SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY

The speech-language pathologist evaluates and treats  patients with neurogenic disorders such as aphasia, dysarthria, apraxia, cognitive-communication impairments, secondary to right hemisphere cerebrovascular accident or traumatic brain injury, and dysphagia. The responsibilities of the speech-language pathologist include the following:

þ      Detailed assessment of language processing and remediations of impairments in speech, comprehension, reading and writing

þ      Evaluation of the swallowing mechanism, including videofluoroscopic swallow study, with subsequent recommendations and implementation of feeding regimens

þ      Assessment of and intervention for pragmatic and cognitively based communicative disorders

þ      Motor-speech assessment and treatment

þ      Evaluation and training of patients requiring augmentative and alternative communication approaches, including use of high-technology devices, talking tracheostomy tubes, and electrolarynxes

þ      Family and patient education and counselling