Head’s Corner

A speech-language pathologist is a specialist who engages in the clinical, preventative, supportive and educational domains in order to enhance the quality of life of individuals. Framework of speech-language pathology encompasses the following: production of voice, resonance, sound, language fluency, language, cognition and nutrition. Etiology of language, speech and swallowing disorders could be explained based on perinatal problems (e.g., premature birth, low birth weight, maternal exposure to specific materials), developmental disabilities (e.g., particular language disorders, autism-related disorders, dyslexia, learning disabilities, attention deficit syndrome), auditory problems (e.g., hearing loss and deafness), defects in the mouth structure (e.g., cleft palate, dental irregularities, macroglossia, motor malfunction of the mouth), respiratory disorders (e.g., pulmonary malignancies, COPD), pharyngeal anomalies (e.g., upper airway obstruction, incompetence and disorders of the palate- pharyngeal valve), laryngeal anomalies (e.g., vocal cord damages, dyspnea, tracheostomy), nervous malfunction (e.g., traumatic brain injury, cerebral palsy, cerebrovascular accidents or strokes, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), psychological disorders (e.g., psychosis and schizophrenia) and genetic disorders (e.g., Down syndrome, Rett syndrome, velocardiofacial syndrome)

A speech-language pathologist attempts for the evaluation and treatment of communicative problems by considering the relating etiologies. Furthermore, this healthcare professional determines the proper treatment and functional evaluation based on the befitting communication behaviors. In fact, a speech-language pathologist is a healthcare team member (as are occupational therapists, physiotherapists, audiometrists, psychologists, pediatricians, neurologists and psychiatrists), who is able to plan the procedure of communication therapy. Cooperation of this expert with the other healthcare team members, as well as the patient’s family, could enhance the communication, nutrition, swallowing and compatibility of the individual with the community, which suggests the concept of prevention in general.