Communicating effectively
Eating and drinking safely and enjoyably
Sharing skills and knowledge
We are a team of Speech and Language Therapists and Assistant Practitioners supporting adults with Learning Disabilities across Kent.
Communicating effectively
Communication affects our mental health and wellbeing, our relationships with others, and our access to help and support.
Does the person you are supporting have difficulty understanding others?
Do they have difficulty making themselves understood?
Communication difficulties make it harder to:
- build relationships with others
- share thoughts and feelings
- express choices and opinions
- be involved in what is happening around you and to you
- make decisions.
The SLT service can help overcome these difficulties by:
- identifying communication strengths and needs
- advising on strategies to support, such as the use of Makaton signs and symbols or objects of reference
- developing communication resources, such as communication passports
- making sure people have the skills and resources to help.
Eating and drinking safely and enjoyably
Eating and drinking brings us pleasure and helps our bodies to be healthy and well.
Difficulties with chewing or swallowing (dysphagia) can:
- lead to choking or chest infections
- mean a person can’t eat and drink enough to be healthy and well
- make people distressed and anxious
We work alongside other members of the team to:
- identify what is happening with someone’s eating and drinking
- find strategies to help, such as changing the texture of food
- make sure people have the skills and resources to help.
Sharing skills and knowledge
The SLT service can support care teams and families to gain the knowledge and skills to help meet people’s communication and swallowing needs.
We provide training resources and workshops such as: the five good communication standards; good standards to support people with eating and drinking; swallowing awareness workshops; Makaton training courses; communication workshops. We also work closely with our colleagues from health and social care, to deliver joint training on a broader range of topics.