Need for Speech Therapy After a Car Accident

07 Dec Need for Speech Therapy After a Car Accident

Medical care is essential following a car accident as it helps victims recover from the effects of the collision. However, most people only consider physical discomfort and injuries as the only substantial effect of a car crash. The severity of road accidents ranges from minor to severe or fatal, and the impact of these events on victims also varies from physical to emotional. And often, both effects are intertwined, as is the case with speech problems due to traumatic brain injuries.

Most of the issues that result from a car accident are usually pretty apparent and easy to diagnose and treat. However, one condition that has developed as a common and hidden side effect of car accidents is Dysarthria – one of the prevalent forms of speech disorder. Dysarthria is a problematic or unclear articulation of speech that is otherwise linguistically normal and is usually due to brain injuries.

Impacts of Speech Disorders After a Car Accident

Speech disorders present themselves in different ways, from difficulty speaking to struggles pronouncing certain words. Individuals with speech disorders may occasionally ramble or misuse common words or phrases.

Conditions like dysarthria and other speech disorders can be challenging and adversely impact a patient’s quality of life. The section of the human brain responsible for speech production and comprehension – the Wernicke and Broca area – can be affected due to traumatic injuries from car accidents. For car crash victims, speech disorders exhibit themselves in the following ways;

• Challenge recognizing several vocabularies
• Difficult remembering
• Difficulty speaking in a fluid or rapid manner.
• An inattentive appearance
• Inability to complete sentences
• Consistently misusing words
• Misappropriating puns, idioms, and turns of phrases.

Speech Therapy For Speech Disorders

Speech therapy involves the assessment, treatment, and development to assist individuals with speech impairments or disorders. In the past, speech disorder was thought of as stuttering and articulation problems prevalent in children. However, it has become an effective treatment option for people involved in car crashes.

Typically, speech therapy starts with a thorough assessment of a person’s ability to speak and comprehend speeches. A therapist then evaluates the extent of speech and language disorders and develops a treatment plan. The speech therapy treatment plan can include the following;

• Improving cognitive communication
• Memory exercises
• Improving social communication
• Developing organization and problem-solving competencies.
• Breathing exercises
• Reinforcing oral muscles
• Developing word choice and speech tone.
• Language intervention and feedback

Evidently, traumatic injuries can affect a person’s ability to speak; however, these injuries’ impact on speech and language depends on the severity and area of the brain affected. Nonetheless, speech therapy helps patients recover fully. More severe brain injuries may require an extensive routine with a multidisciplinary team. Some medical professionals involved in this team include;

• Physical therapists: Who help patients with physical injuries to build up speech muscles
• Occupational therapists: Take patients through the process of returning to their everyday lives following a severe injury such as a brain injury.
• Speech Language pathologists: These professionals assist patients through the process of forming and producing certain words and phrases
• Audiologists: Audiologists identify, assess, and manage disorders of hearing, balance, and other neural systems.

That said, Colorado Accidents and Injury Center offers skilled professionals in different fields that can assist car accident victims in recovering from any form of speech disorder. Contact us today.