What They Do and When to Refer

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Speech is so critical to the essence of our function that it's hard to imagine anyone without it, and yet many are robbed of their very voice through pathology or pure bad luck.  But what a SLP or Speech Language Pathologist does is so much more than helping return a person's voice and ability to communicate. The full breadth of this incredible profession is rarely understood, making speech language pathologist often underutilized. We hope to bring a better understanding to what they do and when to send them a referral.
                                                     What They Do?

1. Look at a Patient’s Physical Capabilities. They assess a patient’s ability to swallow, produce intelligible speech, volume of voice, and ability to express and/or understand language. 
2. Education/Recommendations. Speech Language Pathologists will educate the patient and caregivers about recommendations for safety with swallowing and eating.
3. Assess Cognitive Function. They will look at a patient’s ability to understand directions, respond appropriately, and will work to improve memory, attention, and problem solving skills. 
4. Exercise Prescription. Based on the limitations found, a speech language pathologist will select exercises to complete with the patient to improve function and quality of life.

                                                                 When to Refer?

Below is a small list of issues that should help guide you to referring to a SLP.

• Are you having trouble understanding your patient’s speech?
• Does your patient have trouble swallowing?
• Are they having word finding issues?
• Does the patient have difficulty following following multi-step directions?
• Do they have breaks in the flow of their speech?
• Are they unable to increase their voice volume to an appropriate level?
• Does their voice sound hoarse or scratchy?
• Are the patient’s language skills socially inappropriate?
• Are responses to questions appropriate?
• Do you notice coughing when the patient is eating or drinking?

If you are thinking that any of these questions describe your patient, then they could benefit from a referral to a speech language pathologist.