What is a specialist speech and language teacher?

[roisin]

DS1 has had speech therapy for years, with various "speech therapists". I know what a speech therapist is.

This week I am going to see a "specialist speech and language teacher". Is this basically the same thing with a slightly different name? Or is it something else entirely? (i.e. possibly a regular school teacher, who has gone on to do further study and specialise in speech and language disorders?)

A speech and language teacher or SALT as far as I am aware is just hte proper name for a speech therapist.

Well dd has a specialist language teacher. She also has language assistants that carry out the work that the SALT's pass over. Then obviously dd has the actual SALT. I know the assistants have trained but do not have teaching qualifications wheras the langauge teachers are teachers and as you say they have more training in that field!
Had some really good news this week roisin that dd is going to get 2 SALT sessions of small social skills a week. I am so happy as it is what dd needs.
HTH

Great news Blossomhill! That sounds ideal.

Thanks for the replies, though I'm not really 100% clear on it yet.
This new person was introduced to me as " The specialist speech and language teacher for [our town]", and is based in a pupil-referral-unit place - i.e. education service, rather than health service.
We've previously seen 'speech and language therapists', who are in a completely different place, as part of the NHS ...?!

Yes, I'm confused!

It is so confusing isn't it roisin! SALT's are paid for by the NHS but all of the other language staff are paid for by the lea!!!
Hope it all goes well

Yes Roisin, s + l teachers have additional training (prob. at p/g level) in s+l issues. Often language units are run by such specialist teachers and salts jointly.

As an salt, it is alarming to discover how little most teachers know about s + l. Frightening when you consider that roughly 1 child in 10 has s + l difficulties.
No fault of theirs-the subject is barely touched during standard teacher training. Even people who work in special schools often have no specialist s/n training. It is a shockingly hit and miss situation. Your child could be 'taught' by someone who has no specialist training in ASD, dyslexia, ADHD, stuff like that. It's always worth asking about teachers' qualifications if you are being steered towards a s/n school.

In countries like Germany,there are designated 3 or 4 year training courses for teachers who want to work in this field.

We desperately need something similar in the UK!!

Blossom, many of us query the fact that we are employed by the NHS. Fair enough if you are working in a more medical setting (eg with stroke patients) but when working predominantly in schools it's a bit odd.
Stiiiill, we are often glad that we do not come under thre jurisdiction of Education Authorities and headteachers. As a result, we can often disagree with what a school is doing with a child and feel free to say so !

Thanks mizmiz - that's very helpful.