speech pathology (redirected from speech pathologists)

speech pathology

n.

The science concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of functional and organic speech defects and disorders. Also called speech-language pathology.

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pathology [pah-thol´o-je]

1. the branch of medicine treating of the essential nature of disease, especially of the changes in body tissues and organs that cause or are caused by disease.

2. the structural and functional manifestations of a disease. adj., adj patholog´ic, patholog´ical.

clinical pathology pathology applied to the solution of clinical problems, especially the use of laboratory methods in clinical diagnosis.

comparative pathology that which considers human disease processes in comparison with those of other animals.

experimental pathology the study of artificially induced pathologic processes.

oral pathology that which treats of conditions causing or resulting from morbid anatomic or functional changes in the structures of the mouth.

speech pathology (speech-language pathology) a field of the health sciences dealing with the evaluation of speech, language, and voice disorders and the rehabilitation of patients with such disorders not amenable to medical or surgical treatment. See also speech-language pathologist.

surgical pathology the pathology of disease processes that are surgically accessible for diagnosis or treatment.

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pathology (pthol´jē),

n 1. the branch of science that deals with disease in all its relations, especially with its nature and the functional and material changes it causes.
n 2. in medical jurisprudence, the science of disease; the part of medicine that deals with the nature of disease, its causes, and its symptoms.

pathology, experimental,

n the study of disease processes induced, usually in animals; undertaken to ascertain the effect of local environmental changes or systemic disorders on particular tissues, parts, and organs of the body. This branch of medical science also attempts to correlate the interaction of local and systemic factors in the production, modification, and continuance of a disease.

pathology, oral,

n the study of the characteristics, causes, and effects of diseases of the oral cavity and associated structures.

pathology, speech,

n the study and treatment of the aspects of functional and organic speech defects and disorders.

pathology, surgical,

n the study of the characteristics of diseased tissues and organs removed in the process of surgery.

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speech,

n 1. communication through conventional vocal and oral symbols.
2. a basic biologic function of the maxillofacial structures. The essential characteristic of the speech function is the production and organization of sound into symbols.

speech aid,

n See aid, speech.

speech, delayed,

n failure of speech to develop at the expected age, usually resulting from slow maturation, hearing impairment, brain injury, mental retardation, or emotional disturbance.

speech device,

n a prosthesis that assists in the management of speech disorders associated with congenital or acquired defects of the palate.

speech disorder, cerebrovascular,

n a diminished capacity to speak due to the location of traumatic brain damage and the involvement of the throat, tongue, and oral cavity.

speech, infantile,

n a speech defect characterized by substitution of speech sounds similar to those used by the child who speaks normally in the early stages of speech development.

speech pathology,

n 1. the study of abnormalities of speech or organs of speech.
2. the diagnosis and treatment of abnormalities of speech as practiced by a speech pathologist or speech therapist.

speech phonation,

n See phonation, speech.

speech reading,

n See reading, lip.

speech resonance,

n See resonance, speech.

speech, retarded,

n slowness in speech development in which intelligibility is severely impaired; often preceded by late or delayed emergence of speech.

speech, slurred,

n abnormal speech in which words are not enunciated clearly or completely but are run together or partially eliminated. The most common causes are alcohol toxicity and drug abuse. It may also be a sign of damage to a motor neuron or cerebellar disease.

speech therapy,

n the application of treatments and counseling in the prevention or correction of speech and language disorders.

speech, visible,

n audible speech patterns that have been transformed by electronic devices into visual patterns that may be read by people who are deaf.

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speech pathology

A field of allied health care that evaluates abnormalities of language, speech, and voice, which may be developmental or acquired