Children’s Speech & Language Therapy Services
Supporting Your Child's Communication Development
Children's speech and language therapy is a specialised service that focuses on helping children develop the communication skills essential for learning, social interaction, and everyday life. Our experienced speech and language therapist works with children and families to address difficulties with understanding and using language, speech clarity, social communication, voice, and fluency.
Through evidence-based therapy approaches, we help enable children to express themselves confidently and engage meaningfully with others at home, school, and in their community.
Our Speech & Language Therapy Services
Speech Sound Disorders and Articulation Delays
Speech Sound Disorder
Children with speech sound disorders experience ongoing difficulty saying certain sounds compared to their peers. This may include:
Leaving sounds out of words
Swapping one sound for another
Using speech patterns that make communication harder to understand
Unclear speech that may cause frustration
Our therapy provides expert guidance and structured practice to help your child build confident, clear communication skills.
Articulation Delay
Articulation delays involve trouble making specific sounds such as 'r', 'k', or 's' - sounds that are often more challenging for children to master. Our speech therapists help children learn clearer pronunciation through fun, engaging activities that support progress at home, school, and with friends.
Treatment Approaches:
Supporting your child to gradually learn how to make sounds they find challenging
Practicing these sounds in words, phrases, and everyday conversations
Building confidence so your child can establish friendships and communicate effectively with those around them
Social Communication Difficulties
Some children find it challenging to use language and communication appropriately in social situations, affecting how they interact with others, understand social cues, and participate in conversations.
Children with social communication challenges may:
Struggle to start or maintain conversations
Have difficulty understanding non-verbal cues (facial expressions, tone of voice, body language)
Find it hard to take turns in conversation or stay on topic
Misinterpret social rules or struggle with polite language
Experience difficulties establishing and maintaining friendships, school participation, and daily interactions
Children with social communication challenges often benefit from our Occupational Therapy services, which can help develop social skills, emotional regulation, and peer interaction strategies.
Therapeutic Support:
Supporting your child to start and maintain conversations
Helping them understand and use non-verbal communication
Teaching strategies for taking turns, staying on topic, and following social rules
Practicing social problem-solving and managing interactions at school, home, and with peers
Language Development Disorders
Understanding Language Development
Language development refers to how children understand and use words and sentences to communicate. Some children develop these skills more slowly, while others face ongoing difficulties compared to their peers.
Language Delay
Children with language delay learn to talk and understand words in the correct developmental sequence, but progress happens more slowly than in children of the same age.
Language Disorder
Language disorders involve difficulties with understanding and/or using language that go beyond simply being 'behind.' This may include:
Using shorter sentences than expected for their age
Struggling to find the right words
Difficulty following instructions, even as they get older
Treatment Includes:
Supporting your child to gradually learn new words and sentence structures
Practicing using language to express needs, feelings, and ideas
Building confidence so your child feels proud of their communication
Sharing simple strategies with families so learning can continue naturally at home and in daily life
Developmental Language Disorder (DLD)
Developmental Language Disorder is a lifelong condition that affects how a child understands and uses language. Children with DLD may experience difficulties with:
Understanding spoken language - following instructions or grasping the meaning of words and sentences
Expressing themselves - finding the right words, forming sentences, or telling stories
Grammar and vocabulary - using language structures that match their age and developmental level
DLD is not caused by hearing problems, learning difficulties, or lack of intelligence. It is a specific difficulty with language development that can affect everyday communication, learning at school, and social interactions.
Many children with DLD also receive support from our Occupational Therapy team for school readiness and learning strategies.
Specialised Treatment:
Practical everyday support for grammar, vocabulary, and sentence structure
Helping your child understand words, phrases, and instructions more easily
Supporting the use of age-appropriate vocabulary and sentence structures
Teaching strategies to organize thoughts and express ideas clearly
Practice with story-telling, conversation skills, and sharing feelings
Stammering, Stuttering and Fluency Difficulties
Fluency difficulties involve interruptions in the flow of speech, such as repeating sounds or words, prolonging sounds, or pausing unexpectedly. Children with fluency difficulties may find speaking stressful, feel anxious, or avoid speaking in certain situations due to frustration or embarrassment.
It's important to understand that fluency difficulties are not a reflection of intelligence or effort.
Treatment Approaches:
Teaching strategies to manage dysfluency (controlled breathing, gentle starts, pacing strategies)
Practicing smooth speech in single words, phrases, and full sentences
Building confidence and reducing anxiety in speaking situations
Supporting effective communication at school, home, and in social settings
Understanding and Use of Spoken Language
Children need to both comprehend (understand what is said to them) and express (communicate thoughts, needs, and ideas) effectively. Children with difficulties in understanding and using spoken language may:
Struggle to follow instructions, questions, or stories
Find it hard to explain ideas clearly or use age-appropriate vocabulary
Use shorter or simpler sentences than peers
Have difficulty sequencing information or telling events in order
Comprehensive Treatment:
Supporting your child to understand instructions, questions, and stories more easily
Helping them expand vocabulary and form age-appropriate sentences
Teaching strategies for organizing ideas, telling stories, and explaining thoughts clearly
Practicing communication in everyday situations at home, school, and with friends
Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)
AAC helps children who have difficulty using speech to express their thoughts, needs, and ideas. This includes tools and strategies such as communication boards, speech-generating devices, and sign systems.
AAC Services Include:
Comprehensive AAC assessments to find the most suitable communication methods
Recommending AAC tools and strategies tailored to your child's strengths and needs
Providing training and guidance for parents, carers, and educators to support communication at home, school, and in daily life
Monitoring progress and adjusting AAC systems as your child develops
Voice and Resonance Disorders
Voice and resonance disorders occur when a child's voice sounds different from what is expected for their age or may include difficulty producing sounds clearly. These can include:
Hoarseness or consistently weak, breathy voice
Differences in pitch or loudness
Unusual resonance (how the voice vibrates in the mouth or nose)
Children with voice or resonance difficulties may struggle to be heard clearly or comfortably, tire easily when speaking, and find it challenging to participate fully in school, social activities, or performances.
Treatment Methods:
Teaching techniques to improve vocal strength, breath support, and control
Helping your child produce clear and consistent pitch, loudness, and tone
Addressing resonance differences to ensure sounds are produced naturally
Encouraging healthy vocal habits to prevent strain or fatigue
Family-centred Approach
Our speech and language therapist works collaboratively with families, recognising that parents and carers are essential partners in their child's communication development. We provide practical strategies and techniques that can be easily integrated into daily routines, ensuring that therapy goals are meaningful and achievable for your family's unique circumstances.
Evidence-Based Practice
All our speech and language therapy interventions are grounded in current research and best practice guidelines. We continuously adapt our approaches to ensure your child receives the most effective, up-to-date treatment for their specific communication needs.
Multi-Disciplinary Support
Many children with speech and language difficulties benefit from our comprehensive multi-disciplinary approach. Our physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and speech and language therapists work together to support your child's overall development.
We also treat children with multiple needs through Intensive Therapy programmes that combine physiotherapy, OT, and SLT.
Frequently Asked Questions About Speech & Language Therapy
At what age should I be concerned about my child's speech development?
While children develop at different rates, consider seeking assessment if your child isn't using any words by 18 months, isn't combining two words by age 2 (e.g., "more juice"), is difficult to understand by age 3, struggles to follow simple instructions appropriate for their age, or shows frustration when trying to communicate. If you have any concerns about your child's communication development, an early assessment can provide valuable guidance.
How long are speech and language therapy sessions?
Initial assessments typically last 60 minutes, allowing our therapist to thoroughly evaluate your child's communication skills and discuss your concerns. Follow-up therapy sessions are usually 30-45 minutes, adjusted based on your child's age, attention span, and specific needs. Shorter, more frequent sessions often work better for younger children.
Will my child need speech therapy forever?
This depends entirely on the specific condition. Some children achieve their communication goals within several months of focused therapy, particularly those with speech sound delay or mild language delays. However, conditions such as Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) or severe and/or specific speech sound disorders are longer lasting. Therapy can provide valuable strategies and support throughout childhood. We regularly review progress and adjust recommendations accordingly.
Can you help with stuttering or stammering?
Yes, we provide fluency therapy to help children who stutter or stammer. Our approach includes teaching strategies to manage dysfluency (such as controlled breathing and gentle speech starts), building confidence in speaking situations, reducing anxiety around communication, and supporting your child and family with practical techniques to use at home and school. Early intervention for fluency difficulties is particularly beneficial.
Do you work with non-verbal children?
Yes, we provide comprehensive support for children who have difficulty using spoken language to communicate. This includes AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) assessment and implementation, which may involve communication boards, speech-generating devices, sign systems, or other tools. We work closely with families and schools to ensure AAC strategies are used consistently across all environments.
Can speech therapy help with reading difficulties?
While we focus primarily on spoken language, many speech and language skills form the foundation for reading development—including understanding sounds in words (phonological awareness), vocabulary knowledge, understanding grammar and sentence structure, and comprehension skills. Addressing underlying speech and language difficulties can support reading development, though we work alongside educational specialists for specific literacy interventions.
What's the difference between speech delay and language delay?
Speech delay refers to difficulties producing sounds clearly—children may be hard to understand or struggle with specific sounds. Language delay involves difficulties with understanding what others say (receptive language) or expressing thoughts, feelings, and needs (expressive language). Some children have speech difficulties only, some have language difficulties only, and some experience both. Our assessment identifies which areas need support.
Do you provide reports for school?
Yes, we provide detailed assessment reports, progress summaries, and specific recommendations for schools. We can also attend school meetings (such as EHCP reviews), liaise directly with teachers and SENCOs, provide strategy sheets and visual supports for classroom use, and offer training for school staff when appropriate. We ensure your child receives consistent support across home and school environments.
How can I support my child's speech development at home?
There are many ways to support communication development at home, including following your child's lead during play and conversation, giving your child time to respond without rushing them, modelling correct speech without directly correcting errors, reading together daily and discussing pictures and stories, narrating activities as you do them together, and limiting screen time to encourage face-to-face interaction. Our therapist will provide specific strategies tailored to your child's needs.
What happens if my child is shy or reluctant during sessions?
This is completely normal, especially during initial sessions. Our therapist is experienced in building rapport with children of all personalities and uses play-based, child-led approaches to help children feel comfortable. We work at your child's pace, using their interests and preferred activities to engage them. Most children warm up quickly once they realise therapy is fun rather than intimidating. We also provide parent coaching so you can support practice in comfortable, familiar settings.
Do you assess for autism or other diagnoses?
As speech and language therapists, we assess communication and language skills but do not diagnose conditions such as autism or developmental disorders. However, we can identify communication patterns that may suggest further assessment is needed and can refer to appropriate specialists. We also provide speech and language therapy support for children who have already received diagnoses such as autism, DLD, or other conditions affecting communication.