Adult Learning Disability Team
How Do We Work?
We are a team made up of Speech and Language Therapists (SLTs) and SLT assistants working across NHS Grampian.
We cover Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire South, Aberdeenshire Central, Aberdeenshire North and Moray. Each area has their own team of SLTs to contact.
We will visit clients at home or a day centre, or may ask clients to visit us at our office if more appropriate. We can organise virtual meetings if a client may find a face-to-face appointment difficult.
We will assess and provide recommendations and advice for a range of difficulties. These may include difficulties with expressing needs and wants, difficulty with comprehension and difficulties with eating, drinking and swallowing (EDS).
Referrals
- A referral form for your area cand be found by clicking below. It can be submitted by email or post.
- Each referral should include as much information as possible. If an individual has had previous input this should be referenced in the referral.
- Consent must be referenced in the referral, either given by the client themselves if they have capacity to consent, from a Welfare Guardian if there is one in place or through a Section 47 certificate. Referrals will not be accepted without reference to consent being gained.
- We operate a waiting list. An SLT may be in touch to provide interim guidance while the individual is on the waiting list.
What to Expect
- Some information gathering will take place with carers / family about the individuals current communication / EDS.
- An SLT will then visit the individual for initial assessment. For a difficulty with eating and drinking, this will likely involve the SLT observing a mealtime and making recommendations following this.
- For a difficulty with communication, the SLT will visit and observe the client in a familiar activity and may bring a formal assessment to augment the observation.
- Once the assessment is complete, the therapist will make recommendations to be followed by families and carers, and a report written to explain these. Strategies will also be implemented to help with communication, and / or EDS.
- Speech and Language Therapists have access to interpreters which allows us to meet the needs of people referred to us for whom English is not their first language, including British Sign Language. We can arrange an interpreter for an in-person appointment or for a phone call.
