Written question WQ91249
- Asked by
- Andrew RT DaviesConservative
- To be answered by
- Minister for Health and Social Services
- Tabled
- Due
- Answered
- Time to answer
- 12 days
Question
What action is the Welsh Government taking to ensure deaf children can access auditory verbal therapy?
Answer
Answered by Minister for Health and Social Services
The decision to select and use any given treatment approach or intervention in a healthcare setting is a clinical decision, made following expert assessment and discussion with all those involved in the care of that person and their family as relevant. As part of delivering care, the health professional will continually assess the effectiveness of the treatment.
Speech and Language Therapists throughout Wales have developed and agreed several evidence-based care pathways to ensure quality and consistency of treatment and support as a result of such assessment. The Deafness pathway includes evidence-based communication development treatment options with a summary evidence-base for each. Auditory verbal therapy is included in the pathway.
The Welsh Government ‘Talk with Me’ programme exists to support the speech, language, and communication (SLC) development of all children, with a particular emphasis on universal, population and targeted support. This means that children needing to access more specialised support will be able to do so more effectively.
The action we are taking, in line with A Healthier Wales, is to ensure that deaf children are seen by the right person in the right place at the right time, and provided the right treatment as determined by their health care professional.