Statewide Speech and Language Service

The Statewide Speech and Language Service is provided by five Language Development Centres (LDCs) located in the metropolitan area. These facilities are Department of Education schools that provide an early intervention school service and a statewide outreach service for students with speech and language difficulties.

Contact details

Language Development Centres

The Language Development Centres (LDCs) provide intensive support for students whose academic and social performance is seriously limited by disordered speech and language development. Most LDCs are co-located with a mainstream school and provide satellite/offsite classes in other primary school sites in nearby areas. The co-location ensures that language development students benefit from interaction and inclusion with partner schools.

The schools are an early intervention educational facility. Depending on the facility, this can be from Kindergarten up to Year 3. Small class sizes, specialised language and academic intervention is provided to students on an individual, small group and whole-class basis with a focus on oral language development. Each LDC is staffed by highly-skilled teachers and by speech pathologists, who work with teachers and parents in assessing, evaluating and implementing appropriate programs for students.

How to enrol

• To meet criteria for placement, a child must have a diagnosis of specific language impairment by a speech pathologist.
• A speech pathology assessment and an age appropriate psychological and adaptive behaviour assessment are required as well as a completed parent/teacher questionnaire.
• Referrals for enrolment in an LDC are received by each LDC in September each year and are considered by a school-based placement panel. The numbers of places available vary from year to year, although most places are generally available for children entering into Kindergarten - Year 1.
• Enrolment forms are available from each school.

Transition to mainstream

It is the aim to return children to mainstream classrooms when they demonstrate age appropriate speech, language, social skills and also the ability to participate academically. Upon exit, a fully supported transition program to a mainstream public school is implemented and coordinated by the LDC and the local school to ensure a successful transition.

Speech and Language Outreach Service

The Statewide Speech and Language Outreach Service supports schools with strategic initiatives and professional learning to enable them to cater more effectively for students with speech and language difficulties. Outreach services are staffed by Speech and Language Support Officers who are either specialist teachers or speech pathologists.

The Statewide Speech and Language Outreach Service provides:

• whole-school and targeted professional learning, including opportunities to develop language leaders
• support with whole-school planning (including speech and language assessment, oral language scope and sequence)
• early intervention programs that can be delivered by classroom teachers
• work shadowing at a language development facility
• resources and expertise.

Outreach service delivery

• Fremantle Language Development Centre: South Metropolitan, West Kimberley, Pilbara
• Peel Language Development School: South Metropolitan, East Kimberley, Southwest
• South East Metropolitan Language Development Centre: South Metropolitan, Goldfields
• West Coast Language Development Centre: North Metropolitan, Midwest
• North East Metropolitan Language Development Centre: North Metropolitan, Wheatbelt