Speech and Communication

UK 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 Aids

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.

 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.

 Dyscover

Provides support, encouragement and hope to people with dysphasia (mainly in the vicinity of Surrey). The charity helps people to adjust to living with dysphasia on a long term basis.

 Speechmatters

A voluntary organisation in Northern Ireland working to promote quality of life and opportunity for adults who have become aphasic.

 Communicate

Information, advice, assessment, equipment loans, education and training for people with severe communication problems, their families, carers and professionals. They work with children and adults of all ages across the North of England. Based at the Regional Neurological Rehabilitation Centre in Newcastle-upon-Tyne and are part of Northgate & Prudhoe NHS Trust.

 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.

 British Brain and Spine Foundation

Have very good information booklets which you can download, including one called 'Speech, language and communication difficulties'.

 'Speak Your Mind’ Guide - A Visual Aid to Conversation

A visual aid in the form of a wire-bound booklet which helps to stimulate one-to-one conversation, reduce unwanted silences, and make people feel a little less self-conscious and more comfortable and happy. Its structure encourages the exchange of information, translates thoughts into actions, and not least helps reduce some of the frustration felt by those whose minds are still active but who are unable to speak or who have other communication difficulties.

 Aphasia

Information from NHS Choices - the government's patient information portal.

See also our 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, Clinical Knowledge Summaries, 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.