Speech therapy
Speech therapy deals with language, speech, voice and communication. Speech therapists assess and treat children and adults who have difficulty understanding, speaking or using their voice. The aim is to help you communicate better in daily life.
- therapists
- 3
- session length
- 30–60 min
Therascout does not diagnose. Have new, severe or persistent complaints checked by a doctor first. In an emergency: 144
Origin and approach
Speech therapy has its roots in medicine and special education. It looks at communication as a whole: hearing, understanding, thinking, speaking and voice. Exercises are playful or close to everyday life, and tailored to age and goals.
What a session is like
Length: 30–60 min- First there is an assessment with a conversation and tests, for children often together with their parents.
- Therapy goals are then agreed together.
- In sessions you practise with games, pictures, texts or voice and breathing exercises.
- You or the parents are given exercises to reinforce what has been learned in daily life.
Speech therapy: what is it used for?
- Delayed language development in children, for example when vocabulary or sentence-building is not at the expected level for their age.
- Pronunciation difficulties, when certain sounds are not formed correctly.
- Stuttering and other problems with the flow of speech.
- Language problems after a stroke or brain injury (aphasia).
- Voice problems, for example hoarseness from overusing your voice.
How well is the effect supported?
Complaints for which this method is commonly used, sorted by the state of research. The rating shows how well the effect is supported, not whether it will help you.
What do the dots mean?How to read the rating
- Established
- recommended in guidelines, well studied
- Partly supported
- effect shown in studies, with limitations
- Limited evidence
- few or weak studies
- Hardly studied
- used, but hardly or not studied
The rating covers the research, not the therapist.
- Established
Speech and language problems
Speech and language therapy improves everyday communication after a stroke. In children with language development disorders it works especially on pronunciation and vocabulary.
Therapists: Speech therapy
Costs and health insurance
- Basic insurance
- yes, with a doctor's referral, minus deductible and co-payment.
- Supplementary insurance
- may cover additional services, depending on your policy.
- Your insurer
- Each profile shows which insurers recognise the therapist.
- Practice prices
- See prices in each practice profile.
Good to know
- Therapy usually takes place once a week over several months; practising regularly at home is important.
- For children, assessment and funding are usually arranged through the canton or school; for adults, basic insurance pays with a doctor’s prescription.
- For children with delayed speech, a doctor will often check their hearing first.
- If someone suddenly slurs their speech or cannot find words, call 144 immediately, as this can be a sign of a stroke.
Training and recognition in Switzerland
Speech therapists complete a bachelor’s or master’s degree in speech therapy at a university; diplomas are recognised throughout Switzerland by the Swiss Conference of Cantonal Ministers of Education (EDK). A cantonal licence is required to run your own practice. For adults, basic insurance (KVG) pays with a doctor’s prescription; for children, the canton is usually responsible.