ABSTRACT
Italy has a long tradition of attention to the disorders addressed by speech and language therapists (SLT). Historically, deaf people were among the first individuals with a communication disorder to capture the attention of professionals. In 1989, the regional associations of SLTs merged into the Federation of Italian Logopedists, which promotes professional training in SLT supported by theory and meticulous methodology. The connections between SLT, otorhinolaryngology and linguistics, mainly in universities in northern Italy, such as Padua University, have prompted the production of high-quality research related to phonetics and phonology. Children with developmental difficulties are usually identified and reported to health services by teachers, educators and paediatricians. The profession of SLTs is undoubtedly a young one and further research is still required to consolidate the evidence for the effectiveness of intervention delivery. SLTs’ expertise allows the accurate identification of specific areas for intervention and developmental trajectories and profiles, and contributes to theories of communicative and linguistic development.
