, but may be unable to communicate with unfamiliar people or in anxiety-provoking environments.

Mealtime Management and Dysphagia Support

Speech Pathologists are involved in the assessment and management of swallowing · difficulties or difficulties with feeding. Difficulty with swallowing is commonly referred to as dysphagia, and is common among many disabilities, with it being more prevalent as people age as well. Difficulties with feeding are common among individuals who experience the below disabilities or conditions:

• Autism, due to sensory sensitivities that may impact or restrict their food choices and preferences,
• Down syndrome, due to experiencing anatomical differences in their oral structures which can impact on swallowing. They also often experience excessive salivation or drooling, due to oral motor dysfunctions, swallowing difficulties, or sometimes increased saliva production,
• Cerebral Palsy, due to spasticity or weakness of the muscles used for swallowing,
• Intellectual disabilities, and
• The aging population, as changes occur in individuals’ anatomy, such as reduced muscle strength, sensory decline (reduced smell and taste, as well as appetite for food), changes in saliva production and loss of teeth.

Feeding difficulties and dysphagia can result in a number of challenges, including:

• Weight loss,
• Malnutrition,
• Dehydration, and
• Aspiration, which is when food or liquids enter the airways instead of the oesophagus and stomach, with the potential to lead to pneumonia and potential death.

Following assessment, the Speech Pathologist develops an individualised Mealtime Management Plan and provides support and training to those around the individual that assist during mealtimes, such as family and Support Workers. This includes knowing how the individual should be positioned during mealtimes, level of supervision and assistance required, as well as how food and drinks should be prepared and provided to the individual, should there be modifications to consistency and thickness. They may also seek the input of a Dietician, to ensure if they have modified the person’s diet or consistency of food and fluids, that the individual continues to receive adequate nutrition and achieve a positive quality of life.

The role of Speech Pathologists

Speech Pathologists have the expertise to work with individuals with these and other related disabilities, creating tailored interventions to support communication development, or compensate for challenges to minimise the impact it has on their daily life, as well as improve their feeding and mealtime routines. By understanding the unique characteristics and challenges associated with each disability, they can devise strategies to enhance communication skills, feeding, and provide a significant positive impact on overall quality of life.

The role of Speech Pathologist typically involves:

• Comprehensive assessment of communication and feeding skills,
• Creating individualised management plans,
• Teaching alternative communication methods when necessary, such as Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) (i.e. communication devices, communication boards),
• Engaging in therapy-based activities to develop social skills, receptive and expressive language,
• Working collaboratively with other professionals, like Occupational Therapists, to ensure people can utilise verbal and non-verbal communication in their daily life, as well as ensure a consistent approach in meeting the person’s needs, and
• Providing training and support to those that work with or live with the individual, to ensure they can support them in achieving their goals and living a positive life.

St Jude’s NDIS Speech Pathology services

As a dedicated NDIS disability support provider in Western Australia and Queensland, St Jude’s is committed to delivering high-quality Speech Pathology services. With a team of dedicated experts, St Jude’s offers personalised and compassionate care that is always tailored to the unique needs of our clients.

Communication challenges and feeding difficulties don’t have to be a lifelong barrier. With the right support and access to the right services, individuals with disabilities can find their voice and restore a better sense of independence in their lives.

If you or a loved one are facing communication or feeding challenges and are eligible for NDIS funding, don’t hesitate to reach out. Our team of NDIS allied health professionals including Speech Pathologists are ready to help and support you on your journey. Don’t have NDIS funding? Contact us and we may be able to explore other options to help you!