Understanding and Using Spoken Language

Catherine Delamain is a retired speech and language therapist with over 40 years' experience working with children with speech, language and communication needs in clinics, schools, special schools and nurseries. She spent several years in association with a senior educational psychologist lecturing to teachers on how to address the needs of children with speech, language and communication needs in mainstream and special schools. Catherine formed part of a pioneering team of paediatricians, speech therapists and clinical psychologists, to provide multi-disciplinary diagnosis of children with autistic spectrum disorder. With Jill Spring, she is the co-author of eight books published by Speechmark.

Jill Spring is a retired speech and language therapist who specialised in child speech and language disorder and autistic spectrum disorder. Since qualifying in 1972 she has worked in a variety of paediatric settings including community clinics, assessment centres, opportunity playgroups and mainstream schools. From 1996 to 2014 she worked in specialist language units attached to mainstream schools, spending two years managing one of these units. Before retiring in 2016 she was responsible for coordinating the Education Commissioned Communication Plan support service for children with complex speech, language and communication difficulties. She also worked as part of the multi-disciplinary team responsible for assessment and diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorders in West Dorset. From 2011 until her retirement she coordinated the Dorset Speech and Language Therapy Service training programmes offered to schools across Dorset, Bournemouth and Poole. She maintains an active interest in speech, language and communication development in children and young people.