Speach and Language Difficulties

Many individuals with a learning disability and autistic spectrum conditions also have speech and language problems affecting their communication. If as a child an individual did not develop speech and language as expected, this will often have an effect in their adult life. Difficulties may occur due to problems with the speech apparatus e.g. mouth or tongue, or the individual may have a problem understanding the pragmatics of language i.e. how speech is used to convey information. Speech and language therapists can help to assess and implement strategies for communicating with individuals whose speech and language did not develop ordinarily.