Speech and Language Therapy
Our in-house, fully qualified Speech and Language Therapy team is highly experienced in supporting children and families in overcoming language and communication barriers and provides On Track Communication Screeners, Formal Assessments and one-to-one Therapy sessions for children and adolescents.
All sessions are run from our fully equipped, bright and welcoming therapy rooms and caters for children for children and young people aged 18 months – 19 years.
How Does Speech and Language Therapy Work at The Children's Wellness Centre?
Before we can begin Speech and Language Therapy sessions, in order to tailor these to the exact needs of your child, our therapists will need to either carry out a “Screener” or a more in-depth, formal initial “Assessment”. More details about these and what option may be best for your child can be found below.
If your child has previously been assessed in the last three months by a Speech and Language Therapist (either privately or on the NHS) we may be able to use this report and begin initial therapy sessions straight away, without the need for us to complete a Screener or Assessment in our clinic.
Before your first appointment there will be a pre-assessment questionnaire and case history taken from parents/carers, where any concerns, strengths or needs can be shared. This will enable our therapist to prepare for the first meeting, allowing them to focus on your child, rather than needing to go through all the background information with you.
Our sessions take place in calm, welcoming therapy rooms designed to help children and young people feel at ease.
What Can Speech & Language Therapy help with?
Academic difficulty and poor literacy skills can be associated with untreated speech and language disorders and by screening young children for both speech and language disorders and delays, not only is it possible to prevent lifelong learning difficulties, but can help improve overall wellbeing and reduce frustrations. Our Therapist can support with a range of Speech and Language concerns, ranging from mild speech sound or articulation difficulties, to severe communication needs and complex diagnoses. Speech and Language Therapy can help with the following:
- Attention and listening and/or learning difficulties
- Language delay and/or impairment
- Play skills and/or social and emotional difficulties
- Speech sound difficulties
- Hearing impairment and/or auditory processing
- Down syndrome
- Cerebral palsy
- Autism (diagnosed or awaiting possible diagnosis)
- Phonological awareness and pre-literacy skills
- EAL (English as an additional language)
Services and Fees
Option
Speech & Language On Track Communication Screener (18 months - 4 yrs)
£140 30 minute session + brief 1 page summary sent within 7 days
A Screener would be carried out for minor speech and language concerns, such as pronunciation or articulation difficulties. It is used to determine if a child is ‘on track’ for their age and children are assessed according to developmental stages for their age group.
The Screener may also be used for parents who want extra peace of mind that their child is progressing appropriately
- Screening for age appropriate articulation (if deemed necessary) and the ability to produce speech sounds
- Basic screening of receptive and expressive language (a child's ability to understand and use language)
- Basic screening for age appropriate social skills and play skills
Option
Speech & Language Assessment (18 months - 4 years)
£300 60 minute session + written report sent within 14 days
This Assessment is more in-depth than the Screener and is suitable for children who are having difficulty with understanding, or using spoken language. They may not speak at the same level as their peers, have difficulty understanding directions, telling stories, or expressing themselves. It will assess a multitude of areas, including a thorough examination of speech sounds, communication, play, and social skills
- Informal and formal Assessment of age appropriate articulation and the ability to produce speech sounds (if deemed necessary)
- Informal and formal Assessment of receptive and expressive language (a child's ability to understand and use language)
- Informal Assessment of age appropriate social skills and play skills
Option
School Aged Speech & Language Assessment (5 - 18 years)
£390 90 minute session + written report sent within 14 days
This thorough Assessment looks at a child’s core language skills and will examine all areas of their speech, language and communication skills, identifying any areas of concern that could also hinder them academically. It will include an Assessment of receptive and expressive language (ability to use and understand language) as well as the quality of a child’s language, grammar and narrative skills
- Formal Assessment of age appropriate articulation (if deemed necessary) language skills and narrative skills
- Formal Assessment of receptive and expressive language (a child's ability to understand and use language)
- Formal and Informal Assessments of overall communication skills and for age appropriate social skills and core language
Assessments for EHCP Purposes
If you are looking for an assessment in order to support your child’s EHCP application, we offer assessments, with a tailored report option which can support with these applications. In order to apply for an EHCP for your child, you may need to gather evidence to submit. These reports are more detailed than the standard report and can be used as evidence to support your application. Please note, this is not an ‘EHCP Needs Assessment’ so not would include exact prescriptive quantifiable outcomes, as this would involve a school visit.
These assessments are 90 minutes long and charged at £595.
If you have any questions, or if you would like to book one of the above services, please make contact via the form below and we will be in touch as soon as possible.
Therapy sessions
Dependent on the results of the Screener or Assessment, our Therapists will advise if regular Therapy sessions are required in order to support your child’s progress and development.
For children aged 2-3 years the session is usually 30-minutes and is charged at £70.00 per session
For children aged 4+years the session is usually 45-minutes and is charged at £95.00 per session
Any review reports are charged at £125.
A block of 8 weeks of sessions will be booked in for your child and it is important that sessions are attended consistently in order for progress to be made.
Therapy sessions include direct time completing Therapy activities and time providing verbal feedback to parents and caregivers. The feedback includes ideas for home practise which are designed to reinforce the focus of Therapy and help your child progress more rapidly.
Please note, for many children, successful speech and language intervention requires follow up work at home. This assists the child to generalise their new skills in their everyday environments.
If you have any questions, or if you would like to book one of the above services, please make contact via the form below, detailing what service you are interested in and we will be in touch as soon as possible.
Our Speech and Language Therapy Services are provided by our HCPC Registered Clinicians; Jessica Maye: Registration SL31251 and Anne Lampert: Registration SL042194