Speech Therapy
Speech Therapists assess, diagnose, treat and help to prevent disorders to speech, language, communication, voice, swallowing and fluency.
Speech-language pathologists work with people who cannot produce speech sounds or cannot produce them clearly; those with speech rhythm and fluency problems, such as stuttering; people with voice disorders, such as inappropriate pitch or harsh voice, those with problems understanding and producing language; and those with cognitive communication impairments; such as attention, memory and problem-solving disorders. They also work with people who have difficulty swallowing medicine, food, or drink.
The ability to swallow effectively is a vital human need. Newberry Hospital has various treatment approaches that address swallowing dysfunctions, including VitalStim, a progressive therapy that uses calibrated electrical stimulation. These programs help patients' achieve more effective swallowing mechanisms.
Speech Therapists can help with:
- Head and neck cancers
- Head injuries
- Swallowing difficulties
- Voice production
- Speaking and understanding words
Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT-Loud)
Nearly 1 million people in the United States are diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. Parkinson’s Disease is a neurological condition that affects nerve cells in the brain which can implicate how that person communicates. The most commonly reported voice and speech issues are: soft voice, hoarseness, monotone, mumbled speech, and rapid speech. These communication problems can significantly impact a person’s quality of life.
Here at Newberry County Memorial Hospital, we serve Parkinson’s patients and their families through a therapy program called Lee Silverman Voice Treatment or LSVT-Loud. LSVT, an evidenced-based speech therapy modality to help people with Parkinson’s improve their voice volume and articulation. LSVT retrains or recalibrates the feedback mismatch that Parkinson’s often causes helping the person develop:
- Increased vocal loudness
- Improved articulation and speech intelligibility
- Improved intonation
- Improvements in facial expression
- Changes in neural functioning related to voice and speech
If you or someone you know could benefit from LSVT, please contact the Speech Therapy Department at Newberry Hospital.