The governing body of Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs), ASHA, defines cognitive communication disorders as a difficulty with any aspect of communication that is affected by a disruption or cognitive decline.
Mild cognitive impairment to severe cognitive impairments can affect your performance at work, school, and during daily activities. Some cognitive processes include memory, problem-solving, reasoning, and executive functions.
There are many different things that can cause deficits in cognitive abilities. Some of the etiologies that can cause impairments in cognitive function include:
A speech-language pathologist is specifically trained to treat communication, cognition, and swallowing. Cognitive speech therapy activities will look different from patient to patient, depending on what deficits are present. Cognitive therapy will consist of both compensatory and restorative strategies to improve cognitive ability. Our speech therapists use restorative approaches to focus on regaining the skills lost, while compensatory approaches focus on environmental or behavioral strategies to supplement and improve communication skills and cognitive functioning.