ABSTRACT
The responsibility for the delivery and funding of speech and language therapy (SLT) services in Switzerland has oscillated between education and public health services since their foundation, with the relative advantages of the former and the latter being debated. In Switzerland, only those with an EDK-approved SLT diploma are licensed to deliver SLT services, diagnosis and intervention in case of speech, language and communication disorders. In Switzerland, there is no unified framework for the provision of screening and prevention services, which often involve other professionals, both medical and educational. As for prevention, the pan-cantonal agreement for obligatory school education places a high importance on the development of oral and written language skills. The detection of children at risk for language disorders, and the adaptation of suitable preventative measures are important contemporary issues, as is the equal access to SLT services for the whole population, for young children and older adolescents outside of the years of compulsory schooling.
