What is a speech and language therapist (SALT)?
Speech and language therapists are qualified and regulated health professionals – who provide life-changing treatment, support and care for children and adults who have difficulties with communication, eating, drinking and swallowing.
They are one of the key Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) in the NHS.
Speech and language therapists help people who, for physical or psychological reasons, have problems speaking and communicating.
Patients range from children whose speech is slow to develop, to older people whose ability to speak has been impaired by illness or injury. It also includes treatment for those who have difficulty with eating or swallowing.
Variety is one of the most exciting things about being a speech and language therapist. As well as helping patients with a variety of conditions, they work in a multi-disciplinary team in different settings from hospitals to community clinics to patients’ homes.
Therapists help children with a variety of conditions including:
- Mild, moderate or severe learning difficulties
- Specific difficulties in producing sounds
- Hearing impairment
- Cleft lip and palate
- Stammering
- Voice disorders
- Delective mutism
- Developmental language disorder.
Therapists help adults with a variety of conditions including:
- Communication or eating and swallowing problems following neurological impairments and degenerative conditions, including stroke, head injury, Parkinson’s disease and dementia
- Voice problems
- Mental health issues
- Learning difficulties
- Physical disabilities
- Stammering
- Hearing impairment.
They also work closely with teachers and other health professionals, such as doctors, nurses and psychologists. Therapists also supervise the work of speech and language therapy assistants.
