Patients Improve Communication and Swallowing Function with Speech Therapy at the Institute for Neurosciences
The Movement Disorders Program provides comprehensive speech therapy services to patients experiencing communication and swallowing difficulties. Our program is designed to assist patients with a variety of those needs:
- Swallowing disorders (referred to as dysphagia) - Modified barium swallow studies and clinical assessments identify persons at risk for impaired swallowing. We provide treatment to normalize swallowing patterns and maintain adequate nutrition.
- Voice disorders - Dysarthria is the disorder that involves difficulty in making oneself understood due to slurred speech, rapid speech rate or reduced loudness. Persons with movement disorders may experience weak, breathy voice and decreased loudness. Therapists certified in the Lee Silverman Voice Treatment program are available to help with this problem.
- Cognitive disorders - Cognitive retraining is available to persons suffering from neurological deficits due to movement disorders. Therapy is provided for memory/recall training, reading and writing instruction, problem-solving and regaining organization skills for daily living.
Our speech-language pathologists are licensed by the state of Georgia and are certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Specific therapists have also completed Allied Team Training Program with the National Parkinson Foundation for treatment of Parkinson's disease.
For more information on specialized speech therapy services
Our comprehensive speech therapy services are available to patients through physician referral. Please call the following numbers for more information:
St. Joseph's Hospital- (912) 819-2479
Candler Hospital- (912) 819-6176