Speech and Language Therapy
Our on-site Speech & Language Therapy (SLT) department offers support for students who have difficulties with:
- Communication
- Speech
- Language
- Social communication skills
- Eating and drinking
- Hearing
Our SLTs complete detailed assessments, observations and consultations to identify appropriate support for each student. We aim to help all our students optimise their communication abilities to access education, build social relationships and develop independence skills. SLT input takes place in a number of ways:
- Individual and/or group sessions, often including joint sessions with other professionals
- Working with the student in class
- Development of bespoke visual support resources for individual students, such as visual timetables and social stories
- Training for key staff and parents
- Monitoring and advice
Therapy input is as likely to happen in the classroom, the house or out in the community as it is in a designated therapy room.
The SLT department is committed to our multi-disciplinary approach and we are key members of a number of teams, for example:
- Multi-Disciplinary Team for each class group, which meets regularly to discuss students’ needs and agree targets
- Complex Access to Technology (CAT) Team, which assesses and monitors students’ equipment and software needs for communication and education access
- Nutrition Team (NT), which works to ensure that students are well nourished, eat and drink safely and have the appropriate assistance and equipment
For students who need Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) systems to help them communicate, we offer assessment and on-going support, with a range of equipment to trial as part of assessment. We have expertise with a wide range of AAC systems, including personalised communication books and hi-tech voice-output technology. We also have close links with the Specialist AAC Assessment Centres, in particular the Ace Centre.
As part of Treloar’s Total Communication Support Policy, we value all forms of communication and the SLT department provide training and support in the use of symbols, Makaton signing, sensory cues, speech, non-verbal communication and AAC.
Picture Communication Symbols are used throughout the School and College to support our students’ access to information, communication and learning.