Speech Express
For Adults
Excellent communication skills are vital for social, academic and vocational success. In addition, knowing that you can communicate effectively contributes to self-confidence and peace of mind.
Avoiding words or speaking situations because of embarrassment or fear of not being understood is limiting and damaging to quality of life.
At Speech Express, we can help teen-ageers and adults communicate clearly, effectively and confidently. Improving your speaking skills is possible and can be life-changing.
Assessment & Treatment
Experienced Speech-Language Pathologists Serving Montreal
Stuttering
Adults who stutter have involuntary interruptions in their speech. Typical stuttering behaviours include repetitions, prolongations or blocks, all of which can occur individually or in combination. Over the years, many adults develop additional behaviours to avoid or escape their stuttering symptoms such as eye-blinking, grimacing or body movements. These behaviours become highly automatic and do not decrease stuttering. In addition, unhelpful belief systems and attitudes often develop, thus hindering acceptance and management of the disorder. The adult who stutters may find it difficult to communicate successfully in his social and professional environment.
Voice Disorders
Adults with voice disorders may experience a hoarse, soft or strained sounding voice that rapidly fatigues and leaves them unable to meet daily speaking demands. Voice disorders are frequently caused by misuse of the voice and poor speaking technique. Voice disorders can also be caused by structural problems, such as vocal cord paralysis or nodules, and by neurological problems, including stroke, brain injury or Parkinson’s Disease. Speech Express requires an evaluation and referral from an Ear Nose and Throat doctor prior to starting treatment.
Voice and Speech difficulties related to Parkinson Disease
Adults with Parkinson’s Disease suffer from a degenerative disorder that affects muscle movement. They may experience increasing difficulty speaking loudly and articulating clearly. Their speech becomes soft, slurred and unintelligible. These changes make communication challenging as listeners have more and more trouble understanding the person with Parkinson’s Disease as the disorder progresses.
Articulation or Pronunciation Difficulties
Adults may experience problems coordinating tongue, lip and jaw movements to correctly pronounce specific sounds in words. These difficulties may be based on a uncorrected, habitual mispronunciations, hearing impairment, neurological problems (i.e., stroke) or a tongue thrust.
Tongue Thrust / Myofunctional Disorders
The adult with a tongue thrust rests his tongue against or between his front teeth. In addition, he moves his tongue forward against the teeth instead of upward against the palate when swallowing. This habit may lead to speech difficulties, such as lisping, as well as to misaligned teeth requiring braces. If the person who has a tongue thrust is undergoing orthodontic treatment already, braces or retainers may be ineffective if the tongue thrust is not corrected.