Speech Therapy

Speech Therapists provide assessment and therapy for a wide range of communication and feeding/swallowing disorders for pre-school and school-aged children, including assessments for Statements of Special Educational Need.

They work closely with parents/carers and liase with other professionals as appropriate, for example, health visitors, teachers, GPs.

Therapy may be offered as part of/or in the form of:

• Parent groups
• Home programmes
• Group sessions
• Individual sessions

Effectiveness of therapy is closely monitored using outcome measurement techniques.

When To Refer Your Child to Speech & Language Therapy

These are broad guidelines to help you decide if/when you may want to consider a referral to speech & language therapy. Your health visitor, GP or child’s teacher will also be happy to discuss any concerns you may have prior to referral.

Chewing and Swallowing Difficulties

If you are anxious about your child’s eating difficulties at any age you should highlight this to your GP or Health Visitor.

Cleft Palate

Your child may already have been seen by a Speech & Language Therapist as a baby. If, by the age of 2 years, you feel that your child has a noticeable speech problem then again it advisable to get it checked. See also Speech Delay.

Down Syndrome

Again, your child may have already been seen by a Speech & Language Therapist as a baby, but if by 18 months to 2 years you feel they are experiencing a delay in speech or language development, then please refer.

Stammering/Stuttering

Many children go through a normal period of dysfluency as pre-schoolers. If you are anxious about your child though, please refer. If your child continues to stammer by the age of 4 ½ to 5 years, then please refer.

Language Delay

The following are milestones your child should be achieving at a given age. If you feel your child is not achieving them, then please refer, or talk to your health visitor, GP or your child’s teacher.

9 months

• Shows awareness of, and interest in, sounds and other people talking.
• May be babbling (eg – ‘mumumum’, ‘baba’ etc) and should certainly be making ‘cooing’ sounds (eg – ‘ahhh’ etc)

18 months

• Able to concentrate on activities for short spells.
• Shows some evidence of pretend play.
• Responds to simple instructions (eg – ‘Where’s teddy?’)
• Uses about 6-20 clear words and lots of babble/jargon.
• Will play contentedly alone but likes to be near familiar adults or older siblings.
• Still quite clingy around strangers.

2 years

• Able to concentrate for fairly long periods.
• Engages in simple role play and make believe play.
• Able to carry out simple commands (eg – ‘Tell daddy tea is ready’, ‘See what the postman has brought’ etc)
• Uses 50 or more recognisable words, and will understand many more.
• Can make sentences of 2 or more words.
• Will play near other children but still reluctant to play with them.
• No idea of sharing playthings or adults attention.

2½ years

• Although exceedingly active, should be able to concentrate for sustained periods.
• Uses around 200 recognisable words.
• Knows full name and uses I, Me and You correctly.
• Continually asking ‘What?’ And ‘Who?’ questions.
• Stuttering in eagerness to communicate is common.

3 years

• Pretend play more complex and involved.
• Should understand around 15 or more verbs (eg – jump, clap, sit etc)
• Has a large vocabulary and uses sentences of 3 or more words.
• Able to carry on simple conversations and asks ‘What?’, ‘Where?’ and ‘Who?’ questions.
• Comments on things/actions and joins in with familiar songs and rhymes.
• Actively joins in play with other children and seeks interaction with familiar adults.

4 years

• Fetches 3 objects at a time when asked.
• Understands simple stories with pictures.
• Fills in missing words in familiar rhymes.
• Answers ‘Who?’, ‘What?’ and ‘Why?’ questions.
• Talks regularly to others.
• Can talk about recent past experiences.
• Approaches adults/children and makes contact (eg – smiles, says hello etc)

5 years

• Co-operates in games and follows instructions.
• Understands stories told in large groups (eg – at school)
• Plays ‘I Spy’.
• Understands 2 part instructions (eg – ‘Fetch your red workbook from my desk and then put it in your drawer.’)
• Names and describes objects in a conversation (eg – family, pets, toys).
• Can retell a story from pictures and say what will happen next.
• Uses language to reason and solve problems (eg – why, because, if, then)

6+ years

• Understands some abstract ideas (eg – size, shape, temperature, time, quantity).
• Can listen in discussions and take turns.
• Understands ‘How’ questions.
• Makes up ‘silly’ jokes.
• Makes and tells imaginary stories.
• Talks about events/items not seen or experienced.

Speech Delay

The following are milestones your child should be achieving at a given age. If you feel your child is not achieving them, then please refer, or talk to your health visitor, GP or your child’s teacher.

2 years

• Speech should be understandable to familiar adults.

2½ years

• More intelligible to unfamiliar adults.

3 years

• Intelligible to most people.
• Uses sounds consistently at the beginnings of words.
• Able to use p, b, t, f, m, n.

4 years

• Uses sounds consistently at both the beginnings and ends of words.
• Able to use k, g, f, s, z.

5 years

• Able to use ‘s’ blends eg – sp, st, sn, sm etc.
• Able to use v, sh, l.

6 years

• Uses ch, j, r, y, th.
• Able to use ‘l’ blends eg – fl, cl, pl, sl etc.
• Able to use ‘r’ blends eg – fr, pr, tr etc.