Ex-footballer, manager and broadcaster Chris Kamara speaks of his communication difficulties
Dean Rusell MP was delighted to attend an event at the House of Commons recently to learn more about people’s communication difficulties and their need for speech and language therapy. The event was hosted by Saqib Bhatti MP and supported by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists.
The reception featured presentations from ex-footballer, manager and broadcaster Chris Kamara who revealed his own speech and language difficulties in an ITV documentary last year, and Mikey Akers, an inspirational young man, recognised at the age of 16 by the Prime Minister for founding Mikey’s Wish – a supportive organisation which raises awareness of verbal dyspraxia (DVD) – also known as childhood apraxia of speech (CAS).
DVD/CAS is a rare and serious motor speech disorder which reduces the intelligibility of speech. It is present from birth and will not resolve without specialist speech and language therapy intervention.
As well as requiring remediation of their specific difficulty, children with DVD/CAS require specialist speech and language therapy support to communicate and interact effectively with those around them. However, access to speech and language therapists experienced in dealing with DVD/CAS is patchy across the UK. There is just a single national centre specialising in the speech sound disorder – the Paediatric Speech Clinic at Royal National Ear Nose and Throat and Eastman Dental Hospital (RNENT), in London – previously known as the Nuffield Speech Clinic.
Dean said, "I want to express my gratitude to the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists for taking the time to engage with Members of Parliament on this important issue, and I hope we see an increase in people training in this field. It is absolutely crucial that individuals with Verbal Dyspraxia have access to speech and language therapy. It was also a pleasure to see Chris Kamara once again, as our last encounter was at the opening of the Ninja Warrior Adventure Park in Watford!"
Nearly 20% of the population will experience communication difficulties at some point in their lives and over 10% of children and young people have long-term communication needs. Working across a variety of settings and with a range of medical conditions, speech and language therapists can provide the vital and expert communication, eating, drinking and swallowing support people require. However, soaring demand for their services, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, means there are nowhere near enough speech and language therapists within the UK workforce now or being trained for the future to support the population.
In particular, waiting times for children and young people needing speech and language therapy are through the roof and action must be taken sooner rather than later to address these worrying issues. Society must ensure people can access early, crucial speech and language therapy assessments and interventions so they can understand information, interact and form good relationships with others, learn at school, and go on to lead fulfilling lives.
Notes to Editors:
- In areas of socio-economic disadvantage, around 50% of children can start school with language difficulties or other types of communication needs.
- Over 60% of young people in the youth justice estate have communication needs.
- Speech and language therapists say they are receiving more referrals for children with more complex needs since the beginning of the pandemic.
- The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists is the professional body for speech and language therapists in the UK, representing over 20,000 members. It facilitates and promotes research into the field of speech and language therapy – the care for individuals with communication, swallowing, eating and drinking difficulties. It promotes better education and training of speech and language therapists and is responsible for setting and maintaining high standards in education, clinical practice and ethical conduct.
