Speech and language therapy | Te Whatu Ora | Health New Zealand | Hauora a Toi Bay of Plenty

Speech and language therapy

Speech-language therapy

We provide speech-language assessment and treatment services for:

Children (up to 2 years)
  • Hearing impairment
  • Developmental delay
  • Syndromes eg Down syndrome
  • Cleft palate and other disorders
  • Acquired neurological disorders (TBI, cerebral palsy)
  • Otolaryngology
  • Feeding difficulties
Adults
  • Acquired neurological disorders (TBI, CVA)
  • Progressive neurological disorders (Parkinsons, MND, MS)
  • Tracheostomy
  • Otolaryngology (head and neck, voice, laryngectomy)
Referral criteria
  • Changes in speech, swallowing, language, feeding, voice or fluency
  • Speech - reduced intelligibility (developmental disorders, dyspraxia, dysarthria)
  • Swallowing - difficulty tolerating food/drink. Signs include recurrent chest infection, coughing, choking, weight loss.
  • Language - difficulty expressing and understanding written and spoken language
  • Feeding - delayed progress through normal developmental milestones for feeding
  • Voice - change in vocal quality that persists for more than two weeks
  • Fluency - repetition of sounds, words, or phrases