ABSTRACT
In Romania, the beginnings of speech and language therapy (SLT) and understanding of speech and language disorders (SLD) can be traced back to a chronicle published in 1835, which speaks of ‘healing of stuttering’. The focus on communication needs in Romania was on work to address the voice problems of actors and opera interpreters, but also to support the families of children with sensory problems. The history of the development of SLT services in Romania has been complicated, reflecting not only the work of individual practitioners as it does in most countries, but the political environment in which those services were developing. In public schools and kindergartens for inclusive and special education, the speech therapist usually works individually with children/pupils with disabilities, establishing for each one an SLT plan according to their real needs and possibilities. There are more associations and non-governmental organisations at national level that offer SLT services to children with various conditions, often associated disorders, including SLD.
