 Speech
and Language Therapy
Speech
and Language Therapists (SLTs) are allied health professionals.
They work with children and adults who have difficulties with
communication or with eating, drinking and swallowing.
SLTs for
children and young people work closely with parents and carers
and with other professionals, such as:
- teachers
- education
support services
- psychologists
- health
visitors
- doctors
There
are around 10,000 practising SLTs in the UK. The National
Health Service employs most of these. Other therapists work
for education services or charities.
SLTs for
children and young people work with:
Children
and young people who have
- delayed
language development
- specific
language impairment
- specific
difficulties in producing speech sounds
- mild,
moderate or severe learning difficulties
- physical
disabilities
- hearing
impairment
- visual
impairment
- cleft
palate
- stammering
- autism
or social interaction difficulties
- dyslexia
related to problems with speech or language difficulties
- voice
disorders
- selective
mutism
Babies,
children and young people who have
- feeding
and swallowing difficulties
SLTs use
their specialist skills to assess, diagnose and develop care
plans for intervention for their clients. They recognise the
importance of working with those people who spend the most
time with the child or young person. Much of their work is
in training others and empowering parents and education staff
to meet the child's communication or feeding needs within
the child's everyday life.
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