Speech and Language Therapy

This book provides a comprehensive guide to the varied and fascinating work of speech and language therapists, exploring how this stimulating Allied Health Profession draws on phonetics, linguistics and biomedical sciences to support communication and swallowing across the lifespan. The book clearly explains the distinctions between speech and language, guiding readers through core knowledge and clinical skills including speech transcription, language analysis and anatomy of the upper body and vocal tract. Topics covered span developmental conditions such as Speech Sound Disorder and Developmental Language Disorder, acquired conditions including stroke and head injury, progressive conditions such as Parkinson's disease and dementia, and feeding and swallowing difficulties. The text reflects the breadth of modern practice by including specialist areas such as working with bilingual children and supporting transgender and gender-diverse people with voice exploration. It demonstrates how therapists assess, diagnose and provide effective treatments informed by the latest research, while also exploring study pathways, clinical placement challenges and career development within the profession. A comprehensive FAQ chapter demystifies key terminology used by professionals in the field. Written by Sean Pert, an expert with extensive clinical and teaching experience, this book serves as an essential guide for students entering the field, healthcare professionals and anyone interested in understanding this unique profession.

Dr Sean Pert is Consultant Speech and Language Therapist (SLT), researcher, trainer and Senior Clinical Lecturer at the University of Manchester. Since qualifying in 1995, he has specialised in Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) in bilingual children, completing a PhD on the lack of code-switching as a clinical marker of DLD. His publications include research papers, book chapters, clinical assessments in multiple languages and influential textbooks. Sean established the first website for SLTs in the UK, www.speechtherapy.co.uk.

About the Author 1 Introduction 2 Core skills for speech and language therapists 3 The care pathway from referral to discharge 4 Professional organisations and equity, diversity and belonging 5 Academic learning, clinical skills learning and reflective practice 6 Speech Sound Disorders 7 Children's Language Difficulties, Developmental Language Disorder and adult aphasia 8 Bilingualism and Speech, Language and Communication Needs 9 Specialisms within speech and language therapy 10 Frequently asked questions Appendix 1: List of membership organisations across the globe Appendix 2: Procedure for assessing children's speech including English age norms Appendix 3: The International Phonetic Alphabet (revised to 2015) Index