Speech therapy has been around since the 18th century and is a type of treatment that helps people with speech and language impairments. Some examples of speech impairments include:

• Problems with producing sounds.
• Problems speaking or using certain words.
• Problems understanding language.

What Does A Speech Therapist Do?

Speech therapists work with a wide range of individuals, including children, adults, and the elderly, and help them to overcome a variety of communication disorders. They are also known as SLPs or speech language pathologists/

People may have difficulty speaking due to a number of reasons such as:

• Injuries
• Medical illnesses
• Developmental issues
• Cultural barriers.

Speech therapists use a number of techniques to help their clients improve their communication skills, including vocal warmups as seen below:

How AI Can Be A Critical Tool For Speech Therapists

While AI can’t replace the job and expertise of a speech therapist, it can be a powerful tool that can help in a variety of ways including:

AI can provide real-time feedback

One way that AI can assist speech therapists during therapy sessions is through the use of speech recognition software.

This technology can analyze an individual’s speech patterns and provide real-time feedback on pronunciation, intonation, word choice, delivery and other aspects of speech.

AI can be used to provide personalized programs

AI can also be used to provide highly personalized therapy programs to help the individual. For example, the speech therapist can analyze areas of speech that the individual struggles in and create a custom plan that is best suited for that person. The individual can work on their area of need even outside of therapy sesssions using the AI tool to improve their speech.

AI can be used to track data

By analyzing data from therapy sessions, AI-powered tools can provide real-time feedback on an individual’s progress and identify areas where additional support is needed. This can help to ensure that therapy is as effective as possible and that individuals are able to make steady progress.

AI-powered tools such as Yoodli are able to analyze your speaking in real-time and provide quality feedback from your word choice and delivery to give you tips to improve.

Yoodli also has a Games section where individuals can work on their speech in a fun and interactive way.

Example of How AI Can Help With Speech Therapy

Let’s take a look at King Charles’ Speech to see Yoodli’s AI-powered speech coach in action.  

The feedback tool immediately analyzes the speech’s transcript and provides speaking insights in the tab on the right.

We can analyze the word choice tab to see what King Charles did well:

• Yoodli’s feedback tool says that he doesn’t use filler words such as “umm”, “uhh”, etc. throughout the speech.
• King Charles’ doesn’t include any non-inclusive words that could potentially alienate segments of the audience. This shows that he’s mindful of the words that he’s using in his speech.
• The speech uses weak words only 1% of the time. Typically when more than 3% of a speech includes weak words such as “kinda”, “sorta”, etc. then it can dilute the message.

Moving to the next section, Yoodli says the speech has some repetitive words and phrases. This shows a powerful application of AI’s use in speech therapy.

For example, people who stutter may repeat certain words or sounds. AI tools can help individuals understand and track which words and sounds cause them trouble. The speech therapist can use this feedback from the AI tool to then decide whether the therapy sessions need to focus on specific areas of speech.

What Are Some Speech Therapy Techniques That I Can Try At Home?

Speaking Games

Games are a great way to practice your speaking in a stress-free and fun environment. Once you sign up on Yoodli, you can head over to the Games section and try games including:

• No Filler
• Spin A Yarn
• Metaphor Mania

Here’s our founder, Varun Puri, playing a speaking game on Yoodli:

Tongue Exercises

Tongue exercises can be very effective for improving speaking skills. When the tongue is weak or poorly coordinated, it can impact a person’s ability to produce clear speech. By strengthening tongue control through exercises, an individual can improve their speech clarity and fluency. 

Two good techniques that you can try at home include tongue trilling and tongue twisters.

Tongue trilling involves placing the tip of the tongue on the roof of the mouth and vibrating it to make a rolling “r” sound. This exercise can help to strengthen the muscles of the tongue and improve control.

On the other hand, tongue twisters involve repeating a series of words or phrases that contain similar sounds in rapid succession. This can help to improve the muscle control and coordination needed for clear speech.

Both of these techniques can be effective for improving speaking skills when practiced regularly.

Yoodli’s AI-Powered Speech Coach Can Is A Powerful Tool For Speech Therapists

Yoodli can be a powerful tool for speech therapists and individuals looking to improve their speech. It has the ability to provide real-time feedback, create personalized plans and track data. Individuals can record their speaking and receive feedback instantly. This may include suggestions for improving pronunciation, pacing, tone, or other aspects of speech. Sign up today!