Neurological disorders can occur for a variety of different reasons. In some cases, they’re present from birth, while others are acquired later in life.
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with a neurological disorder, it may affect communication skills. That’s where a speech and language therapist comes in.
We’re Forte Speech & Language Therapy, and if you or your child has a neurological disorder, our speech therapy team is here to help.
We have a variety of clinical specialties. That includes both pediatric speech therapy and speech therapy for adults with neurological disorders.
A diagnosis of a neurological disorder can be overwhelming, but you’re not alone.
We’re here to answer your questions about your diagnosis and provide information about how speech therapy can help.
What Is a Neurological Disorder?
Neurological disorders are a category of diagnoses that affect the way your brain functions.
Some disorders may impact speech, language, and communication skills. Others can affect your ability to eat and swallow. Other neurological disorders may impact mobility and movement.
Because the brain is so complex, neurological disorders will affect everyone differently. That’s why it’s so important to have an individualized therapy plan.
Below, you’ll find more information on the neurological disorders we treat here at Forte Speech & Language Therapy.
Speech Therapy for Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral palsy is a group of different neurological disorders.
Each has different signs and characteristics, but they all impact motor skills and movement.
This can affect your child’s speech and language development.
In particular, your child may experience:
- Motor speech disorders
- Delayed speech development
- Difficulty swallowing
- Frequent drooling
- Intellectual disabilities
- Slurred speech
- A tight or hoarse sounding voice
- Difficulty controlling their vocal folds
- Overly monotone or breathy speech
Cerebral palsy develops either in the womb or shortly after birth.
Some of the causes of cerebral palsy may include:
- Genetics
- Traumatic brain injury
- Lack of oxygen during labor and delivery
- Intracranial hemorrhage (bleeding in the brain)
- Infections while in the womb
- Brain infections, like meningitis
In most cases, however, the cause of cerebral palsy is not known.
There is currently no known cure for cerebral palsy. Instead, treatment focuses on helping kids with cerebral palsy build upon their strengths and reach their individual potential.
Your child’s speech-language pathologist (SLP) will work with your child to build greater control over the muscles they need for speech.
This can help improve articulation, fluency, pitch, intonation, and more.
If your child has trouble with reading and writing, your pediatric speech therapist can help there as well.
If your child has cerebral palsy, they may need the support of a speech therapist. We’re here to help.
Following a speech and language evaluation, your speech therapist will take the time to understand your child’s speech and language skills, strengths, and needs. From there, we’ll create a treatment plan designed to address their unique goals.
Speech therapy for kids with cerebral palsy can help improve their speech and language skills. Children with cerebral palsy may also benefit from speech generating devices as part of their multi modal approach to communication.
If your child has cerebral palsy, we’re here to help.
Speech Therapy for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, or FASDs, are a group of different diagnoses.
They occur when a child is exposed to alcohol before they’re born.
This makes it both a neurological disorder and a developmental disorder .
During pregnancy, alcohol can be passed to a baby through the umbilical cord. This can cause a number of different challenges.
Kids with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder may demonstrate the following general characteristics:
- Have a lower than average height or weight
- Have delayed speech and language development
- Have difficulty with motor coordination
- Have difficulty focusing, or display hyperactive behavior
- Have poor memory
- Have difficulty sleeping, even as a baby
- Have a learning disability
- Have an intellectual disability
- Have poor hearing or vision
- Display speech sound delays/
- Display signs of a fluency disorder
- Display signs of a language disorder
- And others
There is currently no known cure for fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.
However, early intervention by a speech-language pathologist can help support your child’s development.
It’s well known that a diagnosis before age six leads to better outcomes, as does a loving, supportive environment.
So, if you suspect your child has an FASD, it’s best to book an appointment with us at Forte Speech & Language Therapy.
We’ll assess your child’s speech, language, and communication skills. This can give you a full picture of their strengths, and areas of need.
From there, we’ll provide an intervention plan designed to help your child with their unique goals.
Speech Therapy for Parkinson's Disease
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological disorder. That means it’s a disorder where symptoms generally increase over time.
When you have Parkinson’s disease, there is a loss of neurons in the brain which produce a chemical messenger called dopamine. The decrease in dopamine levels causes irregular brain activity, which impacts movement and other areas as well.
While dopamine is often associated with mental health, it’s also responsible for coordination of muscle movements.
As a result, in early stages of Parkinson’s, the first signs are typically difficulty with movement and coordination.
Other early signs of Parkinson’s disease include:
- Slowed movements (bradykinesia)
- Soft or slurred speech
- Tremors
- Stiffness
- Vocal changes
- Poor balance
- Loss of smell
- Impaired posture
- Depression
The cause of Parkinson’s is not known. However, certain groups are at higher risk for developing Parkinson’s disease.
These include men, people between fifty and sixty years of age, and those who’ve experienced a head injury.
From a speech and language perspective, signs of Parkinson’s disease include:
- A breathy or hoarse voice
- Motor speech disorder signs , like dysarthria
- Difficulty articulating speech sounds
- Quiet and monotone speech
- Difficulty increasing voice volume
Speech therapy can help.
Your adult speech therapist can help you maintain your ability to communicate effectively through your Parkinson’s disease.
This can include maintaining the strength of your speech muscles for as long as possible, and showing you how to use augmentative and alternative communication devices where necessary.
If you or a loved one has Parkinson’s disease, we’re here to help.
Speech Therapy for Aphasia
Aphasia is a disorder which can affect expressive communication, as well as your understanding of written and spoken communication.
This is due to damage to the brain’s language centers.
Common signs of aphasia can include:
- Repeating words and phrases
- Difficulty labeling common objects
- Difficulty forming sentences
- Difficulty with numbers, such as counting money
- Difficulty understanding others
- Using words out of place
- Difficulty reading
- Difficulty understanding non literal language (metaphors, sarcasm, etc.)
- Difficulty recalling words
- Difficulty following directions
- Difficulty following a conversation when there is more than one person involved
The most common cause of aphasia is having a stroke.
Other causes include traumatic brain injury, tumors, infections of the brain, and progressive brain disorders.
That makes aphasia a neurological disorder.
However, since it can cause challenges with both expressive and receptive language, it’s also a language disorder .
If someone you love has aphasia, it’s important to remember that you’re not alone.
Treatment for aphasia usually involves a multidisciplinary team, including a speech therapist.
Your speech therapist will work with your loved one to understand their communication abilities.
This includes both their strengths and areas of need.
From there, we’ll provide an individualized treatment plan designed to help with their concerns and communication needs.
Speech Therapy for other Neurological Disorders
There are many more neurological disorders than what we’ve noted above.
Other neurological conditions that may affect speech and language include:
Speech Therapy for Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive condition, and the most common cause of dementia. It begins with some memory loss, but in its later stages it can cause significant communication challenges.
Speech therapy for Alzheimer’s disease focuses on mental stimulation and memory aids. This help your loved one maintain their independence as long as possible.
Speech Therapy for Fragile X Syndrome
Fragile X syndrome is a genetic condition that can cause a variety of different developmental challenges. This includes delayed speech and language development.
If your child has fragile X syndrome, speech therapy can help by strengthening their communication skills. This can include addressing spoken and written communication skills, using AAC supports, and more.
Speech Therapy for Stroke Recovery
A stroke can have wide ranging effects. From a speech and language perspective, it can cause difficulty with expressive and receptive language. According to the National Aphasia Association, around one third of those who’ve had a stroke will also have aphasia.
Your speech therapist will work with your loved one to regain their speech and language skills that were impacted as much as possible. They can also provide AAC options to supplement their communication as needed.
Speech Therapy for ALS
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. It’s a progressive neurological disorder that affects your ability to coordinate your muscles. That includes the ones that control your speech.
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with ALS, speech therapy can help you preserve your speech and language abilities as much as possible. In later stages of ALS, your speech therapist can provide you with robust AAC options to help you continue to communicate with those around you.
Speech Therapy for Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disorder that attacks the protective layer of your nerve fibers. This can disrupt your brain’s ability to communicate with the rest of your body, including your speech muscles.
If you or a loved one has multiple sclerosis, it may cause motor speech disorders like dysarthria. Your speech therapist can help you manage its effects and preserve your ability to communicate.
Helpful Articles To Learn More About Speech Therapy For Neurological Disorders
You can learn more about neurological disorders with these articles from our speech and language therapy blog.
If you need additional help with speech therapy for neurological disorders, our experienced team of speech therapists are here to help you anytime.
Get Started with Forte Speech & Language Therapy Today
Here at Forte Speech & Language Therapy, we’re here to help both children and adults.
If you or your child is neurological disorder that is affection speech and language, our team of speech therapists are experienced in offering approaches for your unique needs.
We are here to support you and your children by building on their strengths and providing supportive and encouraging environments.
Your speech therapist is an important part of that support system.