Services
Children’s Speech and Language Therapy
Our Children’s Speech and Language Therapy Service is a countywide specialist service for children and young people aged 0 – 18 and their families and carers. We work within a variety of locations including mainstream schools, community clinics, preschool settings, special schools and client’s homes.
About this service
Our speech and language therapists are qualified professionals with an in-depth knowledge of difficulties with communication and eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties (dysphagia). This includes the following areas:
- language delay and disorder
- speech sound difficulties
- profound hearing impairment
- cleft palate
- stammering
- Social communication difficulties with associated language difficulties
- voice disorders
- selective mutism
We provide assessment, advice and treatment planned around the individual needs of the child and family. Advice, training and support may also be provided to teaching and support staff or other professionals where appropriate, to help facilitate the development of communication skills.
Eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties (dysphagia)
Speech and Language Therapists are trained to support children who have eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties (dysphagia) to eat and drink safely. We can work with children from birth to 18 years of age.
We can support children where there are concerns about:
- Feeding, eating and/or drinking safety
- When there is a physical difficulty causing problems with eating and drinking.
- For example: We often see children who have the following: genetic syndromes, cerebral palsy, brain injury, developmental delay, heard defects, cleft palate or other issues with the structures involved.
We are not able to help children with:
- Sensory difficulties with eating and drinking e.g. rejecting foods of certain colour or flavour, refusing to eat
- Difficulties with weaning with no physical cause
- ARFID(Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder)
Please see below for useful links and information
Children’s Occupational Therapy > CYPS Glos Health & Care NHS (ghc.nhs.uk)
CAMHS Parent Support Team > CYPS Glos Health & Care NHS (ghc.nhs.uk)
Resources for Speech and Language Development
Before you need help from a Speech and Language Therapist, visit our Children’s Speech and Language Therapy Toolkit page for some useful information and ideas on how to work on a range of speech and language difficulties. We would recommend trying some of these ideas consistently for 3 – 6 months before requesting further support from the service. If you still need to refer to the service, please tell us what you have tried and any changes in the child’s communication.
Requesting support
Before you request further support from the service, take a look at our resources section. We would recommend trying some of these ideas consistently for 3 – 6 months ahead of making a referral.
We accept requests for support from anyone supporting the child, however, informed parental consent must have been given before completing these forms:
- For any new referral, new concern or for a child who has not been seen in last 12 months, click here to make a request for support>
- For any child who has been seen within the last 12 months and needs more support with the same difficulty, click here for the returners form>
- For support for children with eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties (dysphagia), click here>
Training for professionals
We offer a range of training courses for professionals working with primary aged children including:
Understanding Language Training
Learn how to support children who have difficulties understanding language in school in this online training package which focuses on:
- When children typically learn to understand concepts, instructions and questions
- The factors that may affect a child’s understanding of language
- Strategies and activities for developing children’s understanding of language.
Each place is £50 per person. To find out more about this course and to book your place, please email childrensSLTtraining@ghc.nhs.uk or call 0300 421 8937
Expressive Language Training
Learn how to support children who have difficulties with their expressive language in school. This online training package is £50 per person and focuses on:
- when children typically learn vocabulary, grammar and narrative skills
- the factors that may affect a child’s expressive language development
- strategies and activities for developing children’s expressive language.
For more information or to book, email: childrensSLTtraining@ghc.nhs.uk or call 0300 421 6722
Speech Sound Development Training
Learn how to support children who have speech difficulties in school. This online training package is £50 per person and covers:
- typical development of speech sounds
- when to refer
- different types of speech difficulties
- supporting children with speech difficulties
- delivering Speech and Language Therapy programmes.
To find out more about dates for this course and book your place, email: childrensSLTtraining@ghc.nhs.uk or call 0300 421 6722
Vocabulary in the Classroom Training
This online training package is £50 per person and focuses on:
- The importance of vocabulary
- Practical strategies that staff can use in the classroom
- Strategies that can be implemented with immediate effect.
To find out more about dates for this course and book your place, email: childrensSLTtraining@ghc.nhs.uk or call 0300 421 6722
Sequencing and Storytelling Training
Learn how to support children who have difficulties retelling stories and events.
This online training package is £50 per person and focuses on:
- When children typically learn narrative skills
- The factors that may affect a child’s development of narrative skills
- Strategies and activities for developing children’s narrative skills
The session will consist of some theory as well as practical activities.
To find out more about dates for this course and book your place, email: childrensSLTtraining@ghc.nhs.uk or call 0300 421 6722
Supporting Young People with Speech, Language and Communication Needs at Secondary School Training
Learn how to support children who have difficulties retelling stories and events.
This online training package is £50 per person and focuses on:
- Identifying Speech, Language, and Communication needs
- Understanding Developmental Language Disorder
- Strategies and activities for developing children’s expressive
- Language and their understanding of language.
- Strategies for supporting children with Speech, Language, and Communication Needs to access the curriculum
The session will consist of some theory as well as practical activities.
To find out more about dates for this course and book your place, email: childrensSLTtraining@ghc.nhs.uk or call 0300 421 6722
