Speech and language difficulties are common in the UK. Many children grow out of them, but some children may need support improve their speech and language skills. A Speech therapist provides children with support to develop and improve their speech and language abilities.
Who do Speech and Language Therapists help?
Children’s speech should be formally evaluated by an a NHS or private speech therapist and speech therapy or language therapy should be commenced as recommended and continued for as long as is required.
Speech and language therapists help children with a variety of difficulties, which include:
* Language delay
* speech problems
* having trouble understanding spoken or written words
* difficulty learning sounds, letters, syllables or words
* difficulty learning or using new vocabulary
* dyspraxia
What should parents expect?
Children’s speech and Language Therapy includes a wide variety of language activities and Speech activities. Children will engage with a variety of activities such as sound or word repetitions, rhymes, tongue twisters, clapping and rhyming. Depending on the age of the child involved, playtime activities or assigned schoolwork may also be undertaken regularly in sessions. Therapy can be carried out by parents, teacher and Speech and language therapy assistants. The therapist will provide the parent with Speech and Language Therapy resources.
Where do Speech and Language therapists work?
Speech therapists work in a wide range of setting including:
* schools
* clinics
* homes
* hospitals
* child development centres
What can private Speech Therapy offer?
Offer flexible working patterns to ensure professional support at a time convenient to the school.
Administer therapy on an individual basis, group or through a whole class approach.
Implement consistent blocks of therapy for individual children and/or groups of children with key school staff who work closely with child.
Provide clear and concise classroom advice and strategies.
Individual/group therapy programmes & targets for Individual Education Plans.
Provide comprehensive clinical reports with recommendations for future management.