Speech problems are not unusual among children in their early years. Many parents seek guidance from experts to help their little ones meet developmental milestones and address challenges related to swallowing and communication.
In your career as a speech pathologist, you may find that children and their caregivers tend to be easier to work with than adults.
Yes, you may have witnessed a temper tantrum over a fidget toy or a failed attempt at getting a teenager to part with their mobile phone. But senior adults make very different patients.
Speech problems are not uncommon in adulthood, either, brought on by physical conditions such as stroke or mental health issues. But dealing with them is not straightforward. Adults come with years of environmental influences that may predispose them to prejudices and misguided opinions about seeking support.
Acquiring the unique skills necessary to help an adult population can help advance your career as a speech pathologist. At the same time, you will be making a positive difference to the community.
1. Collaboration With Interdisciplinary Professionals
Among older adults, speech problems are often connected to serious health conditions. They are not easily attributed to a tongue tie or an ear infection, as is often the case with children.
For example, the American Heart Association notes that strokes in the brain’s left side can cause aphasia, a language disorder that causes jumbled speech. A vehicular accident or fall that leads to brain injury can also affect language abilities. Supporting people facing these problems often requires communication experts to work with multidisciplinary teams.
A 2024 Frontiers in Neurology research study notes that early identification of appropriate rehabilitation through an interdisciplinary approach can improve the recovery trajectory for survivors. It also recognizes that working in such teams requires streamlined communication and coordination. Developing interdisciplinary skills through specialized training programs can equip practitioners to work optimally in mixed teams.
Speech pathologists who treat adults can expect to work with medical doctors, mental health counselors, and physical therapists. Professionals can benefit from remaining patient-centered and putting away egocentricity and hierarchical power struggles.
If you work in an inpatient center or hospital, you may need to discuss subliminal issues with the HR team. Ego struggles can quickly derail the best-intentioned plans, causing strife and discord and placing patient interests on the back burner.
2. Advocacy for Professional Development Policies
Speech pathology, like other dynamic professions, is subject to changes over time. Latest research studies have unveiled insights about communication that can guide more nuanced treatments in the future.
For example, the National Institutes of Health explains that voice problems can also be caused by gastroesophageal reflux or neurological diseases. We now know it is not always down to a congenital concern or trauma. A 2025 research study notes that prosodic features of voice, such as pitch and intonation, can provide insight into diagnosing ADHD.
For practitioners treating senior adults, staying updated with new developments and participating in them is crucial. Some professionals consider pursuing online speech pathology master’s programs to learn to advocate for policies that can improve the profession.
St. Bonaventure University observes that communication problems in adulthood and later life may also have historical roots in childhood and adolescence. Further education in this area can make you more informed and better prepared for patient-specific eventualities.
Of course, advocacy comes more easily to some of us than others. One might imagine that extroverted or self-confident people make better advocates. However, quiet and unassuming therapists can often make a world of difference to their clients and caregivers.
Standing up for practices you believe can be revolutionary does not require stage presence. What it needs is dedication and the passion to improve lives meaningfully.
3. Understanding Related Mental Health Challenges
For senior adults, speech problems are often a source of frustration and helplessness. Adolescents and young adults may show more enthusiasm toward your interventions as they believe in the power of therapy. However, older adults may receive therapeutic approaches with more skepticism, mistrusting their capacity to make a change.
The problem worsens when the patient is battling cognitive concerns. A 2024 study published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia showed that cognitive decline can lead to distinct speech changes, from repeating questions to struggling with finding suitable words. As dementia progresses, speech issues can become more pronounced while their overall mood can deteriorate.
Even concerns like depression and other mood disorders can affect communication. It pushes some people to isolation, causing them to break social ties with loved ones. In fact, some studies indicate that a speech emotion recognition system can be useful for detecting mental disorders. Some researchers have achieved an accuracy of over 85% in recognizing schizophrenic patients’ speech in different emotional states.
Speech professionals can support older adults only when they understand their associated mental health challenges. A myopic vision may prevent you from diagnosing the correct condition. You may attribute it solely to physical causes. Developing a holistic view can add precision to both the detection and treatment of speech disorders.
Another key consideration for practitioners working with seniors is sensitivity toward their vulnerabilities. Many adults feel self-conscious about their language problems, even viewing them as personal failures. Others are afraid of social stigmas or (completely incorrect) assumptions of lower intelligence.
A major part of the treatment should involve helping adults work through these roadblocks by empowering and supporting them. These could be logistical, such as encouraging the client to bring a trusted friend along to avoid feeling ‘watched’ or isolated. They could relate to the quality of life, focusing on small but steady language improvements that make a visible difference to relationships and hobbies.
In Sum
Careers in speech pathology are growing fast, partially due to an increased awareness of therapy options. More patients now realize that help is available and that they don’t need to stay stuck with frustrating speech problems for the rest of their lives.
Speech pathologists should consider focusing on skill development from an older-adult perspective. A willingness to collaborate with professionals from other fields, advocacy for sectoral development, and an understanding of underlying psychological factors can help them effectively serve adults.
These steps can help a significant section of the population enjoy a higher quality of life through communication, a core pillar of human existence.
