Speech language pathology involves the diagnosis and treatment of speech, swallowing, voice, cognitive-communication and language disorders. A speech language pathologist (also sometimes called a speech therapist) is someone who has received specialized training in helping patients who have communication and swallowing difficulties. Communication and swallowing problems can result from a variety of causes such as a stroke, brain injury, learning disabilities, cerebral palsy, hearing loss, neurological disease or developmental delay. Cognitive communication troubles may result in memory, attention, and other thinking problems.