20% Project- Driving Question

Question: How is technology used in Speech/Language Pathology?

I decided to do my 20% project on "How technology is used in Speech/Language Pathology" because I would like to learn more about the use of technology within speech therapy. Speech and language has always interested me and I want to be able to help people who cannot speak or who have difficulty with speaking.  My passion is working with children and I hope to one day become a Speech Pathologist within a school.  When I was assigned this project, I thought it would be very interesting to learn about how technology is used as a therapy tool in Speech Pathology.  After a little research, I found that technology is used to motivate patients and help them practice their speech/language skills. Many different educational apps are now being used in therapy to collect data, record conversational samples, and to motivate students.  The use of technology can aid in the efficiency of treatment of speech/language disorders by keeping the attention and motivation of the students.  Because language is social, the use of technology is just a therapy tool for gaining the student's attention so that more opportunities for interaction can occur. Different types of technology such as iPads and computers are now used in speech therapy.  These motivate the patient to keep on practicing because it is fun.  The versatility of iPads and tablets allows a speech pathologist to use them with a wide range of people that have different diagnoses and needs. Technology is always growing and changing and it will continue to be a very useful tool within Speech/Language Pathology.