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If you decide to go into a line of speech pathology employment, you will eventually encounter many different types of mental health conditions; the severity of condition will affect the way your patient interacts with you. Here are a few of the most common mental health conditions that are known to affect speech.
The mental health of stroke victims largely affects the way that they speak. For instance, some recovering stroke patients have to relearn the entire English language, while others speak by replacing letters with numbers. Depending on the severity of the situation, this can be very frustrating for both the patient and their therapist because it makes it difficult to communicate. If you choose a speech pathology career, you will need to have a lot of patience.
Other mental health conditions, like autism, also affect the way a person speaks. Depending on where they are on the Autism Spectrum, the effects can be as mild as occasional stuttering or as severe as being unable to communicate at all without hand gestures. Parkinson’s Disease also has the ability to profoundly affect the way a person speaks. In the least severe scenario, PD causes a person to speak very quietly and slowly, which can make it very difficult for them to participate in a conversation.
Speech therapy can have a positive effect on many different types of afflictions, from Autism to Parkinson’s Disease. If you choose speech pathology employment for your future, you will be able to help a wide array of people regain their life.
