Speech therapy or speech and language pathology is a branch of rehabilitation science which deals with the study of the nature of various types of language and speech disorders and the relevant diagnosis and therapy procedures. Some believes that diagnosis and assessment of swallowing disorder is a part of speech therapy.

Language comprises two comprehensive and expressive parts. Speech comprises four parts of articulation, fluency, voice and resonance.

Speech therapists deal with those children who have problems in learning mother language or using speech properly and those adults who have lost their speech ability for any reason.

Speech therapists learn the anatomy and physiology of speech organs and the topics of linguistics and psychology during their studies. Speech therapy is a sub-branch.

People must refer to a speech therapist in the following cases:

1. Delay in speaking among children;

2. Problem in using speech sounds; 

3. Child’s failure in establishing relations with others in verbal or non-verbal forms;

4. Deafness or semi-deafness;

5. Problem in understanding speech;

6. Swallowing disorder;

7. Cerebral palsy, autism and learning disorder.