Because May is Better Speech and Hearing Month, I want to bring awareness to this invaluable service. Who benefits from speech therapy? In one of my first college courses in speech pathology, the professor asked, “What is a speech problem?” He then answered the question himself, saying “anything is a problem if it is a problem for you.” All speech therapy clients have a problem, or perceived problem, communicating; they can be children or adults. Clients often misarticulate—they may substitute one sound for another, distort sounds, or leave sounds out. Young children may be language delayed, not having the vocabulary they should for their age. They may have trouble formulating sentences, questions or ideas (even though they may be able to express basic needs, they may be unable to talk about things not happening right now). Their speech and language issues may be associated with another diagnosis such as Cleft Palate, ADD, ADHD, Auditory Processing Disorder, PDD, Autism, or Developmental Disability (to name a few). There may be a loss of language due to a head injury or stroke. A client may be someone who wants to change a foreign or dialectal accent, reduce their rate of speech, or simply sound more articulate, and become a more effective verbal communicator. Being an articulate speaker often opens professional doors. During these tough economic times, it is particularly important to impress and stand out in every way, including verbally, and an accent may be hindering professional growth.
Susan is a California licensed and ASHA certified speech/language pathologist who lives in, and has had a private practice in, the Santa Clarita Valley for the past 19 years. She has a bachelor’s degree in Communication Disorders from Buffalo State College and a master’s degree in Speech Pathology from Columbia University.
If you’re questioning whether a speech/language pathologist could help improve you or your child’s articulation or language skills, call Susan Kasdorf directly at 661-259-1858.