Some Core Values for Successful Treatment in Speech Therapy
Published: Wed, 05/02/12
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 There
are some simple points that I want to review in this article for
caregivers, people with difficulties speaking, and speech language
pathologists.Firstly from the depths of my clinical being the first most important principle of success in speech therapy is a desire for the improvement of speech. The desire must be considerable, not luke warm or indifferent by the caregiver and the person with the speaking difficulty. Success can only occur when a burning desire for improvement is present in all parties; i.e.: caregiver, person with speaking difficulty and therapist. If we were to look at human performance, even our own, we would see that it takes a burning desire to accomplish anything that requires considerable attention, focus, time and energy. A successful approach for the speech language pathologist means you must truly desire success with each and every person every bit as much as they do. Each clinician or speech pathologist/therapist must truly desire success and a willingness to do whatever it takes to establish the best approach to the problem. If the therapist does not feel adequately prepared to provide therapy, he or she must either seek out a mentor, or refer the person to someone who specializes in that area of practice. I caution all concerned here that if you are not comfortable with the way things are going or if you do not have faith in whatever is going on, please discuss it with your therapist, or seek the advice of the clinical director, or another specialist or therapist. Most of us know when we are in the right place; use your intuition wisely.  Family Involvement: It is critical for any family
member to be engaged in the therapy process and learn any procedure that
is beneficial for the improvement in speech and language. If the person
with the speaking difficulty has suffered from a stroke with aphasia
and has numerous other medically related problems to address, it is
often more vital to have a family member trained to stimulate speech and
language at home. There will be some persons with speaking difficulties
who can independently pursue home practice with speaking while there
are others who will have to be constantly cued to speak with accuracy.
With children who are not talking, the same holds true; the mother or
primary care giver will be the one who truly determines the progress in
therapy. Success in the achievement of therapy goals is directly
proportional to the amount of time that is put in at home in speech and
language stimulation activities. Many family members truly believe they will bring their loved one to therapy and the "therapy" will be provided and their loved one will get better. In my experience the "doing of the therapy at the clinic or office" is a very small part of the process. The real improvement comes when there is a burning desire and a commitment to take what is learned in therapy and make sure that it is incorporated into the routine at home. It is not the therapy at the clinic or rehab institution that gets the person with the communication difficulty better, it is the daily, down and dirty practice of what was learned there. The final point relates to Faith in the speech therapy process. The family must have faith in the procedures being covered in therapy and the clinician who is doing them. If that faith is not present it is doubtful there will be much benefit from the process. In the successful treatments of people receiving speech therapy through the years, the ones who make the most progress, believe the procedures and the therapist are correct in the approach to care and are actively participating in the process. If there is doubt in the methods or the competence of the clinician, vital therapy time and treatment dollars are wasted. Don't let that happen. -Mark A. Ittleman, M.S., CCC/SLP Eat Bananas_____________________________________________  (zeenews.india.com)
London: British and Italian researchers have found that eating three
bananas cuts the risk of a Stroke. They suggest having one banana with
breakfast, lunch, and supper would reduce the chances of suffering a
blood clot on the brain by 21%But if consumers ate more potassium-rich foods and also reduced their salt intake, the annual global death toll from strokes could be cut by more than a million a year. The findings suggest that thousands of strokes could be prevented by the consumption of other potassium-rich foods such as spinach, nuts, milk, fish and lentils. Researchers from the University of Warwick and the University of Naples said, "Potassium intake in most countries is well below the recommended daily amount." These findings have been published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Birds of a Feather_____________________________________________  While
out for my morning walk through a small, serene park, with a mirrored
lake in the center, I noticed many kinds of birds that are frequent
visitors. There were sea gulls, geese, swans, and ducks of non-and
domestic varieties. It was comforting to experience first hand the
peacefulness of this place. I noticed how the pigeons, the white ducks,
and the geese seemed to gravitate together, each after its own kind.So each morning as I walk through the park and become at one with it, I seem to ask the question to all, "May I join you?" -Mark A. Ittleman Quote for the Month_____________________________________________  "When
you first start off trying to solve a problem, the first solutions you
come up with are very complex, and most people stop there. But if you
keep going, and live with the problem and peel more layers of the onion
off, you can often times arrive at some very elegant and simple
solutions. Most people just don't put in the time or energy to get
there." Steve Jobs, Apple Computer | |||||||
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May 2012 | ||||||
