When will I get my first appointment?
When the child’s name is at the top of the waiting list, an appointment for an initial assessment will be sent to the child’s home with a copy to the referrer. 21 days notice by post will be given for appointments. Children referred to our service should be offered their first appointment within 9 weeks of referral.
Children who are referred with an eating and drinking concern should be offered an appointment within 2 weeks of referral.
What should I expect the first time I go to see the Speech and Language Therapist?
You may be sent a questionnaire to bring with you to your first appointment; this will help the Speech and Language Therapist (SLT) gather some information about your child. You will be asked questions about your child’s development and we will assess your child’s speech, language and communication skills. This could be through observations, play and/or formal assessment. Discussion will take place about the outcome of the assessment.
What happens after my first appointment?
Following assessment a decision will be made about appropriate intervention for your child. If assessment indicates that intervention is required then the child’s name will be added to a waiting list for treatment. The type of treatment will be decided according to your child’s needs and will be discussed with you. You will receive a copy of the report detailing assessment findings and recommendations.
How can I find out how long the waiting list is?
You can contact the speech and language therapy clinic (see Contacts) in your locality to find out approximately how long the waiting time is in your area.
Where will my child be seen, will they be seen in nursery?
Initial assessment appointments generally take place in the clinic. Following this, therapy can be provided in a variety of settings. This is decided according to service guidelines and depends on where the child is most likely to reach their full potential. This might be in your home, the clinic or in school/nursery.
Who can refer?
We have an open referral system which means that anyone can refer to our service. Children are often referred, with parental permission, by Public Health Nurses, Nursery/ School staff and GP’s, who all have copies of our referral form. Parents can also contact their local clinic (see Contacts) to make a referral.
What happens if I miss my appointment?
If you miss an appointment without informing the therapist beforehand you will be discharged from our service. Parents are notified of the ‘Did Not Attend’ policy in the initial assessment appointment letter, therefore, no further letter will be sent if the child fails to attend.
Why does my child not receive Speech and Language Therapy any more?
Many children have long term communication difficulties that will not be resolved by attending Speech and Language Therapy.
A child may be discharged from our service for one or more of the following reasons
- Child has gained maximum benefit from therapy
- Child not benefiting from therapy at this time
- Child/young person or family do not want to continue therapy
- Did not attend an appointment
Can I get an appointment after school?
SLTs only have a limited number of after school appointments; therefore, you may have to wait longer to get this time slot. Please inform your child’s school if the appointment falls within schools hours.
Will my child be seen in a group?
Your child may be seen in a group. A decision will be made by the SLT about the type of therapy your child will receive. This could be:
- individual therapy (when the child’s needs will be best met on a 1:1 basis)
- Group therapy (listening and attention, social skills, language, phonology, dysfluency)
- Indirect (working with nursery/school)
- Parents (e.g. groups, workshops etc)
Group therapy is very effective for many difficulties.
Why have I been invited to a Parent Group?
If you have been asked to attend a parent group, your child’s therapist believes this to be the most beneficial input for your child.
There are a variety of ways of supporting your child and they may include one or more of the following
- Training and advice for parents, carers and other service providers.
- Programmes of work and activities to support the child in different environments
- Assessment and provision of communication aids
- Involvement in educational and transition planning
- Direct therapy with child individually or in a group
Following an agreed period of support the child’s progress will be reviewed in partnership with parents/carers and others and further recommendations and actions will be made according to the child’s changing needs.
My child seems to stutter on some words, what should I do?
Young children will often stop, pause and start again on some words when they are learning to talk. Some children will grow out of this but others will not.
There are many ways of helping your child with dysfluent speech. Please contact your local clinic for advice on dysfluency.
My two year old says ‘tat’ for ‘cat’, should I make him say it properly? Does he need speech therapy?
Children follow a developmental pattern when they learn to speak. Pronunciation errors are very common and are a predictable part of sound development. Avoid directly correcting your child’s errors. When your child does say something incorrectly repeat the word or phrase using a slightly slower rate, and place emphasis on the word. Please contact your local clinic/see website for ages and stages of normal sound development which will help you decide whether to refer them to SLT.
Why has my child been referred to Speech and Language Therapy for difficulties with swallowing?
Speech and Language Therapists work with children who have difficulties co-ordinating the processes of eating, drinking and swallowing. For more information, please contact your local clinic/look at website.