Every child deserves a voice – AAHP calls upon government to invest in speech langauge services now
๐๐ฉ๐๐ฅ๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ฅ๐ฉ๐๐ฆ ๐ ๐ฉ๐ข๐๐๐ โ ๐๐๐๐ฃ ๐๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐จ๐ฃ๐ข๐ก ๐๐ข๐ฉ๐๐ฅ๐ก๐ ๐๐ก๐ง ๐ง๐ข ๐๐ก๐ฉ๐๐ฆ๐ง ๐๐ก ๐ฆ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ก๐๐จ๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ฅ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐ก๐ข๐ช
10 June 2025
๐ฆ๐. ๐๐ผ๐ต๐ปโ๐, ๐ก๐ โ The Association of Allied Health Professionals (AAHP) is calling on government to invest in pediatric speech language pathology services now.
Children across our province are waiting far too long to access the speech-language care they needโand the consequences are profound. Early intervention is not optional. It is essential. Without timely support, children with communication challenges face significantly greater risks of academic difficulty, lower socio economic outcomes, and mental health struggles. Yet, in every zone of our healthcare system, children are waiting upwards of two years for treatment.
Despite these long waits, our membersโSpeech Language Pathologists (SLPs) who work in pediatric settingsโare doing everything they can. Many have implemented two-stage referral processes to speed up assessments and offer interim support to families. But this is a stopgap, not a solution. After initial assessment, children still wait 18 to 20 months for therapy. This means that a toddler flagged at 18 months may not receive treatment until they are four years oldโwell past the critical window for early language development.
We have not seen any significant increases in SLP resources in years and since 2010 in eastern rural areas. This is despite the number of referrals nearly doubling in the last three to four years and cases becoming significantly more complex. Our members are being asked to do more with less everywhere โand in rural areas the situation is even worse as they work across multiple populations, including pediatric, adult, long-term care, inpatient, and outpatientโoften with no additional staffing.
It is deeply concerning that repeated requests for increased resources, including formal briefing notes submitted over a year ago, have received no response.
Services offered in early childhood settings are essential, however they cannot substitute for trained, regulated speech-language pathologists and the specialized therapies they provide. And while no diagnosis is required for SLP services, long wait times make timely assessment and treatment incredibly difficult to access.
Our SLPs are professionals committed to best-practice care. But they are experiencing increasing moral distress as theyโre forced to limit intervention or watch children fall through the cracks due to systemic underfunding. These professionals are not just sounding the alarmโthey are holding the line.
The Association of Allied Health Professionals urges government and health system leaders to act. ๐๐ป๐๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฎ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ ๐ฆ๐๐ฃ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐. ๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ณ๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น๐. ๐๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ธ๐น๐ผ๐ด. ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐น๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป. Because every child deserves a voiceโand a fair start.
Media Contact:
Erin Curran
1(709) 325-7193
erin@lupinecommunications.com