Adult Speech and Language Therapy

Speech and Language Therapists (SLTs) are specialists in supporting people who have speech, language and communication difficulties. They also support people with eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties.

This service will  provide specialist assessment and diagnosis of communication and/or swallowing disorders. They provide individualised intervention and management, which will be tailored to the person’s needs and aims to achieve the best outcomes for the individual. They will work closely with the person as well as with those involved in their care, to ensure they are skilled in supporting the person’s needs. Management may include direct therapy, advice/support, training and provision of resources to maximise the person’s abilities and ensure best quality care.

Types of communication difficulties that SLTs assess and support include:

• Difficulty speaking (unclear speech)
• Difficulty using language
• Difficulty understanding language
• Voice problems
• Stammering

Many conditions can affect a person’s communication and swallowing abilities. These may include:

• Acquired neurological conditions such as Stroke and Brain Injury
• Progressive neurological conditions such as Dementia, Parkinson’s Disease, Motor Neurone Disease, Huntingdon’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis
• Head, neck and throat Cancers
• Mental health
• Learning disability
• Physical and sensory disability

SLTs also work within specialist teams in the Northern Trust, including Adult Learning Disability Team, Community Stroke Team, Acquired Brain Injury Team and Permanent Placement Team.

Voice problems

What is a voice disorder?

Voice disorders are a range of conditions that affect the larynx (voice box). They can cause changes to the voice called dysphonia or loss of voice called aphonia. These changes can affect the way the voice sounds.

Voice disorders have many different causes, including how you use your voice, lifestyle factors, medical conditions and many more.

Treatments

Voice therapy relies on lots of practise of specific exercises and the implementation of strategies between appointments.

Treatments include:

• Education and advice to help you better understand your disorder and treat the different voice disorders, this includes voice and throat care.

• Direct voice exercises to release any tension in the muscles of the voice box and throat
• Psychological and emotional support

Our main aim is to help patients achieve the best possible function in order to allow them to continue with their daily activities to the best of their ability. We aim to enable patients to manage their symptoms themselves.

Please consider completing our feedback questionnaire on the video listed above https://forms.office.com/e/FMgKCyjkFr

Communication Referrals

If you are concerned about yourself, or someone else’s, communication skills you can refer to SLT by:

• Completing the referral form
• Contacting SLT via telephone
• Or via your GP or other health professional

*Please note that if the referral is for voice, an up-to-date ENT report must be available and the referral must be made in writing.

Swallowing Referrals

If you have concerns regarding your, or someone else’s, swallowing ability, you can refer by

•  Contacting SLT via telephone
• Via your GP or other health professional (who will complete a written Dysphagia referral form)

Referrals for swallow and communication assessments can be completed electronically and sent by email. The email addresses for local SLT teams are listed below. Please note this is not for adult with learning disability team (ALD) or community stroke team (CST) referrals.

Antrim Area Hospital- SLTReferral.Antrim@northerntrust.hscni.net

Ballymena Health and Care Centre- SLTReferral.Ballymena@northerntrust.hscni.net

Fort Centre- SLTReferral.FortCentre@northerntrust.hscni.net

Mid Ulster Hospital – SLTReferral.MidUlster@northerntrust.hscni.net

Moyle Hospital- SLTReferral.Moyle@northerntrust.hscni.net

Whiteabbey Hospital- SLTReferral.Whiteabbey@northerntrust.hscni.net

Swallowing and Communication Referrals

Adult Learning Disability referral form for swallow and communication referrals

Referrals – *Please note that consent must always be given prior to submitting a referral.

Contact

If you wish to seek advice or discuss any concerns with SLT, you can find the contact details for each locality – Speech and Language Teams Contact Information