THE SPEECH PATHOLOGIST AND MANAGEMENT OF CHILDREN WITH TRACHEOSTOMIES

  • 1 January 1981
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 10  (6) , 440-448
Abstract
Troublesome airway problems necessitating the presence of a tracheostomy for extended periods of time are not uncommon in children. Little attention has been devoted to the communication problems these young patients encounter. Experience with 44 children with tracheostomies, some of whom are ventilator-dependent, at the Children''s Hospital of Philadelphia [USA] enabled a therapy program to be developed that will be useful to other speech professionals treating such patients. The speech pathologist must take an active role in the evaluation and management of these patients and the education of the family and hospital staff. The ultimate goal is to provide communicative and feeding skills to these handicapped children.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: