School-based speech-language therapy is designed to enhance the student’s ability to access and be successful in the learning environment, and their wider community. 

 

SLT programmes support students by addressing speech, language, social communication, cognitive-communication, and swallowing disorders.

 

Speech-Language Therapists (SLTs) develop programmes, liaise with other professionals, and source equipment to facilitate, for example:

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• Aided Language - supporting students to communicate in any way they can …                             ​Enable and encourage students to communicate in various ways - whatever is manageable for them. This can include speech, sign, eye gaze, writing, or pointing to pictures, for example. Effective communication requires a student to have enough words for communication to happen all the time throughout the day, for a range of messages, across a range of topics, in a range of environments. 

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• Language Therapy - support for both receptive and expressive language development to expand a student's vocabulary, and expand the reasons they communicate (such as greetings, comments, requests, humour and emotions) in order for them to express themselves and understand others.

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• Speech Therapy (articulation) - teaching students the correct ways to make speech sounds, creating clearer and more easily understood speech.

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• Dysphagia (swallowing) - observation, assessment, and management of students’ eating and drinking skills to promote safe swallowing, nutrition and increased quality of life.

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• Feeding / Food programmes – working with OTs and other professionals, the student and their whanau

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