A speech therapist is a specialist with training in the
diagnosis and treatment of a variety of speech, voice, and
language disorders who works with people, unable to make speech
sounds or cannot make them clearly. They also work with people
who stutter, have fluency and rhythm problems, inappropriate
pitch, or harsh voice and speech quality problems. The most
widespread and obvious speech disorder is stuttering, often
caused by anxiety. The speech therapist sets up a program of
speech exercises to reduce the disability, and if necessary,
enlists the aid of a psychologist or psychiatrist. Other
disorders may result from hearing loss, stroke, cerebral palsy,
mental disability, or brain injury. Speech therapists keep
careful records on the evaluation and progress of patients,
often developing and implementing individualized treatment
programs based on the input of physicians, psychiatric social
workers, and psychologists. In fact, because speech disorders
are usually related to neurological, psychological, and