• I have been finding it hard to understand and keep up with conversations, especially in larger groups. 

• I have noticed that I am not ‘getting’ jokes in the way I always have.

• I hold back from talking or from social interaction and relationships with others because of the way I speak.

• I am neurodiverse and I would like support to make myself understood, advocate for my needs and navigate social situations in a way that’s true to myself.

• My facial muscles feel weak and my speech sounds slurred or slushy.

• I find myself speaking very fast and frequently re-starting my sentences and people find me hard to follow. 

• I can’t find the words I am looking for to express what I’m thinking or feeling and am left feeling frustrated and isolated.

• I have stopped being able to understand what I am reading in the way I used to.

• I have been using the wrong sounds in a word, choosing the wrong word, or putting words together in an unusual way.

• I repeat sounds or words or they get stuck and won’t come out, especially in pressured situations.

• I have recently noticed myself speaking more slowly than I used to.

• I am finding it hard to control the volume of my voice, meaning I talk too loudly or quietly.

• My voice has changed recently in a way that does not sound like me, e.g. it sounds nasal, strained or monotone. 

• My voice does not sound ‘like me’, or match the person I know myself to be inside. 

• I have been losing my voice frequently and my vocal cord or throat area often feels tight and sore. 

• When I need to speak a lot socially my voice gets tired, hoarse or painful and I have even been losing my voice. 

• I need to speak a lot for work and I’m losing my voice often or feeling pain in my vocal cord or throat area.

• I have lost my voice completely after severe stress, anxiety or trauma.

After the initial assessment your therapist will recommend a treatment plan, including the approaches to be used and the frequency of sessions that would be appropriate. These recommendations are made according to their clinical knowledge and expertise and in line with up to date clinical evidence. We will typically recommend either weekly or fortnightly therapy sessions and will always recommend you start with a minimum of 8 sessions because the evidence clearly shows that a minimum of 8 sessions of any therapy approach are needed to be able to achieve change.

We are committed to being able to offer appointments within a week or two of referral. We don’t want to keep anybody waiting. Early intervention has been clinically proven to significantly improve outcomes when treating speech, language and communication difficulties.

We do at times become inundated with new referrals and are forced to start a waiting list. If this does happen we do everything we can and pull out all the stops to get appointments booked as soon as possible. We make sure that anyone who is on a waiting list gets regular, clear, honest communication as to where they are on the list and when they will be seen.

We do not provide intervention into client’s homes but we can visit our client’s workplaces, care settings or other public locations to provide intervention. In rare circumstances we will provide home visits, at our discretion.