Speech and language therapy comes with a lot of jargon. Here’s what the terms actually mean — written for parents, not professionals. Paraphrased in plain English from RCSLT clinical information.
Showing 39 terms
Changes to voice and speech caused by damage to the nervous system — for example after a stroke, or from conditions affecting the nerves and muscles used for speaking (such as myasthenia gravis or muscular dystrophy). Severity ranges from changes only the speaker notices through to complete loss of speech or voice. The underlying condition may improve, stay stable or progress, but speech and language therapy has a role in every case.
A language disorder caused by damage to the parts of the brain responsible for language, most often after a stroke. It can affect talking, understanding speech, reading and writing, while intellect and other thinking skills remain intact. It is a long-term, life-changing condition that affects the person and everyone around them; everyday tasks like using the phone or watching TV can become difficult. Most common in older adults but can appear in children.
A collective term for tools, techniques and approaches used to enhance or replace speech — 'augmentative' means adding to or supporting speech, 'alternative' means instead of speech. AAC ranges from no-tech methods (signing, gesture, symbol charts) to high-tech communication aids, and supports a person's basic right to be heard and included.
A lifelong difference in brain development — considered part of the range of natural variation — that affects how a person communicates, interacts and experiences the world, bringing both strengths and challenges that may need support. Around 1 in 100 people worldwide are autistic, and features can change across a person's life (including through masking or camouflaging). Diagnosis is made by a multidisciplinary team; SLTs play a key role in assessing social communication and supporting autistic people to communicate in the way that works best for them.
Also called awake brain surgery — the gold-standard operation for removing brain tumours close to, or within, the areas of the brain used for language and speaking. The patient is awake for all or part of the surgery (the brain has no pain receptors) so a speech and language therapist can test speech and language during 'brain mapping', helping the surgeon avoid areas vital for communication. SLTs assess and support patients before, during and after the operation.
The ability to understand and/or use two or more languages (including sign languages) — it also covers multilingualism. Bilingualism is an advantage at any age and is not a disorder: it does not cause or contribute to speech, language, communication or swallowing difficulties. Bilingual people can, however, be misdiagnosed when normal bilingual language use (like switching between languages) is mistaken for a disorder, so assessment in all of a person's languages matters.
Any injury or trauma to the head and/or brain that disrupts how the brain works. It can happen at any age and is an umbrella term covering stroke, traumatic brain injury (falls, accidents), brain tumours and their treatment, infections such as meningitis, and oxygen deprivation. An ABI can cause difficulties with speech, voice, language, communication and eating, drinking and swallowing. A leading cause of death and disability in under-40s in the UK; around 1.3 million people in the UK live with an ABI-related disability.
A gap in the lip or palate where the muscles have not joined properly while a baby develops in the womb. Types include unilateral or bilateral cleft lip and palate, isolated cleft palate and submucous cleft palate (which can be missed at birth). Children with a cleft palate are at risk of articulation problems, hypernasal-sounding speech and hearing problems, and it can also affect feeding and language development. Surgery (where needed) usually happens between 6 and 12 months, with specialist SLT support from infancy to adulthood via regional cleft centres. Related: velopharyngeal dysfunction (VPD) — when the soft palate doesn't close properly against the back of the throat during speech, letting air escape through the nose; it can occur without a cleft.
A fluency difference linked to how the brain organises ideas and words. People who clutter may speak at a fast rate they can't easily adjust, with syllables or words running together, unusual pauses, lots of fillers, word mix-ups and difficulty keeping a story on track. It starts in childhood but usually isn't diagnosed before about age 8, and often occurs alongside stammering, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, DLD or autism. People who clutter often don't notice their fast speech but feel frustrated when listeners can't follow.
Communication difficulties caused by changes to thinking skills (attention, memory, problem-solving and 'executive functions') after brain injury or in neurological conditions such as stroke, Parkinson's, MS, MND, dementia or long COVID. It can affect listening, understanding, speaking, reading, writing and conversation — for example losing track of conversations, going off on tangents, saying too much or too little, or missing social cues. Different from aphasia (a language disorder) and dysarthria (unclear speech): CCD stems from cognition rather than language or muscles.
Conditions affecting the growth and development of the skull, face and associated structures — for example craniosynostosis (skull sutures fusing too early). They can affect feeding, hearing, speech and language development. In the UK, treatment is delivered through four highly specialised NHS craniofacial centres, with SLTs part of the team.
SLTs in intensive care assess and manage communication, voice and swallowing difficulties in critically ill patients, including supporting people with tracheostomies and ventilator weaning. Early SLT input can improve outcomes and shorten hospital stays.
A combination of hearing and vision impairment — also called dual sensory loss or multi-sensory impairment. Because sight and hearing support each other, the combined loss is more disabling than the sum of its parts. It ranges from mild to total loss, can be present from birth or acquired later (including age-related), and typically affects communication, access to information and getting around independently.
Around one in five people in the UK are deaf — over 50,000 of them children. Deafness can affect the development of spoken and/or signed language, speech clarity and social communication. SLTs work as part of a multidisciplinary hearing team, supporting families and young people to make informed decisions about language and communication (spoken language, sign, or both). Although childhood deafness is relatively low-incidence, it is a long-term, high-need condition.
A collection of symptoms including a decline in memory, reasoning and communication skills; Alzheimer's disease is the most common type, with vascular and mixed dementia also common. As dementia progresses people may talk less and struggle to find words, and eating, drinking and swallowing can become difficult. SLTs can support communication and safe swallowing at every stage, even when dementia is very advanced.
A lifelong condition affecting how children understand and use language, first diagnosable in childhood. The term applies when the language disorder is not associated with another known condition (such as autism, brain injury or hearing loss), the difficulties create barriers to communication or learning in everyday life, and they're unlikely to resolve by age five. DLD raises the risk of educational, employment and social-emotional difficulties, but speech and language therapy helps people develop their language to their full potential.
When a person with dysphagia, with support from their care team, chooses to continue eating and drinking despite known risks such as aspiration or choking — for example for comfort and quality of life. Previously called 'risk feeding'; RCSLT's agreed term is 'eating and drinking with acknowledged risks', with shared decision-making at its heart.
Dysphagia is the medical term for swallowing difficulties, which can affect anyone at any age — from premature babies to older adults. Difficulties can occur at any stage of swallowing (before the mouth, in the mouth, in the throat or in the food pipe). Risks include choking, chest infections from food or drink entering the airway (aspiration), malnutrition and dehydration. Assessing and managing dysphagia is a major part of SLT work.
Support for people likely to be in their last year of life, of any age. SLTs help with communication, eating and drinking, and supporting the person to take part in decisions about their care, as part of the wider palliative team.
Cancer of the mouth, throat, voice box or surrounding areas. The cancer and its treatment (surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy) can affect eating, swallowing, voice and communication — up to 75% of patients have swallowing problems at diagnosis. SLTs assess and rehabilitate voice, speech and swallowing throughout treatment and recovery, including supporting people after laryngectomy (removal of the voice box).
A reduced intellectual ability and difficulty with everyday activities (such as household tasks, socialising or managing money) that affects someone from childhood and throughout life. People with a learning disability tend to take longer to learn and may need support with new skills, complicated information and interaction. Around 1.5 million people in the UK have a learning disability. (Distinct from specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, dysgraphia or dyscalculia.)
Ongoing symptoms after a COVID-19 infection that can include changes to the voice, throat sensitivity, swallowing difficulties, upper airway problems and communication/cognition changes ('brain fog'). SLTs assess and treat these voice, swallowing, airway and communication needs — in one service, half of long COVID patients had voice changes.
Children looked after by their local authority — in residential care, foster care or at home. Speech, language and communication needs are more common in this group and are often missed because other issues take precedence or the child moves frequently. Identifying and supporting these needs matters for education and later life chances.
Communication difficulties and mental health problems are closely linked — studies have found language impairments in over 80% of adults attending psychiatric services. Communication needs make it harder to explain concerns and access talking therapies. SLTs help make referrals, assessments and therapy accessible, and manage swallowing problems (which can be a side effect of some psychiatric medication).
Any condition that permanently limits normal body movement, posture and/or control (for example cerebral palsy). Motor disorders carry risks for speech development and for eating, drinking and swallowing, due to dysarthria (weak or hard-to-control speech muscles) and poor coordination of the mouth and throat. Related term: childhood apraxia of speech (CAS), also known as developmental verbal dyspraxia — a speech sound disorder where the brain has difficulty planning and coordinating the movements for speech; it can occur on its own or alongside conditions such as Down syndrome, autism or epilepsy.
Specialist care for babies born prematurely, with low birth weight or with medical conditions needing hospital support. Premature babies are at risk of feeding, swallowing and early communication difficulties; SLTs on neonatal units support safe feeding (breast, bottle or tube), advise on positioning and pacing, and support parents.
A progressive neurological condition. Communication can be affected at any stage — quieter voice, less clear articulation, flatter intonation, and changes in facial expression and posture — with real impact on family, work and social life. Eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties are frequent from early to advanced stages and need active management because of the risk of aspiration pneumonia. Speech and swallowing therapy has a growing evidence base in Parkinson's.
Conditions of the brain and nervous system that worsen over time — including motor neurone disease (MND), multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson's and Huntington's disease. They commonly affect speech, voice, communication and swallowing (over 90% of people with MND develop dysphagia). SLTs support people to keep communicating and eat and drink safely as the condition changes, including introducing AAC and voice banking early where appropriate.
The role of speech and language therapy in improving communication and swallowing health at a population level — health promotion, prevention, early identification and tackling health inequalities, especially in underserved communities. Early identification of communication difficulties can prevent lifelong problems.
An anxiety disorder in which a child speaks happily and freely in some situations (usually at home) but consistently cannot speak in others (often school). Best thought of as a 'speech phobia'. For diagnosis the pattern must have lasted a month or more, not be explained by another communication difficulty, and be limiting social or academic life. Without support, the fear can spread to other forms of expression such as laughing, gesturing or writing.
The term used in England (since the 2015 SEND Code of Practice) for children and young people with social and emotional difficulties — from becoming withdrawn or isolated to challenging or disruptive behaviour, sometimes reflecting anxiety, depression or other mental health difficulties. Many children with SEMH needs have unidentified communication difficulties, so speech and language therapy plays an important role.
An umbrella term for a range of difficulties producing speech sounds in children. Includes articulation disorders (difficulty physically making sounds) and phonological disorders (difficulty using sounds correctly in words — e.g. a child can say 'k' on its own but says 'teep' for 'keep'). Also covers motor speech disorders (dysarthria, dyspraxia/CAS) and SSD related to deafness, cleft palate, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy and other childhood conditions. SSD can make a child hard to understand, even for close family.
A variation in speech in which the speaker experiences a loss of control — a feeling of being stuck and unable to move forward with talking. Listeners hear repetitions of sounds, syllables, words or phrases, or tense, effortful 'blocks'. It varies over time and between speaking situations, and can bring embarrassment, fear or frustration. Research shows neurophysiological causes — subtle differences in the brain networks supporting fluent speech. Between 5% and 8% of children stammer at some point; four in five of those will not stammer into adulthood.
When the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off, damaging brain cells. Stroke commonly causes communication difficulties — aphasia (language), dysarthria (unclear speech) and apraxia of speech (difficulty coordinating speech movements) — and swallowing difficulties (dysphagia). SLTs assess and rehabilitate both communication and swallowing, and support should continue for as long as the person keeps making meaningful gains.
Voice and communication therapy (voice modification therapy) delivered by SLTs to help trans and gender-diverse people develop and sustain a voice and communication style that matches their sense of self. It involves coaching on pitch, resonance and voice quality, non-verbal communication, and psychological support to build confidence and carry new skills into everyday situations.
Conditions affecting breathing at the level of the voice box, including inducible laryngeal obstruction (ILO) — inappropriate closure of the larynx during breathing that can look and feel like asthma — and chronic cough (a dry, irritable cough lasting more than eight weeks). Specialised speech and language therapy is an evidence-based treatment for both.
Sight loss that may be congenital (from birth) or acquired later; more common in older people. Because so much early communication is visual (eye contact, facial expression, gesture), visual impairment can affect communication development. Many people with learning or physical disabilities also have visual impairment, and swallowing difficulties are common in this group. SLTs advise families, carers and other professionals and adapt communication approaches accordingly.
Recording a person's own voice so it can be recreated as a synthetic voice on a communication aid before their speech is lost — most often used by people with motor neurone disease, and also before laryngectomy or other head and neck surgery. Its companion, message banking, records whole phrases in the person's own voice (playback is limited to what was recorded). The two are complementary and often done in parallel.
Dysphonia means a change to the voice — it can sound hoarse, croaky, strained, breathy or weak. Causes range from how the voice is being used (e.g. muscle tension dysphonia) to structural changes on the vocal folds (nodules, polyps, laryngitis). Persistent voice problems affect work — especially for people who rely on their voice — and quality of life. SLTs assess and treat voice disorders, usually alongside an ENT examination of the larynx.
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