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Speech Language Therapy Service

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Overview

What is Speech Therapy?

Speech Therapy involves the assessment and management of various conditions affecting a person’s ability to speak, communicate, eat and drink.

Communication difficulties include language delays/disorders, social communication difficulties/disorders, speech sound disorders, stammering/stuttering and voice disorders. Children with communication difficulties may show some of the following:

  • Difficulty understanding or expressing him/herself at an age-appropriate level
  • Difficulty using language in social interactions
  • Mispronunciation or distortion of sounds
  • Disruption to the natural flow of speech
  • Abnormal pitch, loudness or quality of the sound produced

These may result in difficulties being able to understand and express themselves clearly or accurately, interacting with others, and/or with academic work.

Feeding and/or swallowing difficulties include infant feeding difficulties, pediatric feeding difficulties/disorders, problem feeding, oromotor difficulties/disorders and dysphagia. Children with feeding and/or swallowing difficulties may show some of the following:

  • Difficulties sucking on the bottle or breast
  • Irritability or excessive crying during feeding
  • Lethargy or lack of alertness during feeding
  • Extended feeding times (e.g. more than 30 minutes)
  • Coughing or gagging when feeding
  • Frequent vomiting
  • Picky about different textures of food or difficulties managing harder textures
  • Sensation of food or...
Last updated on 23 Dec 2024