Speech and Language Therapy

Helping young people to find their voice

Imagine not being able to speak. Imagine not being able to voice your concerns, fears, joys and excitement.

This is the reality for most of our young people when they arrive at Dame Hannah Rogers Trust. As a result there can be immense frustration, which in turn can lead to anger and aggressive behaviour. Conversely young people may become withdrawn and fearful of interaction.

The powerful transformation begins immediately when the team of highly skilled speech and language therapists interact with and assess each individual to enable them to communicate in a way that is practical and beneficial to the learning and independence. Furthermore, constant access to this incredible support means that every young person is nurtured to develop their communication skills boldly and confidently at every opportunity.

Good communication is fundamental to all aspects of life. Learning how to interact socially and developing independence relies on communication skills.

Therapists work with all of our young people to help them with speech and language difficulties. They also help develop the Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) skills of those youngsters with little or no speech.

Therapists maintain close contact with all departments to ensure youngsters are actively encouraged to use and develop their communication skills throughout their waking hours.

Young people take part in individual and group speech therapy sessions while therapists are also actively involved in classroom based activities too. Having fun is an important part of learning to communicate and games provide excellent opportunities to practise new skills.

Thanks to our excellent team the Trust has developed an enviable reputation for the assessment and implementation of AAC. A young person will use a range of electronic voice-output communication aids on a short-term basis prior to seeking funding for the purchase of equipment most suited to their individual needs.

The hard work youngsters put into learning to communicate effectively is celebrated by the awarding of certificates for specific achievements. Many youngsters also work towards externally accredited qualifications in communication.

The Trust is working towards becoming a Total Communication Environment - a place where all forms of communication are respected. In practise this means that all members of staff and volunteers receive ongoing training to understand and, where appropriate, to use all the systems of communication that the young people use. This includes signing and the use of symbols