Swallowing Therapy
Speech-language pathologists (SLP) are highly qualified professionals who are licensed in the evaluation and treatment of articulation, language, stuttering, voice, cognition and swallowing disorders. Within an ENT clinic, they typically provide rehabilitation services related to voice therapy (ex, for hoarseness) and swallowing therapy.
Our ENT physicians and laryngologist (ENT voice and swallowing subspecialist) work alongside speech and language pathologists within our clinic to optimize your diagnostic and treatment experience. The patient is often seen by both the physician and the therapist simultaneously, allowing for clear communication of the diagnosis and treatment plan. Through this comprehensive voice and swallowing team approach, we can offer a complete range of speech and swallowing services for individuals from pediatrics through geriatrics.
Examples of conditions that can affect the voice and/or swallowing treatable by an SLP:
- Stroke
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- Neurologic disease (Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s Disease, Lou Gehrig’s Disease
- Alzheimer’s disease and dementia
- Pediatric articulation disorders
- Stuttering and fluency disorders
- Swallowing disorders (ex. aspiration)
- Voice disorders (ex. Spasmodic dysphonia)
- Chronic cough
What does rehabilitation with an SLP involve?
First, your history and symptoms will be reviewed, and an objective evaluation of voice and swallowing will be performed. Then, based upon your specific needs, a treatment plan will be organized using combination of techniques to achieve the desired voice and swallowing goals.
Your plan will include practicing the prescribed techniques on a one-on-one basis with the SLP, typically one to two times per week for four to eight weeks. These sessions can typically last for 30-60 minutes. The exact duration and frequency of treatment sessions ranges for each individual and will be determined by the evaluating speech-language pathologist.
If you are having concerns with your swallowing, call DeFatta ENT & Allergy at (715) 828-2368 for more information or to schedule an appointment.
