Speech therapy is the term used to refer to a broad class of professional medical interventions designed to help patients improve their communication abilities. Patients who qualify for these services include those suffering from a broad variety of conditions and impediments that negatively affect their speaking, swallowing, and cognitive abilities.
Administered by trained speech-language pathologists (SPLs) or speech therapists, these medical interventions are of vital importance when it comes to ensuring that patients enjoy a satisfying quality of life. Being able to communicate clearly with others is a major part of living in a society, one which we often take for granted until we’re faced with a diminished capacity to do so.
In-Home Speech Therapy Services
In-Home Speech therapy then is the act of carrying out these procedures and techniques in the patient’s own home rather than at the hospital or in a clinical setting. Speak Live Play offers professional in-home speech therapy services to patients living with a wide variety of communication, language, cognitive, and related impediments. Your speech therapist comes to you instead of having you go to them.
In-Home Speech Therapy Vs. Typical Speech Therapy
You might wonder what the differences between in-home speech therapy and regular clinical therapy are and what would make us want to choose one over the other. Well, our professional experience indicates that in-home speech therapy offers the possibility for much greater and much more rapid advancement towards recovery in a significant number of patients. In cases involving both adults, geriatric (advanced age), and pediatric (children) patients, the pace and ultimate results of therapeutic measures were both given a significant boost.
In a city as broad and bustling as Los Angeles, for instance, the caregiver or loved one to a patient might find themselves spending hours driving about the city to meet medical appointments. As frustrating as such inconvenience may be, it doesn’t constitute the major reason for considering in-home speech therapy.
All indicators suggest that the success rate of a patient’s therapy plan increases in keeping with the amount of family involvement that’s made available. What in-home feeding and speech therapy allows for is the active involvement of a patient’s family and loved ones in their language, speech, and feeding schedule. When employed in combination with the traditional one-on-one sessions, the results can be extraordinarily satisfying for all parties concerned.
While children are considered to be ones that benefit the most from in-home speech therapy compared to therapy in a clinical setting, the benefits are to be observed across patients of all ages. Across the board, patients in their natural or home settings have a wealth of opportunities to carry over their language, speech, and feeding skills. The familiar sights and sounds of the home setting allow for the introduction of real-life scenarios and objects that can be introduced into the therapy session to help facilitate the development or improvement of functional communication skills.
While therapy clinic offices might seem sterile and intimidating, home is where most of our clients feel safest and most comfortable. It thus becomes a lot easier to establish a rapport with the patient as they will be in a more relaxed frame of mind, meaning that they will be more inclined to participate in the treatment and engage with their therapist.
Speech-language pathologists are trained to seek the most functional, efficient, and effective therapy modules for our patients, and for a great number of them, in-home speech therapy offers greater chances of success. Increased participation of loved ones, heightened patient participation, and the opportunity to apply functional therapy exercises. It’s simply a matter of considering what’s best for the patient.
Who Is In-Home Speech Therapy For?
In-home speech therapy is a helpful treatment regimen for anyone and everyone that is experiencing problems related to their speech, language, cognition, and related issues. It does not matter how old the patient is, they will still benefit a great deal from the in-home nature of this therapy, as a comfortable and relaxed patient will absorb the lessons and show improvement much quicker.
The nature of the condition that is at the root of the patient’s communicative problems is no barrier to the effectiveness of in-home speech therapy. To illustrate the wide application of this therapy, here are some of the numerous conditions whose patients can benefit from in-home speech therapy:
Adults and the elderly:
• stroke
• dysphagia
• Alzheimer’s
• dementia
• various brain injuries
• swallowing, speech, cognition, eating, memory, and general communication difficulties.
Children and adolescents:
• Autism
• cerebral palsy
• speech delay
• ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)
• developmental delay
• cleft palate
• neurological disorders
• traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
• Asperger’s syndrome
• language-learning disabilities
What to look for in an in-home speech therapist
Speech-language therapy is a medical discipline requiring the utmost professionalism, knowledge, patience, and discipline. Not all therapists have the experience to handle some of the more complex and deep-rooted impediments that patients suffer from.
When looking for a therapist look for a highly experienced speech-language pathologist with a wealth of experience working with patients of all ages. She is adept in handling the evaluation and treatment of younger patients presenting with speech, language, feeding, and literacy disorders.
Some therapists specialize in complex medical and neurological diagnoses such as Down Syndrome, Turner Syndrome, Angelman Syndrome, Nemaline Myopathy, William’s Syndrome, childhood Multiple Sclerosis, Fragile X Syndrome, and various infant feeding disorders.
Finding a speech therapist that works best with you is most important for improvement. Finding good speech therapy in Los Angeles, Houston, New York, or whatever city you’re in may take time. However, if you find a therapist that listens and works best for you, you will experience well worth it improvements.
Look for an approach towards speech therapy that is an evidence-based, individualized practice whose goal is to help their patients attain their fullest communicative potential and optimal nutritional capacities.
