Speech-language therapists (SLTs) are interested in communication – listening, understanding what people are saying, and talking. They can help figure out what might be making speaking and understanding tricky. They often have ways to make communicating easier for people. They understand how communication often impacts on other aspects of people’s lives, like how they feel, how they behave, how they learn, or their identity and culture. SLTs think that it is very important that people can talk in whatever language is important to them and their family, and they know being bilingual or multilingual is positive.

SLTs are not interested in ‘speaking properly’ or with a special accent. Instead, SLTs are interested in people being able to say what they want to say and be heard by others.

Speech-language therapists are highly trained professionals who have been taught about different things that can affect someone’s communication skills. Those might be things that the person was born with or things that happened later on in someone’s life.

SLTs in the TTANZ team have had special training in a wide range of communication difficulties including those that can happen when people have things like Autism (ASD), Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and hearing difficulties. They have also had training in working with people who have had a difficult time during childhood or in their family or who find managing behaviour and emotions difficult.

SLTs often work in a team with other professionals. They might work with teachers or other educators; health professionals like doctors, nurses, occupational therapists or physiotherapists; or social workers or mentors. They try to help others in the team understand how to communicate with the child or young person so that everyone can get their work done as easily as possible.