Because speech and language therapists have a very broad scope of expertise, they are central to the process of screening for learning disorders. But these professionals also support children through remediation, in sessions lasting 30 minutes to 1 hour depending on the patient’s needs and age. Together, they work towards helping the child reach their full communicative potential.
Their areas of expertise with DYS disorders
Chewing, sucking and swallowing are crucial for a child’s oral development and are among the priority skills worked on during consultations. The speech and language therapist also works on stammering and delays in language acquisition and articulation disorders. In the written domain, they unlock the mysteries of writing and reading, depending on the child’s age. Finally, they support the development of mathematical skills, by structuring logical and numerical thinking.
As an expert in spoken language, written language and logico-mathematical reasoning, the speech and language therapist is a key point of contact for most learning disorders. For developmental language disorder (spoken language difficulties and trouble speaking), they are the professional of choice, as they are for dysorthographia (spelling difficulties) and dyslexia (written language disorder, difficulty reading).
For dyscalculia (a disorder affecting numbers, calculation and problem-solving), the speech and language therapist is called on alongside a neuropsychologist and a psychomotor therapist. For dysgraphia (handwriting disorder, difficulty writing), they can also bring their expertise, together with an occupational therapist and a graphotherapist.
The speech and language assessment, a DYS diagnostic tool
When a child has difficulties at school, mispronounces certain sounds or words, shows a delay in language development, or struggles to express their thoughts and feelings, it’s worth asking your GP for a referral for a session with a speech and language therapist. This way, 60% of the cost will be reimbursed by French social security (Sécurité sociale).
It also happens that a paediatrician or a teacher raises concerns with you and encourages you to get a speech and language assessment. In that case, the professional will carry out a battery of standardised tests to build a full picture of the child’s difficulties. Based on this assessment, they will be able to confirm or rule out the presence of a learning disorder.
On this basis, the speech and language therapist may recommend other specialist assessments: with an occupational therapist, a review of motor skills, grasping and praxis, visual exploration and perception, spatial organisation and, more broadly, independence in daily life; with a neuropsychologist, an assessment of the child’s mental processes, attention, short- and long-term memory, executive and instrumental functions… and so on.
Thanks to a multidisciplinary assessment, healthcare professionals can work together in a complementary way for the patient’s remediation and, where needed, the development of coping strategies.
The Ora-Visio platform gives you access to specialists in learning disorders: speech and language therapists are available remotely to support your child and help them overcome their difficulties so they can move forward.
