• Is your child struggling to communicate?

  • Can they understand what you say?

  • Do they say enough for their age?

  • Can you understand their speech?

  • Do you or they have concerns about other aspects of their speech, a lisp for instance?

  • Do they socialise?

  • Do they stammer?

  • Are they already receiving therapy but you feel they need more?

In the first instance call or email me to see if a speech and language therapy assessment would be advisable.  I pride myself on offering an honest approach and would never plan to see a child unnecessarily.  I can always point you in the right direction if need be.

What to expect

Should you choose to go ahead I start by asking you to complete a pre assessment questionnaire which provides me with information that will supplement what you have told me initially and help plan the assessment session. 

I then assess your child with you present and usually in your home, although this could take place in their educational setting.  If both parents can attend this session then I have found this to be most useful, but it is by no means essential.  I ask any unanswered questions to parents, and then complete an in depth assessment with your child.  This could be a mixture of formal and informal assessment, as well as other activities specific to your child, perhaps interacting in a relaxed way to elicit spontaneous interactions and language, or observation.  I pride myself on making your child feel relaxed and confident to join in.  I always make sure you are clear on my findings and all questions are answered before I leave.  Part of this discussion would involve strategies you can put in place to help your child and whether therapy sessions would be recommended.  Once again, I pride myself on never recommending therapy unnecessarily, and would outline my reasons why therapy would be beneficial very clearly, as well as discuss how long therapy could last.  I may recommend other professionals that could look at others areas in more detail. 

Should you decide to go ahead with therapy this should take place in the setting where it will be most effective.  Ideally I need your child to be at their most focused and that a ‘supportive adult’ is there to observe what I do to then carry over the activities in between sessions.  Therapy is at its most effective when this happens.  This could be you at home, or with a member of staff in other settings they attend (nursery, pre-school or school).  Usually settings are happy to comply and I am happy to facilitate the communication with them to see if this is possible.  If this was the case I would ensure excellent communication with parents, so that you know how each session has gone. 

Therapy sessions last one hour and are pitched at your child’s level in every way – tailored to their attention levels, activities they are interested in etc.  I ensure the supporting adult feels confident to carry out the activities in between sessions and leave any necessary material to support this.  I make sure you are clear on our aims and how your child is progressing.  Should anything hinder progress I communicate this with you, for instance if I feel therapy should take place in a different setting, or should be delayed for a period of time, or if the supporting adult is no longer available etc.  I am also happy to have extended members of the family present at sessions at home, such as grandparents, should they require support to interact with your child too.

If an NHS therapist is involved with your child then I can work closely with them to ensure a co-ordinated approach. 

I also offer training and support for the staff in your child’s setting should this be appropriate.   

See Testimonials to further help you decide whether I am the right person for you and your child.

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