South Central Rehabilitation Services offers speech therapy services for adult and pediatric inpatients and outpatients. Speech therapy is offered at 1002 Jefferson Street in Laurel. Speech Therapy helps restore speech, language, voice and swallowing after a stroke and preserves these functions in patients with Parkinson’s disease, Dementia and other Neurological diseases.

For information about South Central’s Speech Therapy, please call 601-399-0534.

This facility is an outpatient division of South Central Regional Medical Center. This may mean your visits are subject to any deductibles, co-insurance and/or co-payments.

What is speech therapy?

Speech therapy assesses and treats speech disorders and communication problems. It helps people develop skills like comprehension, clarity, voice, fluency and sound production. Speech therapy can treat childhood speech disorders or adult speech impairments. Conditions could include stroke, brain injury, and other conditions.

Speech therapy is beneficial for children and adults with communication disorders. It can also help people with hearing impairments or those who have difficulty swallowing. Your healthcare provider may recommend speech therapy to help with:

• Aphasia. People with aphasia can have difficulty reading, writing, speaking and understanding language. The condition can develop when areas of your brain that process language are damaged by stroke or injury.
• Apraxia. People with apraxia know what they want to say, but have trouble forming the words. They may have trouble with reading, writing, swallowing or other motor skills.
• Articulation disorders. Children with articulation disorders are unable to produce certain word sounds.
• Cognitive-communication disorders. When the area of your brain that controls your thinking ability is damaged, it can result in difficulty communicating. People with cognitive-communication disorders may have issues with listening, speaking, memory and problem-solving.
• Dysarthria. Sometimes, the muscles that control your speech become weak due to stroke, multiple sclerosis (MS), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or other nervous system disorders. People with dysarthria may have slow or slurred speech.
• Expressive disorders. People with expressive disorders may have difficulty getting words out or conveying their thoughts. Expressive disorders are linked to stroke or other neurological events, developmental delays or hearing loss.
• Fluency disorders. Fluency disorders disrupt the speed, flow and rhythm of speech. This can include stuttering and cluttering.
• Receptive disorders. People with receptive disorders have difficulty comprehending or processing what others are saying. As a result, they may have a limited vocabulary, trouble following directions or they may seem uninterested in conversation.
• Resonance disorders. Conditions affecting your oral or nasal cavities may block airflow and alter the vibrations responsible for sound. Resonance disorders are linked to cleft palate, swollen tonsils and other conditions that affect the structure of these body parts.

What do speech therapy services include?

Our Speech Pathologists will conduct a comprehensive evaluation and establish a therapy plan to meet your personal goals for using and understanding language, feeding and swallowing.

• Assessment of current status
• Individualized therapy programs designed for each patient’s specific needs and goals
• Education and training options specifically tailored for each individual
• Family and caregiver education regarding speech therapy goals

Types of Services Offered by Our Certified Speech Pathologists:

• Articulation and language therapy
• Assessment and treatment of swallowing disorders
• Speech Therapy services for Autism Spectrum Disorders
• Caretaker Education
• Cognitive rehabilitation
• Geriatric feeding rehabilitation
• Head and neck cancer rehabilitation (focused on speech and swallowing)
• Pediatric feeding therapy
• Modified Barium Swallows
• Fluency Therapy
• Voice assessment and treatment

If you feel you or a loved one may benefit from speech therapy, talk with your healthcare provider today or contact South Central Rehabilitation Services at 601-399-0534.