1. Speech Therapy Improves Communication Skills
A speech therapist is skilled at identifying specific problems in people's verbal skills and teaching them means of compensating. He will analyze your speech patterns, watch the way your mouth and lips move, and pinpoint specific issues such as articulation and comparative motor skills. He can also identify strengths in your speech patterns and areas in which the disorder doesn't affect you. Your ability to understand and read speech comes into play as well, depending on the precise condition you have. Armed with that knowledge, the therapist can teach you to reduce problems with speaking, address areas in need of help, and compensate for certain difficulties by drawing upon your strengths in other areas. He can also teach you relaxation techniques to help you stay calm when you are speaking. These techniques reduce stress and help you enunciate better.
2. Create a Conducive Environment at Home and School or Work
Many speech disorders grow worse in times when you are under stress, or when people don't understand why you are having difficulties. Cultivate a relaxed atmosphere at home, and make those around you aware of your condition. You have the right to ask for a little patience when you enunciate without feeling pressured or browbeaten into "spitting it out." Don't allow people to talk down to you or act as if you aren't there. Reduce distractions when you are speaking, such as a radio or television playing nearby. Talk to your family members about devising alternate means of communication, or make sure that they permit you the time and the courtesy to speak at your own pace.
3. Encourage Reading and Speaking at Home
In cases where you have a child with a speech disorder, you can promote activities at home to help him. In some cases, reading to your child may be helpful. You can also speak to him in short sentences, encourage imitation, and repeat something the child says in grammatically correct terms. Avoid putting undue pressure on your child by forcing him to speak when he doesn't want to or chiding him when he doesn't say something correctly. Encouragement and a relaxed atmosphere tend to produce better results than stressors. Specifics will vary by circumstances, and you should talk to a speech pathologist familiar with your case about the best methods for your child.
4. Alternate Treatments Are Being Explored
Speech disorders which involve damage to the brain are difficult to cure, but research is being conducted to better understanding the problem. Various forms of tomography--mapping the brain via computers or X-rays--are shedding light on how the brain functions, as are magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines and similar forms of technology. Computer programs have been developed to help those with speech disorders communicate more effectively, and medication is being developed as well, particularly for those who suffer from restricted speech following a stroke. Though such treatments are still largely experimental and vary widely depending on the kind of disorder you have, their continued development may open up new avenues of treating the condition.
