Speech and Language Therapy for Transgender/Gender Diverse Clients

Outline of learning objectives:

• • Comfort with concepts surrounding holistic gender affirming healthcare (e.g. terminology, care pathways, etc.).
  • Understand the broad role of SLT working with transgender, non-binary and gender questioning adult clients.
  • Confidence in SLT assessment and intervention, including specific voice therapy skills.
  • Awareness of strategies for effective and sensitive case management.
  • Knowledge of next steps, resources and support available to SLTs.

About the presenter:

• Rachel Moore is Senior Speech and Language Therapist at the National Gender Service. She works with transgender, non-binary and gender questioning adults as a member of the NGS multi-disciplinary team. Prior to her appointment to this role in January 2019, Rachel worked for 7 years in a private capacity, promoting the essential role of SLT in trans healthcare and advocating for publicly available SLT for trans people. She was the founder of an award winning social enterprise, Express YOUR Gender, which provided low cost voice therapy and career support for trans people. Rachel is passionate about communication accessibility and sees communication as a human right.  

About the SIG:

The current focus of the Equality SIG is to build capacity among the SLT community in Ireland to provide inclusive and informed services to transgender/gender diverse clients, across the lifespan. We achieve this through two CPD offerings: skills training and peer support meetings. 30 SLTs from CAMHS teams around Ireland attended a 2 day training in March 2020. Our next training is for SLTs who wish to include transgender/gender diverse adults in their caseload. We offer our members two different quarterly peer support meetings for SLTs depending on whether you work with young people or adults. It is our hope to open up conversations about this rapidly evolving area, in collaboration with other SIGs. To make an enquiry about peer support or to become a member, please email equalitysig@gmail.com. The Chair of the Equality SIG is Rachel Moore, Senior Speech and Language Therapist, National Gender Service.