Children's Speech and Language Therapy

Speech and Language Therapists work with children and young people who have difficulties with speech sounds, language and communication skills. They also work with children who have difficulties swallowing that can make eating and drinking unsafe.

The SHC Children’s Speech & Language Therapy Service provides help, support and care for children, who have difficulty with listening to and understanding language, learning new words and putting them together in sentences, using language in social situations, saying words clearly, speaking fluently without getting stuck on words or stammering. We work with the children, their families and nurseries / schools to help resolve these difficulties when possible or to help the child learn good strategies to manage their communication difficulty and be independent.

We also work with children and young people who communicate in other ways (signing, using computers or communication aids) and who have difficulty in swallowing when eating and drinking. We provide support for children who are confident speakers at home / with close family but who are unable to use these skills in other situations or with other people.

Who is the service for?

• Children who are identified as having significant and severe speech, language and / or communication needs. In the majority of cases, referrals are accepted before the child is 5 years old and treatment can continue until the end of Year 3.
• Some areas of the service have different access criteria for certain health needs:
  • Children with dysfluency (stammering) - referrals are accepted for children under 8 years and treatment can continue until the end of Year 3. 
  • Children with speech sound difficulties - referrals are accepted before the child is 5 years old and treatment can be delivered until the end of Year 6 
• Children with eating and drinking difficulties (dysphagia) affecting the safety of their swallowing and chest health - referrals are accepted from birth to 18 years.
• Children at Sherwood Park school who have health needs (dysphagia) requiring SLT input specified in their EHCP. The Education SLT Team support all other speech, language and / or communication needs within the school
• Children referred must be registered with a Sutton GP.

How will the service help my child?

The Speech and Language Therapist will see you and your child and will talk to you about your concerns. They will play and talk with your child, to help decide whether your child has difficulties and how these affect them.

They will give you ideas for activities and strategies you can use and practice at home. Small changes and work done at home can make a big difference to a child’s communication skills.

The Therapist will write a short report about your child and provide you with a programme of activities. This information will be shared with nursery or school so they can use the same ideas and activities to help your child during the day.

We may offer your child some therapy input, which could be in a group with other children, or some individual sessions.

How can my child get this service?

If you are worried about your child's development, discuss this with your GP, Health Visitor, School Nurse, Nursery Leader or Class Teacher. Referrals can be made by anyone who knows the child well and has identified that the child has significant and severe speech, language and/or communication (SLC) needs requiring SLT input.

Where will my child receive this service?

The service is primarily clinic based; children are usually invited to a Health Clinic for their first Speech and Language Therapy appointment. We offer appointments at Green Wrythe Lane Clinic, Robin Hood Lane Health Centre, and Jubilee Health Centre.

Follow up appointments, if needed, may be offered in the same clinic or at one of the Children’s Centres. For children with very complex health needs, appointments can take place at home. and / or in nursery / educational settings within the local borough when clinically necessary to improve functional speech and language and communication skills.