Definition
A Speech and Language Therapist is an HCPC-registered specialist holding a recognised SLT degree, who assesses and treats children with speech, language, communication, and feeding/swallowing needs. SLT advice is a statutory contribution to EHC needs assessments where the child's needs include communication, and SLT provision should be specified and quantified in Section F.
In context for parents
Key checkpoints
- An SLT is HCPC-registered with a recognised SLT degree.
- Most hold professional membership of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (MRCSLT).
- SLT advice is statutory in an EHC needs assessment where communication is part of the picture.
- Section F SLT provision must be specific and quantified (sessions per term, deliverer's qualification, frequency, setting).
- ASLTIP is the main UK directory for independent SLT practice.
To use the title "Speech and Language Therapist" in the UK, a practitioner must hold a recognised SLT qualification (three- or four-year undergraduate or two-year postgraduate), be registered with the HCPC, and (most) hold professional membership of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (MRCSLT). The HCPC register is searchable online and is the first thing parents should check.
In school-age SEND, SLT work covers: language disorders (DLD, SLCN); speech sound disorders; pragmatic/social communication; selective mutism; stammering; AAC (augmentative and alternative communication); feeding and swallowing (dysphagia, often relevant in PMLD and complex medical pictures). Therapy is typically delivered as a planned programme: assessment, agreed targets, intervention delivered by SLT or by trained staff under SLT supervision, regular review.
Community NHS SLT in England operates a banded service model. Universal: information and advice to schools. Targeted: short blocks of intervention for specific groups. Specialist: individual programmes for children with significant or complex needs. Most LAs are commissioning SLT input on a banding basis that does not match the EHCP-specified provision parents are entitled to under section 42.
Independent SLT services fill the gap. The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists publishes guidance on independent practice; ASLTIP (Association of Speech and Language Therapists in Independent Practice) is the main UK directory. Independent SLT reports for EHCP and tribunal are typically £700–£1,500 for an initial assessment plus written report; ongoing therapy varies.
Section F SLT provision must be specific and quantified, for example "six 45-minute direct sessions per term from an HCPC-registered SaLT, plus weekly TA-delivered programme supervised monthly by the SaLT", not "access to SaLT as required".
Related terms
The terms parents most often see alongside Speech and Language Therapist.
Speech, Language and Communication Needs(SLCN)
An umbrella term for difficulties with understanding language, using language, speaking clearly, or interacting socially. SLCN is one of the four broad SEND areas in the Code of Practice.
Developmental Language Disorder(DLD)
A lifelong condition affecting the ability to understand and use spoken language, with no obvious cause. DLD is common but under-recognised and benefits from early, ongoing speech and language therapy.
Selective Mutism
An anxiety condition where a child speaks fluently in some settings (often home) but cannot speak in others (often school). It is not shyness, defiance, or a choice.
Education, Health and Care Plan(EHCP)
A legally binding document, issued by a local authority in England, that describes a child or young person's special educational needs and the provision the LA must arrange to meet them.
Where parents ask about this
Parents usually find this page after a community SLT discharge with no clear next step, before an EHC needs assessment where SLT advice will be statutory, or when Section F SaLT wording is being negotiated. Searches include "private speech therapy UK", "SaLT Section F EHCP", and "how to find a Speech and Language Therapist". A Beaakon HCPC-registered SaLT can carry out a full assessment, write a tribunal-grade report with quantified recommendations, and deliver or supervise the programme that follows.
References
The primary legislation, statutory guidance, research, and clinical tools this page draws on.
- Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC): Speech and Language Therapist register
- Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT)
- ASLTIP: Association of Speech and Language Therapists in Independent Practice
- The Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014, regulation 6
- Children and Families Act 2014, section 42