Plus de 700 000 Québécois ont besoin des services d'un orthophoniste ou d'un audiologiste

NEWS RELEASE

MAY IS COMMUNICATION MONTH

Speech-language pathologists and audiologists
could help more than 700,000 Quebecers
Montréal, May 7, 2001

- The Ordre des orthophonistes et audiologistes du Québec (OOAQ) is taking advantage of the fact that May is Communication Month in order to make people aware of the predominant role that communication has assumed in modern society, and the importance of seeing a speech-language pathologist or audiologist when communication problems arise.

An estimated three out of four jobs now require mental rather than manual skills. This workplace trend increases the demand for communication skills, and puts increasing pressure on those with problems in this area. "People whose ability to communicate is limited risk finding themselves isolated, left to fend for themselves, and often needlessly handicapped in their career opportunities and social lives," said OOAQ president Louis Beaulieu. "This illustrates the importance of consulting a professional of communication disorders, such as a speech-language pathologist or audiologist, to examine and treat these problems at an early stage, before they cause more serious damage."

A global phenomenon

Communication difficulties affect a substantial portion of the population in every society, with no regard for culture, language, or social status. Scientists and clinical practitioners around the world are working toward preventing, evaluating, and treating communication difficulties. This summer, the OOAQ will be hosting the 25th World Congress of the International Association of Logopedics and Phoniatrics (IALP), which will bring together more than 1,000 speech-language pathologists and audiologists from the four corners of the globe to learn about the latest research in the field. This will be IALP's first meeting in Canada, and only its second in North America. The event will take place from August 5 to 9, at the Palais des Congrès in Montréal.

Thousands are affected

It is estimated that more than 700,000 Québecers are afflicted with temporary communication difficulties, or have a permanent disability of biological, functional, or psychosocial origin. Seeking the assistance of a speech-language pathologist or audiologist can make a real difference. In addition to their primary role of evaluation, they prescribe appropriate aids and set up personalized education, adaptation, and rehabilitation programs, which are designed to foster social integration.

Occupational deafness affects more than 60% of workers in the manufacturing industry. More than 400,000 Québec workers are exposed to noise levels in excess of 85 dB/8 hours, which is 10 dB higher than the threshold that the World Health Organization considers critical.

More than 15% of preschoolers and school-aged children experience delayed communication or communication problems, with 8% afflicted with dysphasia or stuttering. This means that the development and school integration of more than 140,000 children is at risk.

One out of three people over the age of 65 has impaired hearing due to age. The rate climbs to one out of every two after age 75.

An estimated 10% of Québecers have experienced tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, without external stimuli. This number include thousands of adults between the ages of 40 and 80 whose daily lives are severely handicapped due to disrupted sleep, irritability, difficulty concentrating, depression, etc.

Every year, Québec sees as many as 4,000 new cases of aphasia - major difficulty understanding, speaking, and reading due to brain damage resulting from a stroke, head injury, or tumor - including more than 20,000 Quebecers.

The importance of seeing a speech-language pathologist or audiologist

People coping with these types of communication difficulties face numerous problems, ranging from introversion to delayed development to depression and socioaffective or behavioural problems. Regardless of the severity of the difficulty that a person faces, the OOAQ feels that it is always better to intervene as early as possible, in order to prevent the problem from worsening and to preserve the quality of lives.

As the OOAQ president points out: "These communication difficulties not only have an impact on the social, academic, or professional integration of those afflicted, but also on their entire family and social setting. Fortunately, there are professional services and aids that can greatly improve the quality of their lives. There should be no reluctance to turn to them at an early stage, not only for the sake of the sufferers and those close to them, but also to avoid the even greater social costs caused by learning difficulties and social integration."

Where to go

There are close to 200 audiologists and approximately 900 speech-language pathologists in Québec. Audiologists examine and treat hearing problems; while speech-language pathologists deal with difficulties involving voice, speech, and language. Both offer their services in schools, CLSCs, hospitals, rehabilitation centres, nursing homes, and long-term care facilities, as well as privately.

Unfortunately, although the services offered through public institutions have the advantage of being free, the number of available professionals is currently too low to keep up with demand. To learn more about the situation in your area, contact your local health facility. Visits to a private practitioner are often covered by private health insurance plans, subject to certain conditions. To find out what private services are available in your area, click on Où consulter at the OOAQ website (www.ooaq.qc.ca)