Speech therapy is a specialized form of therapy that aims to help people improve their communication skills. It can address various aspects of communication, including speech, voice, fluency and social communication. Speech-language pathologists, also called speech-language pathologists (SLPs), work with people of all ages who may have difficulty speaking or speaking for a variety of reasons, such as developmental delays, neurological disorders, strokes, brain injuries or hearing problems.
The goals of speech therapy can vary depending on individual needs, but often include improving articulation (clarity of speech sounds), improving speech understanding and expression, developing social communication skills and addressing issues related to voice quality or fluency (e.g. stuttering).