There may be a number of factors involved with speech problems in an individual, and the appropriate speech therapy would depend on these factors.

Swallowing: Individuals may have swallowing difficulties which create speech problems and require speech therapy. The methods used to improve speech in this case will be determined by how severe the problem is. It could be anything from repetition to physical strengthening exercises - it all depends on what the individual requires.

Learning Deficiency: Another common speech problem is caused by learning deficiencies, and these occur more often in children than in adults. When this cause is identified as the reason for the speech problem, the speech therapy methods used would include repetition and training adapted to assist the individual to overcome the obstacles faced when learning to speak correctly.

Phonetics: Certain people have difficulties producing specific sounds that are necessary to communicate in a given language, such as the "r" sound and the "s" in people who lisp. Speech therapy for these individuals would be determined by how severe their deficiency is, but would usually include some kind of drilling (constant repetition) and intensive training to aid in developing the muscular movements that are necessary to produce these sounds.

Chronic Diseases: Many people have speech problems related to chronic diseases such as cerebral palsy or Alzheimer's disease, or severe conditions such as a stroke or brain injuries. Children may also develop speech problems from injuries that occur during the birth process. In all of these cases the speech therapy professional would have to do various assessments to determine the cause and develop a speech enhancement program based on the individual's specific needs.

Genetic Speech Problems: Speech therapy may also be needed in individuals who inherit certain speech abnormalities through their genes. These are intrinsic speech problems that may require specialized training depending on how severe the problems are. These problems can also affect many different speech-related functions and processes in the person's body, and so the speech therapist would need to clearly identify all the factors that contribute to the deficiency. This may require research into the individual's genetic background to ensure that nothing is missed and treated inaccurately.

Muscle Control: For speech problems that are related to muscle control, the speech therapy will consist largely of exercises designed to assist the individual in controlling the mouth muscles, as well as those of the tongue and throat - all the muscles that are needed for effective speech. This can involve using certain items like sucker sticks or straws to target certain muscles and increase the indivdual's control over them. The important thing with these exercises is that the individual should work closely with the speech therapist for optimal results.

Learning Aids: There are hundreds of methods used to combat speech problems and just as many factors that  influence which methods need to be exercised in speech therapy. Many therapists resort to the use of various learning aids to speed up the processes required to overcome these difficulties. These include flash cards and clever speech games to facilitate regular practice of a certain speech obstacle, toys and puppets to make the activities more fun for children, and various other aids that reinforce the theoretical training on a practical level.

No matter which methods are used during speech therapy, the most important factor that will influence the individual's development is regular practice of methods that make the theoretical training as practicable as possible for the individual concerned.