Are you an Instagram user? My team are making such an effort to provide guidance on the grid … please give them a follow @lec.slt.team 😃

So proud of the team … BelfastCityMarathon relay run completed yesterday raising money for TinyLife and 22q11 Northern Ireland 🏃🏼‍♀️ #rcslt #asltip #slpeeps

Great work RCSLT Northern Ireland 👏 In 2021 we wrote to policymakers with concerns about the impact lockdowns would have on children’s speech, cognitive, personal, social and emotional development. We received little engagement. This report highlights the scale of the issues we're now facing.

An important report from RCSLT Northern Ireland . Speech and language development in the early years is everyone's business. Get the investment right and we set children on a path to better life outcomes. Well done Ruth Sedgewick Sue McBride 👏👏👏

A vital new report by RCSLT Northern Ireland reveals an 85% increase in the number of children under 18 in Northern Ireland waiting for speech and language therapy - up from 2,444 children waiting in 2021 to 4,527 in 2023.

Ruth Sedgewick

bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northe…

Thanks to all the organisations and partners involved in supporting children in their Early Years, who contributed to our report and research, which is available to read in full here: rcslt.org/?p=49455

Looking for a new challenge? Would you like to broaden your skills & experience, & help shape the future of the speech & language therapy profession at the same time? If so, one of these opportunities could be for you: rcslt.org/about-us/join-…… (Closing date, 9am on 10 May 2024)

There are some fantastic services leading the way on early years speech and language support, including Help Kids Talk
Here they highlight risks of not getting this right:
Unemployment, mental health, even antisocial /criminal behaviour.
Let’s do what’s needed for little ones

Today we’re highlighting the rising number of children waiting for speech and language therapy in NI.

To note: These are stats just for a first appointment.

We know parents are frustrated waiting many months for appts to start SLT.

We need more SLTs and we need to start now

Lots of press interest in our Early Years report, thanks to Belfast News Letter for this piece: newsletter.co.uk/health/report-…

Morning 👋🏻 it’s a big day for us today as we launch our report into Early Years speech and language in Northern Ireland. You can read the top news and findings here:

rcslt.org/?p=49455

Speech and language support in the early years needs to be fully resourced. It’s an investment in giving our littlest ones the best possible start in life.
With current workforce shortages, we are in a communications crisis needing urgent action Steve Jamieson

What’s it like being a parent of a child who needs support with their early speech and language, and facing lengthy waits? ⏰
One parent we spoke to said it is completely overwhelming 😩
We have devolved govt to improve this: Department of Health please invest in more SLTs now.

The petition is at 3400 - theres 20k SALTs in the UK why aren’t we reaching everyone? 😌

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/6579…

RCSLTLearn ASLTIP could we send an email?

Colleagues we closely w/ with, can u help? Royal College of Occupational Therapists Association of Educational Psychologists Patoss-dyslexia Chartered Society of Physiotherapy British Dyslexia Association

One of @rcslt trustees Let's Expand Communication LTD ® and member Zelda delivering training to PGCE students today!

Great to know some future teachers will have knowledge of speech language and communication issues 🙌

Developing teacher understanding of speech and language in the early years classroom. Really informative session for Early Years PGCE students Stranmillis University College from Ruth Crampton [email protected] Let's Expand Communication LTD ® and Zelda Dunn.

Thanks to Ciara Ferguson MLA for supporting today’s speech, language and communication motion in NI Assembly. She mentioned our fantastic online e-learning, the Box, which can be found here: rcslt.org/learning/the-b…

Delighted to share that asltip have today launched Therapy Talks Study Day with a fantastic line up of speakers including ⁦RCSLTLearn⁩ and ⁦Jo Sandiford⁩ ⁦RCSLT Scotland⁩ ⁦Kate Boot (she/her)⁩
Book your Early Bird ticket now ⬇️ asltip.com/events/asltip-…

Any independent SLTs curious to know more about how student placements can work for them - come to the ASLTIP study day & hear Jo Sandiford talk SLT Practice Education CEN RCSLTLearn

'Two Million Children Need Speech and Language Therapy', the headline breaks my heart 💔 The lived experience of children and adults who grow up without the right support is catastrophic with life long consequences. Thank you The Times and The Sunday Times for today's article. thetimes.co.uk/article/8268f7…