Speech Therapy Visit

The speech therapy visit aims to diagnose and evaluate difficulties in speaking, communicating, or swallowing to set up a targeted treatment. Speech therapy is indeed a branch of medicine that deals with the care and prevention of all pathologies related to:

voice;
communication;
memory;
learning.

The goal of the speech therapy visit is to achieve adequate autonomy in language.

The speech therapist evaluates the presence of pathologies that cause disturbances in speech, voice, oral language and written language, learning, communication, and swallowing in all age groups (developmental, adolescent, adult, and geriatric age).

During the first visit, an anamnesis is performed, where the speech therapist collects all the information about the patient useful to define the deficit more precisely (medical history, family history, allergies). The patient may also be required to perform standardized tests to highlight the characteristics of the disorder.

The figure of the speech therapist is dedicated to the rehabilitation of deficits and dysfunctions concerning:

oral musculature;
facial;
lingual;
respiratory.

The specialist identifies the specific difficulties in articulating words and tries to determine the cause of the problem (e.g., stuttering, deafness, or aphasia). The speech therapy visit involves the speech therapist proposing a personalized rehabilitation program based on the patient’s needs. After verifying that there are no structural defects of the tongue or throat, the speech therapist formulates a treatment program defining the times and exercises the patient will need to perform and the goals to be achieved in the short, medium, and long term. Subsequently, the results obtained will be periodically examined, with the possibility of adjusting the treatment plan according to the patient’s needs. In case of dysfunctional swallowing, the use of an orthodontic appliance may be necessary, which, if not sufficient to correct the functional problem of the tongue, requires therapy based on exercises to restore the correct tone and posture of the tongue.
The orofacial myofunctional therapy is a speech therapy path for evaluating the type of swallowing and orofacial muscles, included in a program involving dentists and otorhinolaryngologists, and is carried out with rehabilitation exercises aimed at automating correct swallowing.

The figure of the speech therapist in Casa di Cura Piacenza is of particular importance as they provide consultation and assistance to patients who have undergone cochlear implant surgery by the Otorhinolaryngology department (Gruppo Otologico).