Speech and Language Therapy

A typical programme of therapy involves:

• Assessment of clients in terms of their communication ability
• Provision of a Speech and Language Therapy report based on the assessment
• Recommendations for staff & parents
• Provision of individual, paired, or group therapy as appropriate
• Provision of SMARTT targets for therapy (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timed, Transferable)
• Provision of Action Plans (advice & guidance for embedding therapy in schools or at home)
• Advice on Conversation & Communication Strategies
• Training, advice and support to school & college staff, including Signalong sign language training
• Provision of specialist materials as needed

A typical SLT assessment comprises:

• Examination of existing diagnoses, especially noting any mention of hearing difficulties.
• Preparation of a Communication Profile including student’s self-assessment (e.g. for ease of communicating with friends, talking with "authority figures" etc); tests of various language skills of comprehension and expression  e.g. auditory memory, familiarity with figures of speech; motivation to make changes.
• Use of standardised vocabulary tests: e.g. British Picture Vocabulary Scales (BPVS), Adapted Comprehensive Receptive and Expressive Vocabulary Tests (ACREVT). Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals (CELF).
• Other relevant specialist tests, e.g. Renfrew, Friendship Skills Self-Assessment, Goodenough Draw-A-Man & Naglieri developmental assessments, SCAN-3 to assess Auditory Processing Difficulty.
• Physical observation.

Speech & Language Therapy