The term ‘Speech and Language Therapy’ is a misleading one for it suggests that with ‘therapy’ the child with communication difficulties will somehow be taught or made to ‘speak’. Speech and Language therapists are, in fact, trained to assess and identify areas of difficulties with communication, speech and language and therein recommend the suitable mode of communication for each individual child.
Speech and Language therapists are trained to assess and provide intervention for children with:
- Speech Difficulties: Articulation (pronunciation) difficulties, lisping and stammering.
- Language Difficulties: Difficulties with understanding and/or using language as is found in developmental language disorders.
- Communication Difficulties: This could be due to disabilities such as Autism Spectrum Disorders, Hearing Impairments, Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome etc.
Speech and Language Therapists are also trained to assess and provide intervention for children with moderate to severe disabilities like Cerebral Palsy, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Intellectual Impairments, Hearing Impairments, Down Syndrome etc. where in the ability to use verbal communication is limited or none. Such children can also communicate through other modes such called AACs (Alternative & Augmentative Communication). These are alternative communication systems such as Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) or apps such as Avaz and Proloquo2Go where children use pictures and/or written words to express their needs and thoughts.
Why pictures? Because pictures are a 'universal' language which means that anyone can understand a picture. This makes communication for the non-verbal child very motivating and easy as people respond to their requests instantly and hence the motivation to communicate is reinforced. Our speech and language therapists provide all the above mentioned services.