Appointments may take place during a hospital admission, at a Speech and Language Therapy Clinic, in your own home or over video call.
During your first appointment the Speech and Language Therapist will take a case history from you, including any relevant medical information. You (and your relative/ carer) will also be given an opportunity to describe the nature of your speech or swallowing problem and how this is affecting you.
The SLT will then review your difficulty in depth and may carry out an assessment. An initial assessment will help to identify if you have a speech, language or swallowing difficulty and the severity of this difficulty. It also allows the therapist to gather baseline data, to learn what you can do before starting speech therapy and to know where to begin.
Following the initial session you will discuss your goals for treatment together and make a plan as to what to do next. The type of treatment given will vary for each individual and depend on their specific needs and abilities. Timescales will also be agreed.
Treatment may involve:
- Specific communication strategies or diet modification advice.
- Lifestyle modifications/exercises to complete between sessions.
- A review appointment to chart your progress.
- Further appointments for therapy.
Your progress may be reviewed again at the end of a period of treatment and a decision will be made as to what happens next. You may be discharged, or offered further appointments.
