Elizabeth Robson, our regional Speech and Language Therapist, works with our young people to remove barriers to communication and enable them to use different tools to communicate successfully.
As part of our regional therapeutic team, our Speech and Language Therapists, support students in speech, language, and communication needs (SLCN). Communication is central to every aspect of a child’s life, serving as the foundation for learning, social connections, self-esteem and quality of life. All of our therapists are registered members of Health Care Professionals Council (HCPC) and Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT).
What Speech and Language Therapy Does
The therapy process begins with assessment and target setting to identify specific individual needs. Following assessment, depending on the young person’s needs we then would offer targeted 1:1 support or group interventions and support is embedded directly into the student’s school environment, and collaborative work is done with school staff and families.
Key areas of focus include:
- Building communication confidence. Communicating needs and feelings, so they can ask for help, say what they want, and share how they feel.
- Understanding instructions, for things like getting dressed, following routines, or joining in with others.
- Social interaction, talking with family, making friends, and playing with others.
- Learning and schoolwork, understanding lessons, accessing the curriculum, asking questions, and taking part in class.
- Building clarity in speech and the ability to be understood in speech.
- Building independence, using language to make choices and solve problems in daily life.
- Establishing a total communication approach, different methods, such as signing or augmentative and alternative (AAC) technology are used to communicate with others.
We aim to support you by:
- To develop your confidence in supporting speech, language and communication needs.
- Increasing your knowledge about how to support speech, language and communication needs either in the home or classroom.
- Develop new skills to use to support speech, language and communication needs.
Impact on Student Lives
One of the primary impacts of Speech and Language Therapy is improving communication skills. Students gain the means and confidence to express their thoughts, feelings, needs, and choices. Working with therapists, teachers, and families ensures that strategies are consistent across home and school. It gives students the opportunity to navigate their environment with greater independence, fostering a sense of being understood and valued within their school community. This joint work with students, families and professionals enables students to have improved communication and quality of life for themselves and their families.