BTSC Staff Nurse 31 July-2025
Fundamental of Nursing
Easy

Which therapy is used to improve communication ability?

Appeared in: BTSC Staff Nurse 31 July-2025

Explanation

  • Speech therapy is the specialized health profession dedicated to the assessment and treatment of communication disorders.
  • It is delivered by Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) who address problems with speech (articulation, fluency), language (understanding and using words), and social communication (pragmatics).
  • The primary goal is to enhance a person's ability to communicate effectively, which directly matches the question's focus.
  • Evidence shows that speech-language therapy is effective for improving many aspects of language and speech, making a timely referral crucial.

Why Other Options Were Wrong

  • Option A: Behavioural therapy focuses on changing patterns of behaviour. While communication is a behaviour, this therapy does not primarily address the mechanics of speech and language production or comprehension.
  • Option C: Occupational therapy's main goal is to help people perform activities of daily living (ADLs). While communication is part of daily life, OT focuses on improving the functional skills needed for independence in tasks like dressing, eating, and working.
  • Option D: Physiotherapy, or physical therapy, deals with restoring physical movement, strength, and function. Its focus is on gross motor skills and mobility, not on speech or language.

Related Visual

Visual explanation — Related Visual
Clinical Relevance
  • Nursing practice connection: Knowing Roles and primary functions of different rehabilitative therapies helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
  • Nurses are often the first to identify patients with communication difficulties (e.g., post-stroke aphasia, slurred speech) and must initiate referrals to a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP).
  • Collaboration between nursing and speech therapy is vital for patient safety, especially in cases of dysphagia (swallowing difficulty), to implement correct feeding strategies and prevent aspiration pneumonia.
  • What if? A patient has clear thoughts but cannot form words after a stroke (expressive aphasia). The priority referral is to Speech Therapy. If the patient also has weakness on one side of their body (hemiparesis), a concurrent referral to Physiotherapy is also essential.
How to Approach the Question
  • First, identify the key phrase in the question: 'improve communication ability'.
  • Next, analyze each option and recall its primary function.
  • Evaluate 'Behavioural therapy': This relates to modifying behavior, not the core mechanics of communication.
  • Evaluate 'Speech therapy': The name itself directly links to speech and communication.
  • Evaluate 'Occupational therapy': This relates to daily tasks and 'occupations'.
  • Evaluate 'Physiotherapy': This relates to physical body movement.
Concept Tested & Keywords
  • Concept Tested: Roles and primary functions of different rehabilitative therapies.
  • Stem keywords: therapy, improve, communication ability
  • Lead-in keywords: Which

Question ID

QSdDFFMjQddoYMsyObLlQ1

Reference Book

E6 Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics(2024) — Volume 1 p. 378-380

E6 Guide to Mental Health & PSYCHIATRIC NURSING R Sreevani— Part 1 (pp 26-289 of 579) p. 163-165

E6 Robert Boland, Marcia L. Verduin - Kaplan and Sadock's Comprehensive Text of Psychiatry-Wolters Kluwer Health (2024) (pp 1-16525 of 16525) p. 11977-11979

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