Speech therapy is a specialized treatment that focuses on helping individuals improve their communication skills, which can include speaking, understanding language, and using non-verbal communication effectively. Speech therapists, or speech-language pathologists (SLPs), work with people of all ages who may experience difficulties due to developmental disorders, injuries, or medical conditions such as stroke, autism, or hearing loss. The goal of speech therapy is to enhance an individual's ability to communicate clearly and efficiently, which can boost their self-confidence, social interactions, and overall quality of life.

In a typical speech therapy session, an SLP assesses the client’s unique needs and designs personalized strategies to address them. Therapy techniques can include exercises for strengthening oral muscles, practicing pronunciation, improving articulation, or using visual aids to support language comprehension. For children, therapy often incorporates play-based activities to engage and motivate them, while adult sessions might focus more on functional communication skills. Speech therapists may also work with clients on cognitive-linguistic skills like memory and problem-solving, which are essential for effective communication.