May Is Speech And Hearing Month!

Written by: Megan Smith / Treatment / April 2020

In Canada, the month of May is Speech and Hearing Month! During this month, people with communication disorders or difficulties, and the healthcare professionals who serve them, take to social media to advocate for the importance of communication healthcare. Last year, the campaign was supported by the Hon. Judith Seidman in the Canadian senate, by many other Canadian institutions (such as the regulatory bodies for speech-language pathologists and audiologists, CHS, CWHN, and many regional education boards and hospitals).

Other countries, such as the USA, celebrate similarly. ASHA (the American Speech and Hearing Association) celebrates “Better Hearing and Speech Month” during May, and their campaign has been picked up by healthcare professionals in the UK, Australia, and potentially even more regions of the world.

During the era of the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us have realized how important our daily face-to-face conversations are to our well-being. We have all had a small taste of how it may feel to be isolated by a communication disorder. However, we have also adopted many new skills, such as video conferencing or online gaming, to keep in touch with our loved ones when we cannot visit them in-person. Still, many of us have never seen a speech-language pathologist or audiologist to check in on our communication health. And many of us do not fully understand the scope of practice of those professions.

Communication Health

Did you know that one in six Canadians has a communication disorder or difficulty? These are the allied health professionals that can help:

Speech-Language Pathologists

Did you know that 30% of strokes lead to acquired language impairments? Speech-Language Pathologists can help.

Speech-Language Pathologists assess and treat speech, language, and swallowing disorders, delays, and differences. We are well known for our work on speech delays, differences, and disorders (e.g. lisps, R distortions, or stuttering), but many are less aware of our work in social skills training, nonspeech methods of communication (such as augmentative and alternative communication methods or signed languages), language disorders, voice disorders, and feeding and swallowing disorders. We are involved in advocacy initiatives such as the standardization of hospital diets to promote safe swallowing in at-risk populations, improving access to early intervention for communication disorders, and improved community resources for adults who acquire language disorders later in life. You can find us in private practices like Well Said: Toronto Speech Therapy, school boards, and healthcare organizations/hospitals.

Audiologists

Did you know that untreated hearing loss is a risk factor for dementia? Audiologists can help.

Audiologists are well known for their roles in assessment and treatment of hearing loss/impairment. What is less known is that they also assess and treat vestibular (balance) disorders, tinnitus, sound sensitivity, and auditory processing disorders! Audiologists are integral players in hearing aid prescription and maintenance in many provinces, and lead initiatives advocating for the prevention of noise-induced hearing loss, improved classroom acoustics, and universal infant hearing screenings to promote early intervention for hearing impairment. Audiologists may work in hospitals, community health organizations, or private practices.

To find an audiologist or a speech-language pathologist who will be a good fit for you, you can use the private practitioner search tool provided on the CASLPO (College of Audiologists and Speech Therapists of Ontario) website.

What can I do during Speech and Hearing Month?

During Speech and Hearing Month, you can take steps to improve or maintain your communication health! Here are some ideas of ways that you can get involved to advocate for yourself or others:

• Learn a new language to improve your ability to communicate with others (and consider learning a signed language!)

• Work on a communication skill that you currently find difficult.

• Get your hearing tested by an audiologist (even if you think your hearing is fine).

• Spend time with the people in your life who find it difficult to communicate due to hearing loss or language disorders.

• Reach out to the people in your life that you love, just to chat.

• Get on social media! Search for or follow #communicateawareness

• Visit speechandhearing.ca for more information on Speech and Hearing Month, communication disorders, and steps you can take to help out.

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To speak with one of the speech-language pathologists at Well Said: Toronto Speech Therapy, schedule an initial consultation by clicking the link below or calling (647) 795-5277.

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