• they are late to start talking

• they have difficulties concentrating and listening

• they have difficulty understanding what is said to them (e.g. following instructions)

• they have difficulties linking words to form sentences

• they have unclear speech

• they have difficulties playing with or interacting with others

• they have anxiety that stops them from talking in certain situations e.g. in pre-school/school (selective mutism)

• they are stammering

• they have a husky or hoarse voice

If you think your child may need some support, you are welcome to contact me for a free telephone consultation. You can call me or email me and we will arrange to discuss your concerns at a time to suit you. After we have talked through your child's needs I will let you know whether I can help. If you decide to go ahead with an assessment we can book this at the end of the call, or you can call back later if you need time to decide.

If you decide to book an assessment I will then ask you to complete a questionnaire about your child's development that can be returned to me prior to your appointment. Assessment sessions may include a visit to you and your child at your home and/or a visit to your child in pre-school or school. We can then discuss your child's communication skills and the support they may need. I can provide a brief summary report or a more detailed report depending on your preference.

If your child would benefit from some regular sessions of speech and language therapy I will discuss the range of approaches that I offer. These include:

• Parent and Child Interaction Therapy: An approach that enables you to use strategies in play to support your child's speech and language

• Structured Language Therapy: Approaches that enable you to support your child's language development through structured games, activities and strategies that can be used in everyday life

• Structured Speech Therapy: Approaches that  enable you to support your child to develop clearer speech through games, activities and strategies that can be used in everyday life

Your part in therapy sessions is just as important as your child's. In therapy we find out what works for your child and what they enjoy. I will demonstrate techniques that you can use and we will talk about how these can be fitted in within your child's daily routine. 

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The number of sessions each child needs varies. We will usually start with 4-6 sessions and then review progress together before agreeing further sessions.

If your child attends pre-school or school I am able to create programmes of activities and strategies for staff to follow.  I will visit your child's educational setting to ensure that the programme is demonstrated, and any training given, so that your child's needs can be met. Follow up visits can also be made to review your child's progress and offer further guidance to staff.