Speech, Language and Communication Needs
Speech, language and communication skills overlap.
Speech sounds join together to form words, which are combined into sentences and conversations as part of language which is shared with other people as communication.
Who will benefit from Occupational Therapy?
Who will benefit from Speech & Language Therapy support?
Who needs our support?
Who will benefit from Speech & Language Therapy support in Early Years?
Who needs our support?
Why is Speech & Language support so important at Primary School?
Who will benefit from speech & language therapy support?
How can speech & language therapy support make a difference for students?
Who will benefit from Speech & Language Therapy support?
Who needs our support?
Where Are We Based?
What is Speech and Language Therapy?
Speech and language therapy at WMSLT provides assessment, treatment, support and advice for children and young adults who have difficulties with speech, language and communication.
Speech and language therapists (SLTs) are allied health professionals. At WMSLT we are all members of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT).
We work with parents, carers and many other professionals, such as SENCOs, classroom teachers and support staff, Pupil School Support teachers, Educational Psychologists as well as medical practitioners including health visitors, school nurses and doctors.
Benefits of working with West Midlands
Speech & Language Therapy
Who Needs Speech and Language Therapy ?
Communication is a vital skill that all children need to learn and difficulties with speech, language and communication can impact on a child’s educational attainment, social and emotional wellbeing and their potential to lead a full and enriched life. The need for speech and language therapy will depend on
- The areas of speech, language and communication they struggle with
- How severely these areas are affected and the impact of these difficulties
A speech & language therapist can support a child or young person with the development of:
- speech sounds
- fluency (stammering)
- understanding of language. Also known as receptive skills
- production of language. Also known as expressive skills
- social skills or pragmatic skills
Some children may have difficulty in only one of these areas. Others may have difficulty in more than one. Some children may have difficulties that can be helped quite easily. Others may have greater needs. Some children will have life-long difficulties that will affect them significantly.
Sometimes children develop their skills in the usual way, but at a slower rate. This is often called a ‘delay’ or ‘delayed speech and language development’. Sometimes children may have specific difficulties with speech and language, and this is called ‘DLD’, which stands for developmental language disorder.
Where can the service be provided?
Speech & Language Therapy is best provided a child’s daily setting, this might include the child’s home, nursery schools, children’s centres/clinics, mainstream primary and secondary schools as well as in specialist provision for young children and adults. WMSLT work with children and young adults within their educational setting.
How can a speech & language therapist help?
A speech & language therapist can support a child or young person with the development of:
- Speech sounds
- Fluency (stammering)
- Understanding of language. Also known as receptive skills
- Production of language. Also known as expressive skills
- Social skills or pragmatic skills
Some children may have difficulty in only one of these areas. Others may have difficulty in more than one. Some children may have difficulties that can be helped quite easily. Others may have greater needs. Some children will have life-long difficulties that will affect them significantly.
Sometimes children develop their skills in the usual way, but at a slower rate. This is often called a ‘delay’ or ‘delayed speech and language development’. Sometimes children may have specific difficulties with speech and language, and this is called ‘DLD’, which stands for developmental language disorder.
Further Information
Further information about speech and language therapy can be found at:
https://www.ican.org.uk/about-us/
http://www.thecommunicationtrust.org.uk/
https://www.rcslt.org/
https://www.thecommunicationtrust.org.uk/media/2612/communication_difficulties_-_facts_and_stats.pdf
https://www.talkingpoint.org.uk
‘What Works’: Interventions for children and young people with speech, language and communication needs Document:
Click Here for ‘What Works’ Document
