BETTER SPEECH AND HEARING MONTH

May is Better Speech and Hearing Month! Speech therapy also known as speech/language pathology, is a specialized therapy aimed at improving communication skills, swallowing skills, cognitive skills and speech/language skills. Speech/Language Pathologists (Speech therapists) work with individuals of all ages (infants/children/adolescents/adults/geriatrics), to diagnose and treat various issues, such as articulation, fluency, language delays, pragmatic delays, voice disorders, cognitive communication disorders, and swallowing issues. Therapy techniques are strategies utilized to enhance and improve a patient's abilities and improve their overall quality of life.

The role of the Speech/Language Pathologist (SLP/ST) is to evaluate and diagnose a variety of disorders to improve their ability to communicate and improve voicing/swallowing skills. An SLP can provide training and education to family/caregivers and other professionals. SLP's work collaboratively with other professionals from many different disciplines doctors, nurses, PT/OT, schools).

Our Speech/Language Pathologist is Tracy Duce. Tracy has been with Boyd Hospital for almost 4 years and comes to us with 30 years of experience. Tracy is a Credentialed Early Intervention Specialist/Evaluator, is certified in VitalStim and LSVT and has been Modified Barium Swallow trained. In addition, Tracy specializes in and has worked with Developmental Speech/Language Delays, Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, Prematurity (speech/swallowing), Fluency/Stuttering Disorders, Childhood Apraxia of Speech, Phonological Disorders/Articulation Disorders, Voice Disorders, Dysarthria, Parkinson's Disease, ALS, MS, CVA, Traumatic Brain Injury and has experience with American Sign Language.