Biopsychosocial

• What is the role of a speech & language therapist?

  Provides support & care for children & adults who have difficulties with communication, eating & drinking

  Give tailored exercise & activities to practice in order to improve speech & language skills
• Who can refer to speech & language therapy?

  GP

  District nurse

  Health visitor

  Nursery staff

  Teacher

  Self referral
• What are the stages of acquiring language?

  Pre-birth stage

  Babbling stage

  Holophrastic stage

  2 word stage

  Telegraphic stage

  After telegraphic stage
• What is the pre-birth stage of acquiring language?

  Ear begins to function in 3rd trimester

  Foetus can discriminate between speech sounds & other sounds AND can distinguish mother’s voice from other

  NOTE: Children who are born with hearing loss generally have delayed speech by 4-5 months (miss this stage)
• What is the babbling stage of acquiring language?

  Around 6 months

  8 months -> babbling becomes more distinctive & like native language
• What is the holophrastic stage of acquiring language?

  12-18 months

  Start to use real words, often accompanied by pointing

  Use words to express emotion, ask for something & name objects
• What is the 2 word stage of acquiring language?

  Usually 18-24 months

  Enter this stage when they have around 50 words

  Start to put together words

  Have better understanding of the meaning of words
• What is the telegraphic stage of acquiring language?

  2-2.5 years

  ‘Vocab spurt’

  Able to speak many more words, using pronouns & producing simple sentences
• What is the after telegraphic stage of acquiring language?

  Early parts of this stage → full sentences begin to emerge

  More complex sentences develop as child gets older

  Language is almost fully acquired by 5-6 years
• How does hearing loss affect speech development?

  Children with hearing loss cannot hear quiet speech sounds (so do not include them in speech)

  May speak too loud/quiet

  May misundertsand verb tense & pluralisation due to not being able to hear word endings
• How do people with hearing impairments communicate?

  Lip reading

  May use residual hearing they have

  Sign language
• What does S&L therapy for children with learning impairments involve?

  Auditory training & listening skills

  Speech intelligibility & voice work

  Vocabulary building

  Following speech w/o sign

  Understanding & use of grammer

  Parent-child interaction therapy & social skills work
• How can employers prevent occupational deafness?

  Measure noise & implement noise controls as well as a hearing loss prevention program

  Yearly hearing tests for workers exposed to hazardous noise or ototoxic chemicals
• What are some examples of noise controls?

  Avoiding metal on metal impacts

  Using quieter equipment

  Using barriers & screens to block the direct path of sound