Communication is one of our most basic skills. The ability to express and comprehend words and ideas is essential to success in school, on the job, and in society. Sadly, communication disorders are one of the nation's most prevalent handicaps, effecting people of all ages. With proper treatment, persons of all ages can experience significant improvement and often complete recovery from communication, cognitive and swallowing difficulties and disorders. As with many other health issues, early detection increases the likelihood of successful treatment.

Byrd Regional Hospital now provides Outpatient Speech Therapy services by a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP). An SLP is available to treat a variety of disorders for pediatric and adult patients such as swallowing difficulties, speech-language deficits, cognitive disorders, voice disorders, and autism.

What is a Speech-Language Pathologist?

Speech/language pathologists specialize in assessing, diagnosing, and treating people with communication problems that result from disability, surgery, or developmental disorders. They are also instrumental in preventing disorders related to speech, language, cognitive communication, voice, and fluency. This includes both receptive (understanding speech) and expressive (speaking) communication problems. They also evaluate and treat people with swallowing disorders due to stroke, brain injury, or other nervous system impairments.