Children's speech and language therapy
About us
Children's Speech and Language Therapy helps children with a range of Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN) to achieve and maintain their potential. It also provides support and advice to families and those working with children.
Children may present with:
- Delayed or disordered language development
- Speech sound difficulties
- Stammering
- Voice disorders
- Social communication difficulties/Autism
- Severe Learning Difficulties
- Physical disabilities, e.g. cerebral palsy
- Hearing impairment
- Maxilla-facial disorders such as cleft palate
- Feeding and Swallowing difficulties
A Speech & Language Therapist:
- can assess and advise regarding your child’s speech, language and communication development. Therapists are trained to advise and support children with SLCN and their families.
- works in local Community Clinics, schools and hospitals.
- works with parents, teachers, health staff as well as children. This may be in a group or one-to-one.
Our Speech and Language Therapists will help you become more confident in supporting your child’s speech, language, communication or feeding and swallowing needs.
Information for parents
Information for parents of preschool children on how to create a more communication-friendly environment and activities for you to try at home.
6 Tips for Talking
1. Turn the TV off when your child is playing.
2. Reduce dummy use as much as possible - keeping for sleep time only.
3. Don’t ask your child to copy what you say.
4. Make short comments / labels
describing what your child is doing.
5. Sing action songs and rhymes.
6. Model back clearly what your child is trying to tell you.
Special time
Special Times last for five minutes only!
- Give your child choose the activity, toy or game – within limits
- Go somewhere where you won’t be disturbed – turn off obvious distractions (TV/Phone)
- Give your child 5 minutes of undivided attention
- Focus on what they are saying rather than how they are saying it.
- Afterwards you can return to the activity with your child, but this is no longer part of Special Time.
If you have other children, it’s a good idea to give them their own regular special times on an individual basis as well.
Top Toys to develop language
Children learn important speech and language skills through play. You are the main language model for your child. The best toys are traditional ones rather than those operated with a battery. Do not try and lead their play, always follow the child’s interest and what they show you. Have only 2/3 toys out at once to avoid flitting .
Follow your child’s interests during play. These ideas will help to develop language
- Dolls : Label body parts and clothes. Make dolly do different actions like jump, sleep, cuddle, drink...
- Ball : Take turns to roll it backwards and forwards.
- Use words like fast / slow / bounce
- Tea Set: Say the names of the objects (cup / spoon / plate) as your child picks them up. Use pretend food and label what they play with. Model the word ‘more’.
- Cars / Animals: Label the objects and make the noise e.g. ‘Choo- Choo’ and ‘Brum’.
- Hide dummies, turn off the TV and remove other distractions before you play.
and remember to have FUN!
Useful links
Hungry Little minds - Simple, fun activities for kids, from newborn to five
Tiny Happy People - Helps you develop your child's communication skills. Explore their simple activities and play ideas and find out about your child's amazing early development.
Words for life - provides parents, children and young people with activities and support to improve their language, literacy and communication skills from home.
I Can's Talking Point - Information to help you understand and support children and young people’s speech, language and communication.
Afasic voice for life - Afasic seeks to raise awareness and to create better services and provision for children and young people with speech and language impairments.
Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust - A suite of useful resources and information for speech and language therapy.
Stamma - Support and inflrmatino for parents whose children have devloped a stamma.
Making a referral to the Speech and language therapy team
Making a referral to the Children's SALT team
If you would like to consider making a referral without attending a drop-in session, please get in touch for a referral form and the referral criteria by emailing: Myh-tr.mychildrenstherapy@nhs.net
All referrals are reviewed to ensure they are appropriate. Forms which do not have parental consent, or have insufficient information, will be returned.