Specialist Speech and Language Therapy
SLTs, some who may be autistic themselves, have expertise across the lifespan in language (speaking, understanding, processing), communication, interaction and eating and drinking. This includes an understanding of how these capabilities develop, the contribution of the environment (which includes people) and any changes as people age.
SLTs can contribute towards understanding and managing distress and mental wellbeing, empowering the individual and supporting self-advocacy, assist in developing safe and consenting and meaningful relationships, helping autistic people understand their own autistic experience, addressing the impact of a person’s differences across environments, empowering others in the support of the individual, leadership and advocacy across and within systems such as health, education, social care, the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector and in research.
SLTs work with individuals, their parents/carers, other professionals and support staff in a variety of settings and systems such as homes/care homes, educational settings across the ages including home schooling and education other than at school (EOTAS), apprenticeships/work, accommodation, secure facilities, forensic services, the criminal justice system, and mental health facilities so that autistic people can:
- Have their communication, language, eating and drinking needs identified early
- Express themselves, be understood and understand others to participate in their everyday life
- Have their needs and preferences understood by those around them who are in turn equipped to meet them by adapting their own style of communication
- Understand themselves, to self-advocate and when necessary, learn essential communication skills to support their autonomy
- Feel able to develop meaningful relationships.
This supports autistic people to:
- Learn, work and play
- Feel valued, accepted and included
- Feel healthy, secure and safe
- Have autonomy and agency and achieve as much independence as they can and want.
SLTs may work directly with an individual and/or their parent/carer, or indirectly advising and supporting key people in the autistic person’s life.
