Latest news with #speechtherapy
RNZ News
11 hours ago
- General
- RNZ News
How pre-schoolers can misunderstand adults - and how to help
Photo: Borba In parenting today - we've all seen a pre-schooler in full meltdown mode. Sometimes that's because they're tired or hungry - or even hangry. But it can also be because they've misunderstood what adults are saying. Wellington speech and language therapist Christian Wright says there are common ways the pre-schoolers can misunderstand what grown-ups are saying. He joins Kathryn to explain how parents can make it easier - for everyone.
The Independent
23-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Specialist teams to tackle post-pandemic school speech therapy backlog
The Government will deploy specialist teams to primary schools to tackle the backlog of children waiting for speech and language therapy since the pandemic. It is hoped earlier targeted support will help those who struggle to talk and understand words before problems escalate. More than 40,000 children had been waiting 12 weeks or more for speech and language therapy as of June 2024, the Department for Education said. A lack of early identification can have a devastating impact on children's social skills, attendance, and academic performance. The Government has backed the Early Language Support for Every Child (Elsec) programme with £3.4 million funding this year, which it said will benefit up to 20,000 more children. Early intervention is particularly important for children with special educational needs and disabilities (Send), as numbers have skyrocketed from 1.3 million in 2020 to 1.67 million in 2024 – with one in four of these children requiring extra help with speech and language. Minister for School Standards Catherine McKinnell said: 'When challenges with speech and language go unnoticed, it can have a devastating impact on children's attainment, attendance, social abilities and future life chances. 'Elsec is turning this around for so many pupils – and particularly those with Send – helping them find their voice and thrive at school and with their friends and family. 'This type of approach is exactly what we want to see in a reformed Send system that delivers the support children need at the earliest stage and restores parents' trust in a system which has let them down for too long.' Steve Jamieson, chief executive of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists, said: 'We're delighted that the Department for Education and NHS England will fund the Early Language Support for Every Child programme until March 2026. 'It has shown that when speech and language therapists, therapy support workers and education staff work together, they can identify children's needs earlier and put timely support in place.'
Malay Mail
22-05-2025
- Health
- Malay Mail
Patients wait an average of 205 days for speech therapy appointments in Penang govt hospitals, state assembly told
GEORGE TOWN, May 22 — Children with speech and language delays in Penang wait an average of 205 days to see a speech therapist at a government hospital, the state legislative assembly heard today. State Youth, Sports and Health Committee chairman, Daniel Gooi Zi Sen, said the number of children with special needs in Penang has continued to rise annually, while the number of speech therapists remains insufficient. 'The number of children with speech or language delays registered in government hospitals in Penang last year was 6,781, while the number of speech therapists under the state health department was seven,' he said in response to a question by Heng Lee Lee (DAP – Berapit) on the number of children with special needs in the state, during the assembly today. He said this translated to an average waiting time of 205 days for speech therapy treatment for each patient last year. Gooi added that the state has applied for additional speech therapy positions and raised the issue with the health ministry, but to no avail. 'The feedback we received is that no additional positions will be offered at this time,' he said. He said the department of paediatrics of the state Health Department is now taking steps to train parents so they can continue treatment with their children independently. 'The health department has conducted various workshops and training sessions for parents so that they can help with their children's treatment,' he said. He added that the health department is also proposing collaboration with private hospitals to reduce waiting times for patients. Gooi said the number of children with special needs in Penang totalled 6,165 as of May 2025, compared to 4,547 in 2021. A majority of the children had learning disabilities (5,264 as of May 2025), followed by physical disabilities (326), hearing impairment (233), multiple disabilities (173), visual impairment (145), and speech delays (24).
Daily Mail
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Chris Kamara reveals heartbreaking reason why he apologised to his wife - after battle with speech apraxia forced the former footballer off TV screens
Chris Kamara has opened up on why he apologised to his wife Anne after being diagnosed with apraxia. Kamara has endured a tortured journey with speech apraxia - a rare neurological condition that affects your ability to speak - that has resulted in him stepping away from several broadcasting roles. The 67-year-old was one of the game's most amusing and beloved personalities during his 20-year tenure in front of the cameras and most notably on Sky Sports News where he shared a memorable relationship with Jeff Stelling. But 2022 saw Kamara heartbreakingly forced to give up his profession after he received a diagnosis for speech apraxia, a rare neurological disorder which left him slurring his words. Apraxia is a little-understood condition that affects the body's ability to perform natural motor functions and Kamara has undergone intense speech therapy in a bid to get back on screen. Kamara has now revealed that he didn't reach out to his family, including wife Anne, after first feeling symptoms of the condition. 'They spotted the signs (that I was struggling). I should have talked to my wife Anne, for which I have apologised to her. I didn't tell my wife what was going on,' he said. 'My family would have supported me rather than somebody I didn't know, Anne, and my sons would have helped me in the first place.' On the therapy he has been undergoing, the former midfielder added: 'I kept thinking, for over 18 months, that it would go away. I just kept thinking one day I'll wake up and I'll be back to the person I was. 'But I have accepted the way I speak now. And that's because of the work on my mental health. 'My therapist told me that the day you accept your condition is the day you will start getting better, and that is what happened. I can be my own worst critic but my speech has improved and I'm fine with how I sound.' On Boxing Day Kamara returned to broadcasting as he provided coverage of the game between Nottingham Forest and Tottenham for Amazon Prime Video. Kamara had a lengthy playing career which saw him represent clubs including Portsmouth, Swindon, Brentford and Leeds. He also had spells as manager of Bradford and Stoke. As well as his work on Soccer Saturday, Kamara also presented Goals on Sunday for Sky Sports.
CTV News
07-05-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Sask. parents say speech language pathology services cut in half in Regina
WATCH: A group of parents are concerned about a reduction speech language pathology services for their children. Wayne Mantyka has the story.
