Empowering Kids Through
Speech and Language Therapy
Every child’s communication journey is unique. Some children may take a little longer to express themselves, while others may need extra support to understand and use language. Our Speech & Language Therapy team is here to help children build confidence in their communication, so they can thrive at home, in school, and beyond.
What is Speech Therapy | Concerns We Support | Conditions We Support | Signs To Look Out | How We Work with Families
Speech therapy is a specialised field of healthcare that focuses on the assessment, diagnosis, management, and prevention of speech, language, communication, and swallowing disorders.
It is provided by trained professionals known as speech-language pathologists or speech therapists (STs). Speech therapy aims to help individuals of all ages, young children from the age of 12 months and up, who face challenges in various aspects of communication.
What is Speech Therapy?
Our Child Speech Therapy Services & Pathways
Intake Assessment
The first step into therapy, where our Speech Therapist (ST) briefly assesses your child’s speech, language, and communication skills.
Our ST will also speak with caregivers about concerns to create a flexible therapy together.
Social Communication
Skills that help a child engage with peers and adults in meaningful interactions.
A child may find it difficult to join in play, interpret social cues, or keep up with group conversations. Therapy provides strategies to strengthen peer relationships and social confidence.
Stammering/Stuttering
A speech disorder where the flow of speech is interrupted by repetitions, prolongations, or blocks.
A child may repeat sounds (ma-ma-mummy), stretch them out (mmmummy), or struggle to start a word. Therapy helps children manage stammering, build confidence, and reduce negative feelings around speaking.
Speech Sound Delay/Disorder
Difficulties producing clear speech, where children may be hard to understand, even to familiar listeners.
A child may be frequently misunderstood or avoid speaking due to frustration. Therapy supports correct sound use and builds confidence in communication.
Verbal Dyspraxia (Childhood Apraxia)
A motor speech disorder where children have difficulty planning and coordinating the movements needed for speech.
A child may make inconsistent sound errors, have unusual speech patterns, or appear to “struggle” to form words. Therapy focuses on improving speech clarity, and in some cases, Augmentative and Alternative Communication is used to support functional communication.
Auditory Processing
Challenges with how the brain processes and interprets sounds, even when hearing is normal.
A child may often ask for repetition, appear to “tune out,” or struggle in noisy environments. Therapy provides strategies to support clearer communication in everyday situations.
Hearing Impairment Enrichment
A specialised therapy pathway designed for children with hearing loss, focusing on building clear and functional communication skills.
A child may rely heavily on visual cues, struggle to follow spoken instructions, or find group conversations challenging.
Speech & Language Concerns: What We Support
Articulation Disorder
(Speech Sounds)
Articulation refers to how we produce speech sounds. Articulation disorders are broadly referred to as speech sound disorders where we cannot produce individual speech sounds correctly.
Phonological Delay
When a child follows the typical pattern of speech development but continues to use sound errors that usually resolve at an earlier age.
A child may replace groups of sounds (e.g., saying “tat” for “cat” or “gog” for “dog”). Therapy helps correct these patterns to make speech more accurate and understandable.
Receptive Language (Comprehension)
The ability to understand words, sounds, gestures, or symbols.
A child may not follow instructions, have trouble answering questions, or seem confused in group activities. Therapy focuses on building comprehension to support learning and participation.
Expressive Language
Expressive language refers to our ability to communicate our thoughts and feelings through various mediums. While we mainly express ourselves in words - written and spoken - we communicate using gestures, signs, and/or symbols too.
Attention & Listening
The ability to focus on sounds or tasks without becoming distracted, which supports learning, understanding, and language development.
A child may find it hard to follow instructions, stay focused in class, or listen during conversations. Therapy helps children strengthen attention and listening skills to support their overall communication.
Pragmatic Language
(Social Communication)
The way we use language in social situations, both verbally (words, tone) and non-verbally (gestures, facial expressions, body language).
A child may struggle with taking turns in conversations, staying on topic, or using appropriate body language. Therapy supports practical communication skills for everyday interactions.
Speech & Language Conditions: What We Support
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
A nerodevelopmental condition that affects communication, social interaction, and behaviour.
A child may have difficulty with back-and-forth conversations, understanding social cues, or managing daily routines. Speech therapy supports social communication skills and functional language.
Developmental Delay
When a child does not meet developmental milestones at the expected age, which may affect speech, language, thinking, social, or motor skills.
A child may have limited speech for their age, struggle to express needs, or show slower progress compared to peers. Therapy targets key areas of communication to support development.
Developmental Language Disorder (DLD)
An ongoing difficulty in understanding or using spoken language that is not explained by other developmental conditions.
A child may use shorter sentences, have trouble finding words, or misunderstand what is said. Therapy builds vocabulary, sentence structure, and communication confidence.
Every child develops differently. Here are some signs that may suggest your child could benefit from extra support with communication.
Signs Your Child May Benefit from Speech & Language Support
Expressive Language
Difficulty with vocabulary
Struggles to express thoughts or write ideas clearly
Uses made-up words or “jargon”
Echoes language (repeats rather than answers)
Shows frustration when trying to communicate
Language & Communication
Receptive Language
Struggle to listen to and follow instructions
Difficulty reading (skip words, mispronounce, guess words)
Cannot understand questions
Poor comprehension
Do not enjoy reading
Pragmatic Language
Difficulty with vocabulary
Struggles to express thoughts or write ideas clearly
Uses made-up words or “jargon”
Echoes language (repeats rather than answers)
Shows frustration when trying to communicate
Feeding
Have problems with swallowing liquids and/ or solids (dysphagia), as seen with frequent coughing or choking
Exhibits picky eating (avoid food of certain texture)
Feeding, Speech and Voice
Voice
Demonstrate vocal misuse
(e.g., inappropriate volume and pitch)Vocal strains
(e.g., hoarse voice; muscle tension disorder/dysphonia)
Hearing
Hearing impairment
Specific diagnoses that include speech difficulties or are accompanied by a weakened muscle tone
(e.g., cerebral palsy, down syndrome, autism)
Other Neurodevelopmental Conditions
How We Work with Families
🤝 Collaboration
We work closely with parents to set goals and track progress.
🏡 Home Strategies
We share practical tools you can use at home.
🌱 Progress Together
We celebrate milestones as a team
You’re not alone in this journey. Together, we’ll support your child’s communication and confidence.