Speech Therapy

**Clinical Responsibilities**
- Plan and deliver a student-centered speech therapy service to a personal caseload of students and their families/carers to promote social engagement and interaction, speech and language development and alternative and augmentative communication.
- Gather data using a range of speech and language, and communication assessments, to ensure an accurate understanding of the nature of a child’s communication difficulty.
- Provide specialist differential diagnosis of specific communication disorders in children.
- Formulate intervention plans from thorough assessment results with individuals and their families and carers as required to bring about positive change.
- Development of oral motor programmes to promote safe and appropriate eating and drinking skills.
- Develop treatment plans consistent with the Individual Educational Plan (IEP).
- Review therapy goals and objectives and make recommendations for changes as appropriate.
- Recommend and implement support/intervention plans based on individual needs.
- Discuss treatment proposal with parent/carer and obtain informed consent for interventions.
- Monitor, evaluate and modify treatment in order to measure progress and ensure effectiveness of intervention.
- Prepare written evaluations and maintain records for each case as per the HPCSA’s requirement.
- Effectively communicates test results, diagnosis and proposed treatment plans to parents and Principal.
- Operate and maintain a variety of therapeutic equipment and train others in the use of the equipment as necessary.
- Assess, select and develop augmentative and/or alternative communication systems and provides training in their use.
- Participate in hearing screening programs to identify and refer students with suspected hearing impairment and/or middle ear disorders.
- Communicate with students who have disorders of communication, their families, carers and other service providers relative to the student's disability and its management.
- Assist in development of classroom activities to meet the communication needs of the student.
- Communicate with appropriate agencies, schools and other organisations as needed in order to meet the needs of students with communication disabilities.
- Assist with transitions to primary, intermediate and secondary schools and environments beyond school following best practices.
- Provide support, advice, and guidance to other specialist teachers working with children with special needs.
- Provide advice and/or guidance to staff and administrators in learning facilities, carers and other client groups as required.

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**Communication**
- Communicate and liaise effectively with other professionals, students, family/carers and other agencies to ensure an integrated pattern of service delivery. Use formal and informal reporting mechanisms to ensure effective communication.
- Use verbal and nonverbal communication to receive and disseminate clinical information, acknowledging sensitivity and complexity e.g. adult/ child safeguarding issues, and using approaches appropriate to the context or culture. Use effective interpersonal skills to encourage students’ and families’/carers’ active participation in the speech therapy process.
- Attend and contribute to department meetings, including multi-disciplinary
- and Therapy team meetings, and progress meetings relating to clinical caseload.
- Record students’ treatment and other related activities in accordance with professional and departmental guidelines.
- Build and sustain relationships as an independent practitioner and collaboratively as a member of the team.

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**Professional Development**
- Remain informed on developments and trends in speech therapy practice by studying the current literature available and to adapt own working practices accordingly.
- Develop clinical, managerial and teaching skills via continuous professional development (CPD), including maintenance of an up-to-date CPD portfolio.
- Attend and contribute to regular supervision sessions and participate in performance reviews.
- Attend mandatory training for moving and handling, first aid, and safeguarding children.
- Remain current concerning instructional and technological advances and other matters concerning speech-language therapy. Attend and participate in professional workshops and conferences. Provide in-service training to other professionals and paraprofessionals.
- Maintain own professional registration as a practicing professional with the Health Care Professions Council as a Speech Therapist.

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**Service Development and Delivery**
- Collect, collate and analyse workload statistics required for departmental purposes and for service reviews.
- Report to the Principal about changes in trends related to caseload activity.
- Provide services which are sensitive to the needs of the culture and diversity of individual students and their families/ carers.
- Advise and collaborate with the Principal in