The Role of a Children's Speech and Language Therapist
Speech and language therapists (SLTs), also known as speech therapists or speech-language pathologists (SLPs), have specialist skills to work with babies, children and young people up to 18 years old, and their families to support communication, and eating, drinking, and swallowing skills.
Our children's speech and language therapist specialises in:
- Communication difficulties we can help with speech sound difficulties, DLD (Developmental language delay), Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC)
- Difficulties with eating, drinking and swallowing (dysphagia) we can help you with PDF (paediatric feeding disorder), tube feed weaning, food aversion, reflux and breast or bottle feeding difficulties. weaning problems, moving on to solids, fussy eaters/picky eaters and infant feeding
- Infant feeding challenges we offer support and strategies for breast/bottle feeding, weaning difficulties, moving on to solids, fussy eating/picky eating.
This may include:
- Assessment and strategies for eating, drinking, and swallowing safely
- Promoting mealtime routines that meet nutritional needs and create social and developmental opportunities for experiencing language, interaction skills, and importantly family connections
Our SLT also has specialist skills to support children with speech, language and communication differences associated with:
- Paediatric Feeding Disorders (PFD) including dysphagia, food aversion, fussy/picky eating
- Premature babies with delayed development
- Apraxia of speech
- Cleft lip and/or palate
- Physical disabilities such as cerebral palsy, genetic syndromes (e.g. Down syndrome, Fragile x)
- Acquired Brain Injury
- Cleft Lip & Palate
- Autism
