Speech Therapy: A Well-Spoken-Of Career

By Marty Nemko

How do you feel when you listen to a stutterer? Imagine how he feels. Speech and language therapists are their saviors. In addition to stuttering, they treat people with dozens other maladies, from kids with cleft palates to seniors recovering from a stroke. Speech therapy has made significant advances. For example, until recently, it was believed that stuttering was caused by psychological trauma. Now scientists have found a brain anomaly in stutterers and as a result, have developed more effective treatments. This is a career that does require patience, however. Progress is often slow.