Transforming lives through speech therapy

It's been said that the Covid-19 lockdown had a devastating impact on children's speech development. But it also affected the support that older patients can get for their speech and swallowing problems. Beatriz de la Pava talks to speech therapists from Greece and South Africa about the work they do.

Emilia Michou is a speech and language therapist from Greece. She’s a clinical academic, spending half of her time with patients and half teaching at Patras University. Emilia was inspired to train as a SLT because of the struggles she and her brother had communicating when they were children. She specialises in supporting people with degenerative conditions or after suffering from a stroke.

Dr Sadna Balton heads up the speech and audiology department at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Johannesburg, the largest hospital in Africa and third largest in the world. She’s a paediatric therapist working with babies to teenagers helping children with autism, down’s syndrome as well as with cleft palettes. Sadna also trains care-givers and parents in how to communicate with their child.

Produced by Jane Thurlow and Emily Naylor

(Image: (L) Sadna Balton. (R) Emilia Michou.)