If you or your child struggles with speech, language or swallowing, we offer expert care, including intensive programs and advanced equipment.

Speech therapy can help restore the skills needed to eat, speak and think, especially after illness, surgery or injury.

At MU Health Care’s Mizzou Therapy Services, we offer adult and pediatric speech therapy for a wide range of conditions. That includes stroke, brain injury or cancer, as well as neurologic or degenerative diseases.

Our licensed speech-language pathologists go beyond articulation. We help people eat safely, speak clearly, think more confidently and meet functional goals, like returning to work, giving a presentation or making a phone call.

Speech Therapy at MU Health Care

Our speech-language pathologists care for both adults and children, with personalized therapy plans for your condition, age and goals.

We treat a wide range of concerns, including:

• Cognitive-linguistic challenges: Trouble with attention, memory, problem-solving, safety awareness, decision making and other executive function skills like planning or organizing.
• Fluency disorders: Difficulty speaking smoothly, including stuttering or disruptions in speech rhythm and flow. 
• Language impairments: Trouble finding words, forming sentences, reading, writing or expressing thoughts. 
• Social communication concerns: Difficulty interpreting facial expressions, tone or social cues, as well as trouble knowing what to say or how to conduct yourself during conversation.
• Speech disorders: Slurred or unclear speech (dysarthria), loss of language (aphasia), trouble naming things (anomia), problems producing sounds (articulation) or abnormal speech patterns.
• Swallowing disorders: Coughing, choking, food sticking, trouble chewing or moving food and other signs of dysphagia.
• Voice issues: Hoarseness, pitch changes, vocal strain or difficulty coordinating breathing with speaking.

Our Team

Your care begins with a referral — often from a primary care provider, neurologist, oncologist or ENT specialist. From there, we coordinate with your care team, which may include:

• Assistive communication specialists
• ENT physicians and nurse navigators
• Neurology subspecialty clinics (including ALS and muscular dystrophy)
• Occupational therapy
• Oncology and radiation oncology teams
• Physical therapy
• Preoperative head and neck surgery clinics

We also offer support through Ellis Fischel Cancer Center and the Ambulatory Infusion Unit.

Our Approach to Speech Therapy

At MU Health Care, our speech-language pathologists work closely with you to build a care plan that supports your goals — whether you’re recovering from an illness, living with a neurologic condition or managing complex cancer care.

As part of an academic health system, we offer diagnostic tools and specialized programs not widely available elsewhere in mid-Missouri. We focus on helping you regain independence, safety and confidence.