I work with children of preschool/nursery and primary school age (about 4 to 11 years).
What types of communication difficulties do you work with?
Speech sound difficulties which impact on the intelligibility of their speech, interactions with friends and adults and developing reading and writing skills. For example:
The child who is following a typical pattern of speech development but using errors seen in younger children.
The child who does not follow the typical pattern of speech development.
The child who struggles with specific speech sounds.
Children with childhood apraxia of speech are very difficult to understand – they find it difficult to coordinate and plan the movements used to make sounds, syllables and words.
Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) – this covers children who have difficulty using and/or understanding language. Their difficulties have not been overcome by the age of 5 and are not associated with any other condition e.g autism.
Some children find it difficult to put words together into phrases and sentences, or find the right words or sequences to tell a story.It can be difficult for some children to understand spoken language – they may struggle in class or at home following instructions, or in learning new words or concepts.
How often will my child need therapy?
All children respond differently to therapy, so it really depends on the child and their motivation. Once they have had their initial assessment/observation, targets will be set with parents/carers. If it appears that the child would benefit from therapy, it will initially start with 6 sessions.
Where does therapy take place?
Usually in nursery or school, but can also take place at the child’s home.