Services
Telephone Consultation: Once you have got in touch, by phone or by email, a 30 minute free telephone consultation will be offered. During this time, we can discuss your concerns and your child’s areas of strength and need. I can outline what services I can offer and explain how I could help your child develop their speech, language and communication skills. An initial assessment session can be arranged, usually within 2 weeks. We can discuss where you would like me to see your child e.g. at home, at nursery or at school.
First appointment: This will be an initial assessment session to give me an idea of what skills your child already has and what we can work on. If your child is young, play-based assessment is likely to be the best way forward. For older children, play is still important, but more formal assessments can be used. Some of these are standardised so we can see how your child’s speech and language skills compare to their peers. At the end of this session, I will provide you with verbal feedback and a package of intervention can be agreed upon. A written report will always follow an initial assessment with general advice or a programme of activities to work on at home and at nursery or school.
Therapy: 3 packages of intervention can be offered, depending on your child’s level of need:
Universal: This intervention provides general advice for developing good speech and language skills.
Targeted: This involves a set of specific targets, tailored to each child’s individual needs, that are practiced at home and at nursery or school. Your child’s progress is then reviewed every 2-3 months with targets being updated where necessary.
Specialist: This involves direct therapy at your home or at your child’s nursery or school. Direct therapy is offered in blocks of 6-8 sessions. This level of intervention is most suitable for children who require ongoing specialist support to develop their speech and language abilities. They may have a speech disorder, language disorder, learning difficulty or require an alternative form of communication to be introduced.