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.

 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.

  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.

 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.

 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'.

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, Prodigy, 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.