Speech and Language Therapists work with people who have difficulty communicating and eating/drinking/swallowing. These difficulties can occur as a result of;
- brain injuries (e.g. stroke, traumatic brain injury)
- progressive neurologicalconditions (e.g. Parkinson’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Motor Neuron Disease, Dementia)
- other medical or surgical conditions (e.g. respiratory, gastrointestinal problems, patients who have had a tracheostomy inserted, Ear, Nose and Throat problems)
- Mental health conditions
Difficulties may include:
Dysarthria: Dysarthria is a speech disorder resulting from weakness or incoordination of the muscles used for speech. Speech may sound quiet or nasalised and speech sounds may appear slurred or be slow and laboured.
Apraxia of Speech: Apraxia of Speech is a speech disorder resulting from difficulty putting speech sounds together.
Aphasia: Aphasia is a disorder of language which can result in difficulties with understanding, speaking, reading and writing. It is caused by brain damage from a stroke, head injury, brain tumour or other neurological condition.
Voice Disorders: Voice disorders can result from many different causes including muscle tension, psychological factors, structural abnormalities, laryngeal conditions and neurological conditions. Voice problems may lead to changes voice quality.
Difficulty Communicating: People with dementia and with mental health disorders, such as schizophrenia may have difficulty communicating and interacting with others.
Dysphagia: Dysphagia is a difficulty eating, drinking and/or swallowing foods and liquids.
We aim to ensure all assessments and treatments provided are evidence based and in line with current best practice. All staff are involved in a programme of continuing professional development and we regularly evaluate and audit our practices and treatment outcomes to ensure a high standard of service provision.
We provide a wide range of diagnostic assessments and treatments including:
- Videofluoroscopy
- Fiberoptic evaluation of swallowing (FEES)
- High Resolution Manometry
- Videostroboscopy
- Vitalstim
- Lee Silverman Voice Therapy (LSVT)
Information leaflets
Links to information leaflets
