Children

Unsure if your child needs speech therapy? Here are common signs that may indicated your child needs speech therapy.

Speech & Language

Do you and/or other adults have trouble understanding your child?
Does your child become frustrated easily when trying to communicate?
Does your child produce sounds differently than other children his/her age?
Does your child use fewer words than other children his/her age?
Does your child repeat speech sounds, words, or phrases (stutter)?
Does your child have a significant history of ear infections?

Social-Pragmatic

Does your child have difficulty with change or overreact because of a small change in routine?
Does your child ignore you/others when asked a question?
Does your child have difficulty making or maintaining friendships?

iStock-get started_children-

Executive Functioning

Does your child have more trouble planning and executing homework assignments than other children his/her age?
Does your child get “stuck” when trying to solve a problem?

Reading/Dyslexia

Does your child have difficulty sounding out words?
Does your child have difficulty with reading comprehension?
Does your child have difficulty spelling?

Feeding & Swallowing

Is mealtime stressful for your child?
Does your child avoid certain types of food?

Common diagnoses indicating the need for speech therapy for children

Diagnoses commonly associated with pediatric speech therapy include the following: Apraxia, Articulation/Phonological Disorders, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Auditory Processing Disorder, Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Cleft Lip and/or Palate, Dyslexia, Dysphagia, Downs Syndrome, Expressive Language Disorder, Feeding Difficulties, Hearing Loss, Intellectual Disabilities, Language Learning Disabilities, Learning Disabilities, Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), Receptive-Expressive Language Disorder, Stuttering, and Social (Pragmatic) Communication Disorder or Tongue Thrust.

Click here to learn more: asha.org

Adults

Unsure if you or a loved one needs speech therapy? Here are common signs that indicate the need for speech therapy in adults.

Have you or your loved one recently suffered a stroke?
Do you or your loved one have a diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease?
Are you or your loved one experiencing difficulty finding the words you want?
Is your speech or your loved one’s speech difficult for others to understand?
Are you or your loved one speaking in a whisper and having difficulty projecting?
Are you or your loved one experiencing slurred speech?
Have you or your loved one experienced a change in your memory/cognition?

Common diagnoses indicating the need for speech therapy for adults.

Diagnoses commonly associated with adult speech therapy include the following: Aphasia, Dementia, Dysarthria, Dysphagia, Hearing Loss, Parkinson’s Disease, Stuttering, Stroke, and Traumatic Brain Injury.

Conceptual image for topics about treating communication impairment, featuring two connected puzzle pieces with the words speech therapy.

Voice

Are you experiencing hoarseness?
Do you feel strain/tension after speaking for extended periods of time?
Do you have a chronic cough that’s affecting your voice quality?
Are you unsure of what your voice will sound like when you speak?

Common diagnoses related to voice

Dysfunction include: Hoarseness, Vocal Cord Nodules, Vocal Cord Atrophy, and Muscle Tension Dysphonia

Contact your ENT to learn more about your voice.

Vocal Cord Dysfunction (VCD)

Do you experience difficulty breathing during exercise yet you do not have asthma?
Do you feel tightness in your chest/throat, particularly when inhaling?
Do you experience stridor (wheezing)?

Contact your ENT or Asthma/Allergy specialist to determine if you have VCD.