Chapter 1 ? introduction

Introduction

What’s in a name?

What is speech, and how is it different to language?

Speech therapist, speech and language therapist or speech and language pathologist?

A protected title

A relatively new profession

Who do we work with and where?

Client mix

Communication disorders

Autism / autistic spectrum conditions (ASC)

Hearing loss and deafness

Adults

Can I choose just to work with one client group?

Does this book cover all the conditions and clients I might encounter?

What qualifications do you need to be an SLT?

Applying for a speech and language therapy pre-registration course

How do we work with service users?

Diversity in speech and language therapy

Diversity within the workforce

Bilingualism and multilingualism

Summary

References

Chapter 2 ? core skills for speech and language therapists

Biomedical sciences

Linguistics: the anatomy of language

Syntax

Grammar

Morphology

Why do SLTs need to know about linguistics?

Adults with acquired language disorders such as aphasia

Transcribing speech

Phonetics versus phonology

Eating, drinking and swallowing (eds)

Psychology, sociology and education

Research skills

Professional skills

Evidence-based practice and your own views

Emotion, empathy and supporting clients

‘I know it works!’ is not evidence

Colloquial and professional language

Your social media identity and presence

Ethical dilemmas

Clinical skills

Combining clinical and academic learning

Travel as a student and therapist

Meeting your own needs

Is working harder more professional?

Summary

References

Chapter 3 ? the care pathway: from referral to discharge

Developmental and congenital conditions

Progressive conditions

Acquired conditions

Assessment

Informal assessment

Interviews and impact on the client and family

Diagnosis

Differentiating diagnosis from aetiology

Differentiating risk factors from aetiology

Referring agents

Therapy

Therapy packages

Where is therapy delivered?

Who delivers therapy?

What does therapy involve and how is it different to teaching?

Outcome measures

Types of outcome measure

Patient reported outcome measures (proms)

Discharge

Other SLT roles

Summary

References

Chapter 4 ? professional organisations and equity, diversity and belonging

Professional organisations

Which organisations exist?

Are membership organisations trade unions?

Is the HCPC a membership organisation?

Student membership

Preceptorship

Costs and benefits of membership

Private practice

Membership organisation web sites

Equity, diversity and belonging (EDB)

What is equity?

What is diversity?

What is belonging?

Current challenges: the workforce

Summary

References

Chapter 5 ? learning: academic learning, clinical skills learning and reflective practice

Simulated learning

Reflection

Written case studies

Clinical placement learning

I don’t know about this caseload. How can I complete a placement before I’ve received the teaching?

How can I engage with a clinical placement I’m not interested in working in after I qualify?

Portable skills

Placement settings

Making the most of a clinical placement

Activities during clinical placement

Innovative placement experiences

Dress code for clinical placements

Religious needs during clinical placement

Making notes in lectures, seminars and tutorials

Session recordings

Making notes

Working with your peers

A typical timetable

How will I be assessed?

Specialist competencies, including eating, drinking and swallowing

Summary

References

Chapter 6 ? speech sound disorders

Speech sound disorders (SSDs)

Acquiring speech

Speech versus language

Are words a figment of your imagination?

The speech code

Voiced versus voiceless contrasts

Try this!

Contrasting the place of articulation

Contrasting the manner of articulation

Phonemes, phones and allophones

Accent and dialects

Age of acquisition

Speech sound disorders (SSDs)

Assessment of speech

IPA script

Two ‘n’s

The IPA chart

Upside down ‘r’

Prevocalic /s/ di-clusters and tri-clusters with voiced second segments

Denoting syllables

Types of speech sound disorder (SSD)

Articulation disorder - distortions

Articulation disorder with phonological implications

Phonological processes

How many examples of a phonological processes are needed to confirm its presence?

Is the struggle real?

Phonological delay (pd)

More complex SSDs

Consistent phonological disorder (CPD)

Inconsistent phonological disorder (IPD)

Therapy for SSDs

Success in treatment

Therapy aims: Children don’t ‘stop stopping’!

Phonological awareness

Phonological awareness tasks in speech therapy

Listening tasks in therapy

Is phonological awareness helpful for children with SSD?

Dummy (pacifier) usage

Tongue-tie (ankyloglossia)

Cleft lip and palate

Velopharyngeal incompetence or insufficiency (VPI)

Bilingualism and speech sound disorders (SSDs)

Case study

Summary

References

Chapter 7 ? language: children’s language difficulties, DLD and adult aphasia

Language difficulties, and developmental language disorder (DLD)

Language difficulties under 5 years of age

Current language diagnoses

Speech, language and communication needs (SLCN)

Developmental language disorder (DLD)

Languages are all valid, including sign

Assessment of language skills: verbal comprehension

Assessment of language skills: expression

A language sample

Vocabulary (semantics)

Poverty, deprivation and language development

Therapy for language disorders

Techniques you may encounter

Adults with language difficulties: DLD, aphasia and dysphasia

Aphasia

Summary

References

Chapter 8 ? bilingualism and speech, language and communication needs (SLCN)

Speech and language disorders when speaking two or more languages

Monolingual speaker

Bilingual speaker

Language other than English (LOTE)

English as an additional language (EAL)

Code switching

Speech and language therapy: a home language, holistic approach

Bilingualism is never the cause of an SLCN

Do you need to be bilingual to work with bilingual clients?

I’m bilingual, do I have to specialise in bilingualism?

What’s your language called?

Speech sound disorders (SSDs) in a bilingual or LOTE context

Language difficulties or developmental language disorder in a bilingual or LOTE context

The role of poverty and deprivation (socio-economic status or SES)

Should children speak English, the language of education?

Working in the child’s home language: working alongside an interpreter

Styles of interpreting

Translating information

Challenges of working with interpreters

Working in a child’s home language: assessment and therapy materials

Outcomes of therapy

Summary

Further reading

References

Chapter 9 ? specialisms within speech and language therapy

Specialisms within speech and language therapy

The generalist

Specialist, and highly specialist roles

What counts as a specialism?

Consultants

Specialism case study example: voice exploration for trans and non-binary people

Voice

Phonation, pitch, loudness and resonance

Trans and non-binary people and vocal changes

Assessment of the voice for trans and non-binary people

Objective, computerised assessment of voice

Voice exploration: making the change

Example of an exercise using visual feedback

Cultural awareness

Intersectionality

Further reading

References

Chapter 10 ? frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Studying speech and language therapy

Clinical placements

Speech and language diagnostic terms

Aetiologies

Care planning

The team around the client

Service delivery

Technical terminology relating to speech and language therapy

Frequently encountered assessments and therapy programmes

Assessments and therapy packages for language difficulties or developmental language disorder (DLD)

Assessments for speech sound disorders (SSDs)

Example of an assessment for aphasia

References

Appendices

Appendix 1 ? list of membership organisations across the globe

Appendix 2 ? brief procedure for assessing children’s speech

Appendix 3 ? the international phonetic alphabet

Index