Teaching individuals with CP how to communicate and develop robust language skills is crucial to empowering them to have a fulfilling social and professional life. Many speech-language interventions can help, such as articulation therapy, oral motor or feeding and swallowing therapy, and augmentative & alternative communication therapy.
A speech-language pathologist will show a child how to make certain sounds in articulation therapy. They will demonstrate this using a mirror and show the child how to move the tongue to produce a sound. In feeding and swallowing therapy, oral exercises and massages are taught and applied to help strengthen the mouth muscles. A speech-language pathologist will also explore foods and temperatures to enable individuals with CP to increase their oral sense and awareness of eating and swallowing.
While traditional speech therapy may be valuable for many people with CP, many can also benefit from AAC support — particularly if communicating through spoken language presents a significant challenge. SLP Ali Steers, who works with nonspeaking children, has seen many cases where kids communicate better after the introduction of AAC. AAC comes with a range of possibilities, from non-electronic to electronic systems.
For more information, see our full article Common Cerebral Palsy Therapies and Specialists.
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