Which healthcare professional identifies communication disorders and swallowing problems and develops a care plan to meet improvement goals?

• A. Social Worker
• B. Physical Therapist
• C. Speech Therapist/Speech Language Pathologist (SLP)
• D. Dietitian

Answer: (C)

The professional who handles both identifying and treating communication and swallowing issues is the Speech-Language Pathologist. They assess how a person speaks, understands language, and uses swallowing muscles, then develop a targeted care plan with clear, improving goals. This plan guides therapy sessions that may include exercises to strengthen speech, strategies to improve intelligibility, and safe swallowing techniques to prevent aspiration. They also coordinate with the rest of the care team to ensure the plan fits medical status and nutrition needs. Other roles focus on different areas—social workers handle psychosocial needs and discharge planning, physical therapists address movement and function, and dietitians oversee nutrition—so they don’t cover both communication disorders and swallowing therapy as a primary responsibility.