Speech and Language Therapy involves the assessment, diagnosis, treatment and management of communication and swallowing disorders.

Communication encompasses spoken and symbolic representations of language (i.e. written, pictorial, signed), and takes into consideration hearing, auditory processing, understanding, expressive language, articulation, fluency, resonance, voice, prosody, non-verbal and social skills.

Swallowing disorders encompass disorders in the oral, pharyngeal and oesophageal phases of swallowing.

The acts or activities constituting the practice of speech and language therapy include, but are not limited to the following:

a) assessment, diagnosis, and management of hearing, auditory processing, spoken, written and symbolic language (receptive and expressive), articulation, fluency, resonance, voice, prosody, non-verbal and social skills (subsequently referred to as “communication disorders”);

b) assessment, diagnosis, and management of feeding, oral, pharyngeal and oesophageal swallowing disorders (subsequently referred to as “swallowing disorders”);

c) administration and interpretation of standardised and informal assessments and/or objective assessments (e.g. stroboscopy, endoscopy videofluoroscopy, electromyography, manometry and communication technology) to aid in the diagnosis and management of communication and swallowing disorders;

d) modification or enhancement of communicative performance, or remediation of communication and swallowing disorders through client and caregiver education, counselling and using a variety and combination of treatment approaches such as (but not limited to) —

i) cognitive rehabilitation;

ii) behavioural modification;

iii) oromotor (and oral-placement) therapy;

e) provision of expert opinion, selection of, and training in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems and prostheses for communication and swallowing (e.g. for clients with tracheostomies or laryngectomies);

f) advising on and addressing the implications of communication and swallowing problems on an individual’s quality of life and participation in society.