Department of Defense Education Activity

Maxwell AFB E/MS: Speech Language Pathology

Speech Language Pathologist

Speech-Language Pathologists provide a wide range of services, mainly on an individual basis, but also as support for individuals, families, support groups, and providing information for the general public. Speech services begin with initial screening for communication and swallowing disorders and continue with assessment and diagnosis, consultation for the provision of advice regarding management, intervention and treatment, and provision counseling and other follow up services for these disorders.

  • Cognition the cognitive aspects of communication (e.g., attention, memory, problem solving, executive functions).
  • Speech ( phonation, articulation , fluency, resonance, and voice including aeromechanical components of respiration).
  • Language ( phonology , morphology , syntax , semantics , and pragmatic/social aspects of communication) including comprehension and expression in oral, written, graphic, and manual modalities; language processing ; pre-literacy and language-based literacy skills, phonological awareness.
  • Swallowing or other upper aerodigestive functions such as infant feeding and aeromechanical events (evaluation of esophageal function is for the purpose of referral to medical professionals)
  • Voice (hoarseness or dysphonia), poor vocal volume (hypophonia), abnormal (e.g. rough, breathy, strained) vocal quality). Research demonstrates voice therapy to be especially helpful with certain patient populations; individuals with Parkinson's disease often develop voice issues as a result of their disease.
  • Sensory awareness related to communication, swallowing, or other upper aerodigestive functions.

Multi-discipline collaboration

Speech-Language Pathologists collaborate with other health care professionals often working as part of a multidisciplinary team, providing referrals to audiologists and others; providing information to health care professionals (including doctors , nurses , occupational therapists , dietitians ), educators ,behavior consultants ( applied behavior analysis ) and parents as dictated by the individual client's needs.

In relation to Auditory Processing Disorders ,collaborating in the assessment and providing intervention where there is evidence of speech, language, and/or other cognitive-communication disorders.

The treatment for patients with cleft lip and palate has an obvious interdisciplinary character. The speech therapy outcome is even better when the surgical treatment is performed earlier.