What is an SLP

                                                                        What is an SLP?

                                                                  By Beth Hall, M.Ed.,CCC/SLP

    An SLP (Speech Language Pathologist) is a highly trained specialist who provides therapeutic intervention for individuals who have difficulty with speech, language, voice, fluency or swallowing.  To further understand the differences among these areas, I have broken them down by definition:

Speech:  Speech (articulation) is the way we produce the individual sounds of speech.  Disorders or delays of speech may be as minimal as sound substitutions (like saying /f/ for /th/) or as severe as substitutions or omissions of entire types of sounds. Included in this is Developmental Apraxia of Speech, which requires an entirely different approach to remediation than the more typical sound substitutions or omissions.  While more common articulation errors are due to alterations in the way the child makes the sound, Apraxia is due to motor planning issues.

Language:  Language is the way we put words together to formulate thought and communicate ideas and events.  Our ability to understand and produce language is independent of our ability to produce speech sounds, although a severe Speech Impairment may significantly impact a child’s ability to formulate more complex language.  Language is broken down roughly into the components of Listening Comprehension and Oral Expression.  Listening Comprehension is how well a child processes incoming language and is able to act on it.  This includes following orally presented directions, recalling details from a previously presented story, or synthesizing previously presented information to retell an event or story, maintaining important details and overall main idea.  Oral Expression is how well a child is able to formulate language – how they use grammar and vocabulary to produce cohesive, informative utterances.  Also included under the global Language umbrella is Social Communication (or Pragmatics).  Children who have difficulties with Social Communication do not understand the fundamentals of interaction – turn taking, topic maintenance, eye contact, and humor, to name a few. It is important to note that difficulties with Language are not about the presence of a second language in a child’s life.  Language Impairment can occur regardless of the presence of a second language.

Voice:  Difficulties with voice are marked by hoarseness, raspiness, or aphonia (loss of voice), to name a few.  SLPs do not address issues with voice without medical clearance from an ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat Doctor) to rule out any pathologies where voice therapy may be contraindicated.  

Fluency:  More often referred to as Stuttering, difficulties with speech fluency include hesitations, part-word, and whole word repetitions as well as blocks, to name a few.  A child who stutters may also develop Secondary Characteristics which might include eye blinking, or slapping their knee, to just name a couple.  These Secondary Characteristics, at first, help get the child through the block.

Swallowing:  SLPs also address issues with feeding and swallowing, although this discipline is most often practiced in a medical, rather than educational setting.  Issues with swallowing are diagnosed using videofluoroscopy, which helps determine where the issues lie, and assist in directing treatment.  Unresolved swallowing issues can result in aspiration pneumonia, so early detection and intervention is important.

It is important that any Speech Language Pathologist who works with your child has been awarded the Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) from the American Speech Language Hearing Association.  That way, you know as a parent, that your child is receiving intervention from an individual who receives ongoing training in the latest techniques and approaches in your child’s area of need.  Have questions?  Please don’t hesitate to contact me at bethall@greenville.k12.sc.us or by phone at 864-452-1523.