Our Speech & Language Therapists Help Children Shine

Below are some of the common speech, language and communication difficulties our speech and language therapy team can help with and some information about each condition. If your child or young person’s difficulties don’t fit any of these categories, don’t panic! Not everyone fits into neat little boxes. Our award winning therapy team treat every child and young person as an individual, focusing on their unique strengths and needs as opposed to measuring them up against a list of traits of a given condition. If you’re unsure about how we can help your child, perhaps a chat with one of our support team would help?

What is Autism and How Can Speech Therapy Help?

Autism is a neurological difference, not a disorder or a disease. Being autistic means there are differences in how a person’s brain functions. People don’t develop autism, they are born autistic and will have autism for the rest of their lives. Signs that a person is autistic might be noticed when they are under 5 or even when they are a baby. Sometimes autism doesn’t get noticed until children are older and sometimes not until adulthood. There is no “cure” for autism as it is not a medical condition. However autistic people can sometimes benefit from support to help them at various points in their lives. Support can come from education professionals, friends, family members and sometimes from health professionals such as Speech and Language Therapists like us.

What are Speech Sound Difficulties and How Can Speech Therapy Help?

All children are different and children can vary greatly in their speech sound development. All young children develop their speech at different rates. For children who may be struggling to produce clear speech or whose speech sound development seems to be delayed, it’s the role of the speech and language therapist to work out whether the child’s speech is developing along normal developmental lines or is delayed or even disordered. A speech and language therapist will then devise a therapy plan for a child to help them to develop age appropriate speech, or at the very least, speech that can be understood by those around them at home and at school.

What is Developmental Language Disorder and How Can Speech Therapy Help?

DLD is diagnosed when a child has difficulties with language development that persist once they go to school and possibly beyond that. A child with DLD will encounter language difficulties that are not linked to another condition such as Autism, hearing impairment or brain injury. The most noticeable difficulties children with DLD tend to have are using words and sentences to express their ideas, feelings, wants and needs. Many children with DLD also have difficulties with understanding language (receptive language). The role of the Speech and Language Therapist is to assess the child to work out where they are in relation to the developmental stages of language development, diagnose the child’s unique difficulties and design and work through a treatment plan to help the child work towards age appropriate or functional language and communication skills.

What is Developmental Verbal Dyspraxia and How Can Speech Therapy Help?

Developmental Verbal Dyspraxia, or DVD, is a condition in which the brain has difficulty coordinating the very complex movements needed for speech. Often children cannot be understood or can only be understood by those who are very close to them such as family members. DVD is a rare speech condition, which appears to be more common in boys than girls. Some children might have a milder case and others might be more severely affected. Developmental Verbal Dyspraxia can sometimes be referred to as Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS), or Verbal Dyspraxia. The role of the Speech and Language Therapist is to assess the child’s speech difficulties, diagnose the child’s unique profile and design and work through a treatment plan to help the child work towards age appropriate or functional speech, language and communication skills.

What is Stammering and How Can Speech Therapy Help?

Stammering, otherwise known as Stuttering, means that your words get stuck when you speak. Often you know what you want to say but can’t get the words out. This can be repeating words or bits of words, stretching sounds out or even getting completely blocked up when trying to say a word so that no sound comes out. Another word for stammering is ‘dysfluency’. Childhood stammers normally start between 2 and 5 years (after the child has already started to speak). Between 5 and 8 percent of children will stammer at some point, but most of these will not continue to stammer. Stammering affects more than just speech; it can cause feelings such as anxiety, frustration, embarrassment and low confidence.  Speech and Language Therapists can help children who stammer and their families.

What is Situational Mutism (Also Known As Selective Mutism)?

Situational Mutism is a condition in which a person is consistently not able to speak in certain social situations, such as at school or around peers. Situational Mutism is also known as ‘Selective Mutism’, though this term is contentious for people with SM as it infers that they are choosing not to speak as opposed to experiencing difficulty that is more akin to phobia than to choice. Situational Mutism is more common in girls than it is in boys. Rates of occurrence of Situational Mutism vary according to study; though is generally found to affect between 0.8% and 2% of primary school-aged children.  Although speech and language therapists diagnose and support children with Situational Mutism, SM in itself is categorised as an anxiety disorder. 

What is Hearing Impairment and How Can Speech Therapy Help?

Hearing impairment can have many different causes, which may affect how it is treated or the child is supported. 'Deafness’ can refer to all manners of hearing loss, from mild to profound. Hearing impairments can be severe, meaning the individual may hear very little to no sound. It is also possible to have a mild hearing impairment which may affect only certain sounds, or the individual’s hearing in certain environments. Approximately half of all children with hearing loss are born deaf; the other half develop a hearing impairment during childhood. Speech and Language Therapists assess each child’s needs holistically and design our treatment plans around the unique needs of each child. At the centre of everything we do are the goals, aspirations and expectations of the child and their family. 

What is Global Developmental Delay and How Can Speech Therapy Help?

Global Developmental Delay is a term used to describe a condition that delays physical and cognitive development in children between birth and 18 years. To have a diagnosis of Global Developmental Delay, a child must have delayed development in two separate areas. Generally, these areas relate to motor skills (movement), cognitive skills, speech and language, and social and emotional skills. It is important to remember that milestones are an approximate measure of typical progress. Every child is different and not hitting a developmental milestone at the exact expected rate is not a cause for immediate worry! Sometimes children with GDD may receive therapeutic input and ‘catch up’ with their peers. In other cases, people may be affected throughout their life and benefit from varying levels of support and care. Speech and Language Therapists can help children with GDD and their families.

What is Cerebral Palsy and How Can Speech Therapy Help?

Cerebral Palsy is a term which covers several conditions occurring in the brain. They are caused either before, during, or just after birth due to injury to the brain. Cerebral Palsy can affect a person’s control and coordination of their muscles, muscle tone, posture, balance and reflexes. The effects of Cerebral Palsy can vary greatly from person to person, ranging from very mild effects to more severe effects which can make it difficult for people to control their limbs. It is estimated that approximately one in every 400 babies in the UK is born with a type of Cerebral Palsy. Cerebral Palsy is not a disease or illness to be ‘cured’. However, therapies such as Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy can support people with Cerebral Palsy to reach their full potential.  

What is Down’s Syndrome and How Can Speech Therapy Help?

Down’s Syndrome occurs when someone is born with an extra chromosome. This typically happens by chance and not as the result of any actions anyone has taken prior to or during pregnancy. People with Down’s Syndrome will have a level of learning disability, though this is different for everyone. A learning disability does not mean a person cannot learn, though does affect how they learn and their ability to learn. Some people with Down’s Syndrome will be more independent and access employment, and others may benefit from more regular care and support. Down’s Syndrome is not a disease or illness to be ‘cured’. However, therapies such as Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy can support people with Down’s Syndrome to reach their full potential.  

What is Auditory Processing Disorder and How Can Speech Therapy Help?

Auditory processing disorder occurs when a person has difficulty making sense of sounds, including spoken words.  APD is not the same as a hearing impairment; the individual can hear, though may not be able to process sounds accurately in the brain. Auditory processing disorder usually starts in childhood, though it is possible to develop APD as an adult. The cause of APD is often unclear. However, it can be caused by very frequent ear infections, a head injury or complications at birth. Auditory Processing Disorder often co-occurs with other language or learning disorders such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and dyslexia. APD cannot be cured, though the individual can benefit greatly from therapies such as Speech and Language Therapy which support them to learn strategies to reduce the impact APD has on them. 

What is Traumatic Brain Injury and How Can Speech Therapy Help?

Traumatic Brain Injury occurs as the result of impact to the head, for example, sustained from a fall or car accident. The effects on a child’s development from a TBI vary greatly depending on when the injury occurred, which part/s of the brain were affected, and to what extent. ‘Common’ effects of a TBI range from difficulty walking, to tiredness, to difficulties with language and social skills. It is important to note that no two children with TBI will have the same sort of strengths and difficulties. It is important that all children are regarded as individuals when seeking therapy and determining support. Various therapies may all support a child with a traumatic brain injury to rebuild, or develop skills. These include physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy and psychotherapy.