Please email me or phone up for a quick chat about the concerns you have regarding your child’s speech, language and communication. A chat is free and at the end of this, there is no obligation for you to take up an appointment. Similarly, if I feel I may not be the best person to help your child, I will let you know.
I accept referrals from anyone providing parental consent is given.
Please refer to my Services and Fees document which I can send you.
ASSESSMENT
Once we jointly agree that an assessment is required I can provide an appointment very quickly. I can see your child at your home and / or early years setting / school, whichever is best for your child. The assessment can take a number of forms depending on what is discussed in the telephone consultation.
Initial Consultation Assessment (written summary included) The duration of this assessment will take around 90 minutes.
Detailed Assessment (written report included) The duration of this assessment will take at least 2 hours, but may take place over 1 or 2 visits.
These assessments include:
-taking a detailed case history about your child and their development, so that I can gain a clear picture of your child and talk about your concerns in more depth. I will also look at any written information that you provide from other professionals involved with your child
- carrying out an assessment which varies depending on the age and stage of each child. It may take the form of informal assessment (i.e. assessing through play, informal conversation or specific activities) or more formal assessment using published standardised tests for speech or language. I will be looking at all areas of communication relevant to your child’s age and areas of difficulty: attention and listening, play, understanding of language, expressive language, speech, functional communication (i.e. requesting, repairing conversational breakdown etc.) and interactions with others etc.
-feeding back to you about the assessment and making recommendations. At the end of the assessment session you will have a clear idea as to whether your child needs to be seen again by a Speech and Language Therapist. I may suggest others professionals be involved and this might include an Audiologist, Physiotherapist, Occupational Therapist, ENT Consultant, or another Speech and Language Therapist in a specialist area etc.
-producing a written summary (Initial Consultation Assessment) or a full report (Detailed Assessment) if requested and with your permission the report will be sent to other professionals involved.
THERAPY
During the initial consultation assessment or detailed assessment session we will discuss the assessment findings and what your child needs. Some simple advice may do the trick and that is all that is needed. In other situations, direct intervention maybe needed and I can offer a series of sessions to address specific areas of difficulty.
If you would like your child to continue seeing me for therapy then sessions can be weekly, fortnightly or monthly depending on the needs of your child. Sessions can also be offered as a block of therapy with breaks in between. Sessions can either take place in your home or your child’s pre-school/ school and usually last 30-45 minutes (short therapy sessions) or 45-60 minutes (longer therapy sessions). This includes working with your child and liaison with you or education staff. I will also give ideas of activities to carry out between appointments to support progress. In addition, to support your child’s therapy goals, I am able to attend meetings, provide home/ school programmes and staff training at your child’s nursery/ pre-school/ school.
ROLE OF THE PARENT/CARER
- During assessment and therapy sessions it is important that the environment is quiet and free from distractions (e.g. TV/ radio off) where possible.
- To get the best results you will likely need to attend the sessions. When therapy is delivered into a pre-school/ school setting a member of staff will need to be present at that session.
- During your child’s therapy, I will usually provide tasks for you to carry out with your child between therapy sessions. These tasks are as important as the therapy sessions themselves, and regular home support will results in more positive outcomes.
- It is important that you let me know as soon as possible if your child is seen/ has been seen by another professional. In order to gain a full picture of your child, it may be necessary, with your permission, to talk to others involved with your child e.g. nursery/ school teachers, health visitors, other professionals. If you have reports from others who have been involved with your child's development, it is helpful to share them with me to help to build a fuller picture. Likewise it would be useful, with your permission, to share letters/ reports that I write with other professionals involved with your child. Liaising with others will ensure that your child is given the best input and support to achieve their full potential.
- It is essential that you inform me if your child has been seen/ is currently being seen or is waiting to be seen by any Speech and Language Therapists (NHS or Independent). It is particularly important that you let me know if your child has been assessed by another Speech and Language Therapist within the past (last) 6 months so that assessments are not duplicated as this can invalidate the results. It is very common for Independent and NHS Speech and Language Therapy Services to be working alongside each other and in collaboration.