Children's speech and language therapy

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Support we offer

Children’s Speech and Language Therapy (SALT) supports children and young people with:

• talking and understanding
• speech sounds, sound awareness and pronunciation
• stammering​
• early interaction and play
• swallowing
• voice
• Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC)​

Our team can also work with other professionals or refer your child for further assessment, diagnosis, and specialist support.

We work in different places including:  

• at our clinic
• nurseries
• schools
• the hospital
• your home 
• community clinics

Treatments we offer depend on your child's needs. It can include:

• monitoring with advice
• 1-2-1 therapy with a therapist or keyworker
• group therapy
• training for parents or early years and education settings

If you're aged over 18 you can find information for adults' speech and lan​guage therapy.​

​Accessing our service​​

Anyone can refer a child to SALT.

You can also speak to your GP, health visitor, nursery or school for them to complete the form.

We must have consent from parents to accept a referral.

​Refer a child or young person to Speech and Language Therapy (SALT)​

What to expect at your first appointment

The first appointment lasts around 1 hour.

You should attend the appointment with your child.

During the appointment we will:​

• get to know you
• ask you about your concerns and expectations
• carry out various assessments, dependant on your child's age
• plan your next steps if required​
  
• signpost you to other services as needed​​
  

Our location​​

We are located in the Child Development and Therapy Centre (CDTC) at the Enid Quenault Health and Wellbeing Centre.

The CDTC has its own entrance and car park.​

Resources to he​lp your child

The help you can give to your child depends on th​eir age and needs.​

General support for spe​ech, language and commu​nication

Check out the resources below which can help whilst you're waiting for your first appointment with SALT.​

Find information and tips to support talking:

• Children's speech and language on BBC Tiny Happy People
• Key talking tips for any age on BBC Tiny Happy People
• Look, Say, Sing, Play - Brain-building tips on NSPCC
  
• Language Development on Oxford Brookes University Babylab
• Talk with me: 10 top tips on YouTube
• Learning to Talk Series on YouTube
• Resource library for families on Speech and Language UK
• Resource library for educators on Speech and Language UK
• Learn and play on the Natio​nal Literacy Trust

Find guidance for other aspects of development:​

• When should babies lose the dummy and how do I wean baby off it? on BBC Tiny Happy People
  
• How is the rise in screen time affecting children? on BBC Tiny Happy People
• Bilingualism on Oxford Brookes University Babylab
• ​What is Glue Ear in Babies and Toddlers? on BBC Tiny Happy People
• Free resources on Makaton
  

Specific guidance to support your child's diagnosis

Your child's therapist may talk to you about some of these speech, language and communication needs.

Aut​ism

National Autistic Society

Ambitious about Autism

Autism Understood

Developmen​tal language disorder (DLD)

About DLD on Afasic

St​ammering

STAMMA

SuperPenguin Stammering Support App

Speech sounds

Find out more about your child's speech sound development on BBC Tiny Happy People

What is phonological awareness? on BBC Tiny Happy People​