Lauren Hermann - But My Speech Is Fine!

It was 2017, and I had just started two jobs. At that point in my career, I had eight different work sites in six different states listed on my resume. Although each experience was different, one common theme followed me like a trail of toilet paper clinging to my shoe. I couldnt quite shake it off. No matter which facility I worked in, regardless of state or region, I encountered several puzzled looks, overlooked opportunities for consultation, or wrong assumptions about my roles on the job. This came from both the people I served as well as my interdisciplinary colleagues. I couldnt escape the lack of understanding by others of what exactly my roles were.

I am a speech-language pathologist (SLP). Some people think this means I help children correct their lisps or mispronounced "r" sounds. Others think it means I help children and adults with their lisps or mispronounced "r" sounds. This is only partially true.

When I began my career, I was not prepared for the number of patients who would say, "Speech therapist? But my speech is fine! I don't need you!" I would be shooed away like an uninvited fly at a picnic.

On occasion, physicians and nurses still ponder my presence, assuring me that their patients swallow is fine, and my services are not needed. In reality the services of an SLP are sorely needed.

A 68-year-old man, whose quality of life deteriorated because of chronic uncontrollable coughing, found relief in speech therapy. Within five sessions, his cough attacks diminished. He enjoyed his first weekend of phone conversations without disruptions from his throat tickles and spasms, something medication had not relieved him of.

A 30-year-old woman complained of occasional pain and difficulty while swallowing solid foods. An SLP conducted a radiographic swallow exam and noticed a slight difference in the anatomy of her esophagus. It was discovered that this woman had a rogue subclavian artery that wove behind her esophagus. This artery was squeezing part of her esophagus. Due to her circumstance, solid foods would occasionally get stuck. She was diagnosed with a rare condition called dysphagia lusoria and the SLP guided her through compensatory strategies to reduce the discomfort during her meals.

A 76-year-old woman with Alzheimers caused great concern for her family once she began to wander the halls of the nursing home and enter strangers rooms. She often forgot where she was. The SLP supported the patient and her family by rearranging her environment with signs and pictures and educating the family and staff members on how to foster successful interactions. Her surprise visits with strangers reduced. Fruitful exchanges with family members and nursing staff became more noticeable. At the same time, her daughter suddenly could only speak in a whisper. The high stress of her work and caring for her mother led her to develop hyper-functional dysphoniaa voice impairment from overuse of the laryngeal muscles. After working with an SLP for several weeks, she regained her voice, and her job was no longer at risk.