PrintUK sources of information and / or support
Talking Point
Talking Point is your first stop on the internet for information about speech, language and communication difficulties in children. Talking Point was developed by I CAN, RCSLT and Afasic.
I CAN
National educational charity for children with speech and language difficulties. I CAN's vision is to help create a society where the special needs of these children are recognised, understood and met, allowing them to have the same opportunities in life as other children.
Afasic
Afasic is the UK charity representing children and young adults with communication impairments, working for their inclusion in society and supporting their parents and carers.
The Communication Trust
The purpose of The Communication Trust is to raise awareness of the importance of speech, language and communication across the children's workforce and to enable practitioners to access the best training and expertise to support the communication needs of all children.
Connect: the Communication Disability Network
Connect's vision is a world where people with aphasia (communication disability) can find opportunity and fulfilment. They work to promote effective services, new opportunities and a better quality of life for people living with aphasia.
Speakability
National charity that works with adults who have acquired aphasia/dysphasia.
Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists
Mainly a site for the profession but includes information on access to speech and language therapy services and obtaining names and addresses of private therapists.
British Voice Association
A registered charity whose remit is the encouragement of a healthy voice, vocal skills and communication in such areas as the performing arts, business and industry, medicine and education. It is devoted to people with voice problems, ranging from severe pathology and cancer to subtle difficulties of artistic performance.
Lary Project
Committed to supporting and representing people with voice disorders throughout the UK.
Communication Matters
Communication Matters is a UK national charitable organisation of members concerned with the augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) needs of people with complex communication needs.
Communication Support for Deaf People
Directgov is the website of the UK government for its citizens, providing information and online services for the public all in one place. They provide a wide range of information including one in this area.
1voice
Network and Support for Chidren and Families Using Communication Aids.
ACE Centre Advisory Trust
Provides personalised, independent assessment, research and development, advice and training services for people with severe physical and communication disabilities, and those who support them.
Ace Centre North
Provides help and expertise in the field of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) and Assistive Technology (AT).
Language for Learning
Language for Learning is all about working together to support children with language and communication difficulties in mainstream classrooms and early years' settings. They provide training for trainers, SENCos, class teachers, teaching assistants, parents and early years' staff.
Makaton
Aims to help children and adults who have communication and learning difficulties. Makaton was designed to develop communication, language and literacy and today is a popular and widely-used communication programme, which uses signs, symbols and speech and can help children and adults to develop communication skills and overcome their communication difficulties.
Signalong Group
Charity providing publications, research, training and advice in sign-supported communication.
NAPLIC - National Association of Professionals concerned with Language Impairment in Children
An established national organisation for teachers, speech and language therapists and other professionals, led by a volunteer committee elected by the membership. NAPLIC exists to promote and increase the awareness and understanding of children and young people with speech, language and communication needs, amongst all the professionals involved in meeting their needs.
Makesense
Offers professional support to all practitioners working with children and young people with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN).
Smira - Selective Mutism Information & Research Association
Here you will find a wealth of information on selective mutism in the UK.
Symbol UK
Provides specialist Speech and Language Therapy consultation and services to children and adults with special needs who experience learning and social needs.
Communication and Learning Enterprises Limited (CandLE)
A not-for-profit company. Their our aim is to support people who have communication and movement difficulty. This includes, amongst others, people who have been labelled with cerebral palsy, autism, down syndrome, rett syndrome, learning difficulty and developmental delay.
Does Not Speak - Responding helpfully to a Child or Young Person who does not Speak in Specific Situations.
Information from HandsOnScotland.
Aphasia Now
A website aiming to help people with aphasia to become independent, communicate with other aphasic people, and overcome aphasia together.
Tavistock Trust for Aphasia
A registered charity and a grant-making trust in the United Kingdom that focuses solely on aphasia.
ARCOS - Association for Rehabilitation of Communication and Oral Skills
ARCOS is a registered national charity providing expert, practical help for children and adults who have communication and eating (swallowing) difficulties, their families, carers and those working with them.
Blissymbol Communication UK
Blissymbols form a system of meaning-based symbols which can be used by people with severe difficulties in speaking to communicate without speech.
Semantic Pragmatic Disorder Parents Page
For UK families, resources and information concerning semantic-pragmatic disorder -- a language/communication disorder that is commonly found in children on the autistic spectrum.
Vocalis partnership
Vocalis Partnership works to prevent or alleviate voice problems, eg hoarse voice, laryngitis, voice tiredness. They train people who use their voices a lot at work, and help them to become more effective communicators by adopting new vocal habits.
Speech, language and communication difficulties
Information from the British Brain and Spine Foundation.
Liberator Ltd
A supplier of products, training and support for communication, inclusion and independence. Their products include powerful and flexible communication aids, early learning software, adapted toys, switches, computer access devices and classroom resources.
Toby Churchill Ltd
For almost 40 years Toby Churchill Ltd have provided AAC (augmentive and alternative communication) solutions such as the Lightwriter® communication aid to people who live with little or no ability to communicate verbally. Toby Churchill Ltd is the only UK company of its kind to have a dedicated development team producing devices designed for people without speech.
Aphasia
Information from NHS Choices - the government's patient information portal.
See also the Patient UK page of links for stammering.
Further sources / more detailed information
Some non-UK sites
The following list popular non-UK health information sites with content aimed at the general public. They are mainly from the US. They have not been checked to see if information about the above topic is included but these large sites are comprehensive.
- Non-UK disease / illness sites
- Non-UK self-help / support group sites
More detailed medical information
The following list online sources of more detailed medical information, mainly from the UK. These sites are mainly aimed at health professionals, but are of interest to all. They have not been checked to see if information about the above topic is included, but information about most medical topics can usually be found.
- PatientPlus - hundreds of medical reference articles provided by Patient UK.
- Evidence Based Medicine - such as from Clinical Evidence, The Cochrane Library, etc.
- Database of UK Clinical Guidelines - from NICE, SIGN, etc.
- Medline - abstracts available from thousands of journals.
- Sites listing free online medical textbooks and journals.
- Sites listing free medical images - pictures, atlases, anatomy, skin diseases, etc.