Rehabilitation in the context of speech-language pathology refers to the therapeutic process of restoring or improving communication and swallowing functions that have been lost or impaired due to injury, illness, or developmental conditions. It encompasses a broad range of interventions aimed at helping individuals regain skills such as speech production, language comprehension/expression, cognitive-communication, or safe swallowing by capitalizing on neuroplasticity and learned strategies.
Rehabilitation is highly individualized and goal-oriented: clinicians assess the person’s impairments and functional needs, then provide structured practice, compensatory techniques, and environmental modifications to maximize independence in everyday activities. In SLP practice, rehabilitation is crucial for conditions like post-stroke aphasia, traumatic brain injury, or voice and swallowing disorders, with the SLP guiding patients to achieve their optimal level of communicative function and quality of life.
Palmer, Rebecca, and Apoorva Pauranik. 2021. “Rehabilitation of Communication Disorders.” In Clinical Pathways in Stroke Rehabilitation: Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Recommendations, ed. Thomas Platz. Cham, CH: Springer. Link
Gillen, Glen (ed.). 2016. Stroke Rehabilitation: A Function-Based Approach, 4th ed. St. Louis: Elsevier.
