What is Speech & Language Therapy?

Speech and language therapy (SLT) provides treatment, support and care for children and adults who have difficulties with communication, or with eating, drinking and swallowing. For children, speech and language therapists (SLTs) can play an incredibly important role. They can help children and young people to develop skills including attention and listening, speech fluency and stammering, as well as using other forms of communication such as signing & symbols.


What do SLTs do?

SLTs assess speech, language, cognitive-communication, and oral/feeding/swallowing skills. This lets them identify a problem and the best way to treat it.

SLTs will typically begin by carrying out assessments so that they can put together a plan to work towards desired outcomes. Therapists may then use a number of approaches to supporting a child.

• Language intervention activities: This involves a speech therapist (SLP) playing and talking with a child using pictures, books, objects, or things happening around them to help the child develop better language skills. The therapist might use the right words and grammar, repeat exercises, and make language learning fun.
  
  

• Articulation therapy: This helps children pronounce sounds and words correctly. The therapist demonstrates how to say sounds and words the right way, often while playing. The games and activities match the child's age and needs. For example, they might teach how to say the "r" sound and how to move the tongue to make other sounds.
  
  

• Oral-motor/feeding and swallowing therapy: Here, the SLP uses various exercises, like massages for the face and different tongue, lip, and jaw exercises. These exercises help strengthen the mouth muscles for activities like eating, drinking, and swallowing. The therapist may also introduce different types of food textures and temperatures to help the child become more aware of their mouth while eating and swallowing.

Neurodiversity & SLT…

Neurodiverse children often communicate differently - they may find using words difficult, for example, or find it hard to understand non-verbal cues in conversation. SLTs can work with you and your child to plan strategies and implement techniques to develop your child’s communication skills.


How can parents help?

Parents can play a big role in the success of SLT - you can ask your SLT for any at-home activities that you can do between sessions, to ensure continued progress.