Who We Help
Speech-language therapists work across a wide range of settings including:
– Ministry of Education
– Ministry of Health
– NGOs
– Private Practice
– Board of Trustees; and
– The tertiary sector.
Speech-language Therapists work with both children and adults with a wide variety of communication and swallowing difficulties. Below is a list of difficulties/disorders that may be assessed and treated by a Speech language Therapist.
Children
Speech-language Therapists work with children with the following difficulties/disorders:
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Speech difficulties or delays
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Receptive language (language understanding) difficulties or delays
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Expressive language (language use) difficulties or delays
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Stuttering
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Voice difficulties
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Specific speech disorders (typically Developmental Verbal Dyspraxia or Childhood Apraxia of Speech, or speech difficulties associated with Hearing Impairment)
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Complex needs (e.g. children with Down Syndrome or Cerebral Palsy)
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Social communication difficulties (such as those associated with Autistic Spectrum Disorder)
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Feeding and/or swallowing difficulties
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Reading and writing difficulties
The Ministry of Education’s Communication Service employs speech-language therapists who support children with high communication needs in schools. The support focuses on students between 5 and 8 years of age who have high communication needs as well as their families/ whānau and teachers. To find out more visit the Ministry of Education’s website.
If your child does not qualify for the Ministry of Education support and privately funding speech-language therapy for your child in not an option then you may qualify for the Extraordinary Care Fund.
Adults
Speech-language Therapists work with adults with the following difficulties/disorders:
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Speech difficulties following stroke
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Language difficulties following stroke
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Speech and/or language difficulties following a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
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Voice difficulties(including those associated with disorders such as Parkinson’s Disease)
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Stuttering
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Swallowing difficulties
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Language and social communication difficulties associated with disorders such as Dementia
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Reading and writing difficulties following stroke or TBI
Many of these client or disorder groups are assessed and treated solely by a Speech-language Therapist, while others may be assessed and treated as part of a health or education team. For information about Speech-language Therapy services in your area, click here.