Speech & Language Therapists

Speech-language therapists or SLPs, work with people who have problems with communication, speaking, thinking and swallowing. Speech refers to the actual sounds of spoken language and these can be affected when a person’s muscles for speaking are weaker or have been damaged or when motor planning changes the way these sounds are spoken or ordered. Language refers to a system of symbols and words that we use to communicate meaning. People can read, write, gesture, speak or use body language and eye contact to communicate. Speech-language therapists assess a person’s ability to think, use and understand language, speak and swallow. For some people, these difficulties are only temporary, for some they may be long lasting and for others, there may be problems that get worse over time which will lead to degraded abilities to communicate or eat. Once the speech therapist has identified what the difficulty or difficulties are, he/she will assist in developing a unique speech therapy plan  the patient and their family. Every person’s speech therapy plan is different and the frequency of treatment will vary depending on what the underlying problem is. Frequency of therapy may also change over time. A home or ward programme may be developed for the patient to conduct tasks more independently or with the help of a family member or carer. This aids skills learnt in therapy transfer into everyday activities. (Some of the best things in life are the ability to communicate and eat. If anybody has problems with these core areas, it is recommended that they be assessed by a speech-language therapist. )