ABSTRACT
The history of language impairment (LI) in Lebanon is directly related to the implementation and evolution of the profession of speech therapy in the country and the development of clinical interventions and clinical research in the field. Speech therapy had started to develop in Lebanon with the establishment of around ten private clinics between 1980 and 1995. The sole source of information that describes the situation of the Lebanese speech and language therapists (SLT) is the Lebanese Speech and Language Therapists’ Association. SLTs are still at the forefront of the process of assessment and intervention in children with LI. The one most widely used with children presenting LI is the Makaton programme, first introduced in Lebanon by Guillemette Henry, a French SLT certified in this programme. By adolescence, services become rare and are provided by other professionals such as occupational therapists and educators, with the focus less language oriented and more on preparation for work.
