Today, I’d like to talk about the different types of people and conditions that speech therapists treat.
Our patients are on a broad spectrum of ages-from infants all the way up to adults.
We provide therapy to people suffering from any of the following conditions:
1. Speech impediment
Therapy is given to anyone with symptoms such as impaired word articulation, failure to recall words, failure to vocalize words, strained vocalization, and problems with reading and writing.
2. Hearing impairment
By performing tests with an audiometric device (something that measures the ability to hear by emitting “piiii” noises in succession), hearing problems can be diagnosed. Therapy is given to anyone who has trouble communicating as a result of hearing difficulty.
3. Dysphagia
Dysphagia refers to difficulty swallowing, which may result in great strain when eating or even choking when attempting to swallow. We provide therapy to sufferers of dysphagia and help them with eating accomodations or even alternative means of nutrient intake.
4. Higher brain dysfunction
We provide therapy to anyone who has suffered brain injury or mental illness, which may cause symptoms such as disorientation, inability to make decisions, inability to concentrate, and loss of directional awareness.
Of course, there are many patients who suffer from not just one, but many different problems at once. And, even if the symptoms are similar, the recommended course of treatment for children and adults is often different.
In future blog entries, I’m planning on writing more in-depth about each one of the above categories.
– Aya Miyata
– English by Chay Schiller
今回は言語聴覚士の仕事内容を話ししたいと思います。
言語聴覚士のリハビリの対象は小児から成人まで様々です。
障害別に分けると下記のような種類があります。
①言語障害
呂律が回りにくい、言葉が思い浮かばない、言葉は思いつくのに話せない、声が出にくい、読み書きが出来ない等の症状の方へのリハビリを行います。
②聴覚障害
機械を使って聴力検査（身体検査でよく行われる「ピー」という音を聞くもの）をしたり、きこえの問題でコミュニケーション困難な方へのリハビリを行います。
③嚥下障害
食事中にむせるようになった方や、食事時間が異様に長くなった方の食事内容・摂取方法の提案やリハビリをします。
④高次脳機能障害
脳の病気が原因で、道が覚えられなくなった、計画が立てられなくなった、集中力が無くなった、左右が分からなくなった等の症状の方へのリハビリを行います。
必ずしも一つの障害ではなく、複数の障害が重なっている方も多くいます。
似たような症状でも、小児と成人ではリハビリの進め方が異なります。
次回からは、それぞれの障害の詳しいお話をしていきたいと思います。
