Speech & Language Therapist

Role Overview

Speech & Language Therapist at NMC Healthcare. The role provides specialized pediatric speech and language therapy services within Pediatric Rehabilitation Services, including comprehensive assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning, intervention and outcome monitoring for children with speech, language, communication, feeding and swallowing needs.

Role Purpose

The Speech and Language Therapist works as part of a multidisciplinary pediatric rehabilitation team to develop individualized, evidence-based intervention plans that support the child's communication, functional participation, independence and quality of life across home, educational and community environments. The role includes management of children with complex conditions such as cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorder, developmental delay, ADHD and other pediatric conditions.

Key Responsibilities

Assessment & Diagnosis

• Conduct comprehensive, age-appropriate speech, language, communication, feeding and swallowing assessments for children with developmental, neurological and neurodevelopmental conditions, including cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorder, ADHD and developmental delay.
• Use standardized assessments, clinical and play-based observation, caregiver and educator interviews, and functional communication measures appropriate to the child's age, diagnosis and needs.
• Assess functional communication abilities and, where clinically indicated, use appropriate pediatric tools such as the Communication Matrix and other validated measures.
• Assess the need for augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and recommend appropriate low- and high-tech communication systems based on the child's communication, motor, visual and cognitive abilities.
• Contribute to assessment and trials of AAC access methods, including direct access, switches and eye-gaze technology, in collaboration with Occupational Therapy and the wider multidisciplinary team.

Treatment Planning & Intervention

• Develop and implement individualized, evidence-based treatment plans with measurable functional goals that support communication, learning, participation, feeding, independence and quality of life across home, educational and community environments.
• Provide intervention for speech sound disorders, receptive and expressive language difficulties, social communication needs, fluency, voice, cognitive-communication, oral-motor, feeding and swallowing difficulties within professional scope and competency.
• Intervention may include speech and language therapy, feeding and swallowing management, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), assistive communication technology and caregiver education, according to the individual needs of the child.

Collaboration & Multidisciplinary Care

• Work collaboratively with Physicians, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Dietetics, Psychology, educators, inclusion teams and other relevant professionals to support coordinated multidisciplinary assessment, goal-setting and intervention.
• Collaborate with educators, inclusion teams and learning support staff to integrate therapy recommendations and communication strategies into the child's daily routines and learning environment.
• Collaborate closely with families, caregivers, educators, physicians and the multidisciplinary rehabilitation team to ensure coordinated, family-centered care and consistency of therapeutic strategies across the child's environments.
• Participate in multidisciplinary case conferences, progress reviews, care planning and discharge or transition planning, providing relevant clinical recommendations and progress updates within consent and confidentiality requirements.

Environment & Observation

• Observe children within their educational or functional environments, where appropriate, to identify barriers to communication, learning and participation and recommend practical strategies, communication supports and environmental modifications.

Family & Caregiver Education

• Provide family-centered care and actively involve parents and caregivers in goal setting, home programs, caregiver education and carry-over of communication, feeding and AAC strategies.
• Provide caregiver and educator training to support consistent use of therapeutic strategies and communication systems across the child's environments.

Monitoring & Review

• Monitor progress using appropriate pediatric outcome measures and revise intervention plans according to clinical findings, functional progress, family feedback and multidisciplinary recommendations.

Documentation & Compliance

• Maintain timely, accurate and comprehensive documentation of assessments, treatment sessions, progress, communication, cancellations, reports and discharge planning in accordance with legal, professional and organizational requirements.
• Services are delivered in accordance with Department of Health (DOH) requirements, organizational policies and procedures, and the professional scope of practice for Speech and Language Therapy.

Safeguarding & Escalation

• Identify developmental, safeguarding or clinical concerns and escalate or refer appropriately in accordance with organizational policies and procedures.

Community Engagement & Professional Development

• Support education, awareness and community outreach activities for families, educators and other stakeholders related to pediatric speech, language, communication, feeding and swallowing needs, including participation in school fairs, awareness campaigns and community events to promote early identification and access to Speech and Language Therapy services.
• Apply evidence-based practice and current research to clinical decision-making and maintain ongoing competency in pediatric rehabilitation, AAC, feeding and swallowing management.

Qualifications & Experience

Education

• BSc Degree in Speech and Language Therapy / Speech-Language Pathology or equivalent recognized qualification (Essential)
• MSc in Speech and Language Therapy / Speech-Language Pathology or relevant pediatric specialty (Preferred)

Experience

• Minimum of 2 years' Speech and Language Therapy experience, with pediatric clinical experience (Essential)
• Minimum of 5 years' experience; pediatric rehabilitation experience involving children with developmental and neurodevelopmental conditions, including cerebral palsy (Preferred)

Certification & Licensure

• Current DOH licensure or eligibility as a Speech and Language Therapist (Essential)
• Membership of relevant professional body (Essential)

Skills & Competencies

Clinical Knowledge & Skills

• Knowledge and experience in pediatric speech, language, communication, feeding and swallowing assessment and intervention.
• Experience working with children with developmental, neurological and neurodevelopmental conditions, including cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, developmental delay and communication disorders.
• Knowledge of AAC principles, systems and strategies, with the ability to assess communication needs and support appropriate AAC implementation within scope and competency.
• Effective clinical reasoning, treatment planning, documentation and communication skills, including preparation of clear clinical reports and functional recommendations.
• Ability to develop functional, child- and family-centered goals and deliver therapy across school, home and community environments.

Collaboration & Communication

• Ability to collaborate effectively with families, teachers, inclusion teams, school staff and multidisciplinary teams.

Technical Proficiency

• Computer proficiency and ability to use electronic clinical documentation systems.

Preferred Specialist Skills

• Experience in pediatric neurorehabilitation, particularly with children with complex developmental and communication needs.
• Experience using standardized and functional pediatric communication assessment tools, such as the Communication Matrix.
• Experience with AAC systems and alternative access methods, including eye-gaze technology.
• Experience in pediatric feeding and swallowing assessment and management.
• Previous experience in school-based rehabilitation or pediatric therapy within educational settings.
• Arabic language skills or experience providing speech and language therapy to Arabic-speaking children and families.
• Strong caseload-management and organizational skills within a pediatric rehabilitation service.