Resources

All About Speech-Language Pathologists

What do SLPs do in the school setting? Check out this power point presentation: https://www.asha.org/uploadedFiles/What-SLPs-Do.pdf

What is a Speech-Language Pathologist? (adapted from ASHA.org)

Speech-language pathologists, also called SLPs, are experts in communication.

SLPs work with people of all ages, from babies to adults. SLPs treat many types of communication and swallowing problems. These include problems with:

Speech sounds—how we say sounds and put sounds together into words. Other words for these problems are articulation or phonological disorders, apraxia of speech , or dysarthria .

Language—how well we understand what we hear or read and how we use words to tell others what we are thinking. In adults this problem may be called aphasia .

Social communication—how well we follow rules, like taking turns, how to talk to different people, or how close to stand to someone when talking. This is also called pragmatics.

Voice—how our voices sound. We may sound hoarse, lose our voices easily, talk too loudly or through our noses, or be unable to make sounds.

Fluency—also called stuttering, is how well speech flows. Someone who stutters may repeat sounds, like t-t-t-table, use "um" or "uh," or pause a lot when talking. Many young children will go through a time when they stutter, but most outgrow it.

Cognitive-communication—how well our minds work. Problems may involve memory, attention, problem solving, organization, and other thinking skills.

Feeding and swallowing—how well we suck, chew, and swallow food and liquid. A swallowing disorder may lead to poor nutrition, weight loss, and other health problems. This is also called dysphagia.

Parents and SLPs-Partners in Success: https://blog.asha.org/2019/05/20/parents-and-slps-partners-in-success/

What is typical speech and language development? https://www.asha.org/public/speech/development/

Toolkit for parents and young children: https://blog.asha.org/2017/10/03/new-free-toolkit-for-parents-of-young-children-and-members-who-interact-with-them/

Helpful websites:

American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA): https://www.asha.org/

Apraxia: https://www.apraxia-kids.org/

Stuttering: https://www.stutteringhelp.org/

Hanen Center: http://www.hanen.org/Home.aspx ; http://www.hanen.org/Helpful-Info/Articles.aspx

Reading Rockets (book ideas and strategies for parents): http://www.readingrockets.org/audience/parents

Community Resources

Arc of King County Smooth Talkers Program for Children who use technology to communicate and their families: https://arcofkingcounty.org/community-calendar.html/event/2019/11/23/east-king-county-smooth-talkers/260718