Tor Bank School

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Speech and Language Therapy in Tor Bank School

The Speech and Language Therapy Team working in Tor Bank School are employed by the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust (BHSCT).

 The Speech and Language Therapists (SLTs) are all registered members of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) and the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).

Speech and Language Therapy Assistants provide support under the supervision and direction of a Speech and Language Therapist

 

The SLT Team provide a specialist service and are responsible for assessing, planning, delivering and evaluating support for children and young adults with a wide range of communication difficulties including speech, language, voice and fluency; and children who have difficulty with eating, drinking or swallowing.

Speech and Language Therapy is delivered collaboratively alongside Education staff, parents and other members of the multi-disciplinary and specialist teams.

Examples of this provision include:-

  • Providing advice and information
  • Workforce development, including training, coaching and modelling support for Education staff
  • Supporting educational target setting and access to the curriculum through information sharing, consultation and training
  • Supporting education staff to develop communication supportive practice and good communication environments throughout the school
  • Working with families to devise agreed goals in order to provide skills to best support their needs e.g. parent drop-in clinics and training workshops. Parents are encouraged to play an active role in supporting their child by carrying out speech and language activities at home
  • Working with other professionals and members of the multi-disciplinary team involved in a child's care

 

This collaborative working ensures that the child’s speech and language targets are embedded and implemented in their learning across a range of settings in the school. This approach to therapy means that the pupils have supported access to the curriculum and their potential to learn, develop and generalise skills is maximised. The speech and language support for each pupil is matched to their linguistic, social and educational needs.

The type and amount of SLT input required by each child will be decided following assessment of a child’s speech and language/communication skills. The type and amount of input a child needs may change over time.

 

 The Speech and Language Therapy input may be delivered in a variety of forms, such as:

  • communication groups
  • class-based intervention for a specific child
  • whole class approaches
  • 1:1 intervention

 

 SLT facilitate Inclusive Communication through promoting the development of speech, language and communication skills and create opportunities for positive communication.

 This may include introducing and implementing use of supports for verbal and non-verbal skills e.g. through the use of visual supports in the form of objects, pictures or symbols e.g. PECS; Makaton signing; and low and high tech Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC).

All forms of communication are celebrated and encouraged for pupils in Tor Bank.

 

 

SLT are part of a trans-disciplinary, cross-curricular Communication Team within the school; which strives to implement and develop Inclusive Communication.

Our school is Makaton Friendly and widely makes use of Makaton to support children’s learning. The use of Widgit symbols is encouraged to develop both spoken and written comprehension and expression.

The school also promotes the use of a range of AAC including Core Vocabulary boards; eye gaze technology; iPad apps and voice output devices to support individual pupil’s communication as necessary.

Eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties

For children experiencing difficulties with eating, drinking or feeding (dysphagia) the Speech and Language Therapist will support children by:

  • Carrying out a detailed assessment of a child's eating, drinking and swallowing skills at school
  • Offering guidance to ensure safe eating and drinking, using appropriate strategies that promote safe and adequate nutritional support
  • Working with their family, education staff and other members of the multidisciplinary team involved

 

 

Please do not hesitate to contact us on 02895041009

 

Tor Bank School

5 Dunlady Road

Dundonald

BT16 1TT