THERAPY FOR CHILDREN
The Speech and Language Practice sees children from two and a half years of age, working closely with parents to identify and address communication needs.
Parental concerns matter to us. If a parent is concerned we will see the child if we have availability.
The Speech and Language Therapists assess the presenting difficulties and give advice and treatment according to the needs identified.
We do not accept children for private therapy without careful consideration. Parents should not routinely have to pay for speech and language therapy. Therapy should be accessible through the NHS Speech and Language Therapy Service. Sometimes the wait for NHS intervention is too long, or parents are seeking a more consistent or direct service delivery and then private intervention may be the most appropriate way forward.
We see children presenting with:
- Speech delay / disorder
- Language delay / disorder
- Dysfluency (stammering)
- Communication difficulties associated with Autism, ADHD or other neurodevelopmental disorder
- General developmental delay and associated communication difficulties
- Communication anxiety
- Selective / elective mutism
- Difficulties in interacting socially with peers
- Communication difficulties associated with hearing impairment
When you contact The Speech and Language Practice, an initial booked call can be arranged with Karyn Stewart-Dodd, Speech and Language Therapist and Lead Clinician. The initial call is free of charge and from there the best pathway of intervention for your child can be determined and you will be advised of associated costs.
Specifically tailored intervention varies from child to child in accordance with their needs and therefore intervention costs are quoted on an individual basis.
Whilst initial evaluation usually takes place with parents at one of our clinical bases, initial evaluations can also be done at home, school or nursery if required or considered more appropriate. Treatment can also be delivered at your location of choice, but external visits incur additional charges depending on distance.
What People Say
As a Clinical Psychologist who has the pleasure of working alongside practitioners from The Speech & Language Practice, I can highly recommend their services. The team’s assessments are thorough, providing a clear and comprehensive understanding of each child’s communication profile. Their approach is consistently child-friendly, ensuring that young clients feel at ease and engaged throughout the process.
The reports they produce are detailed, insightful and practical—offering clear recommendations that support both families and professionals in planning next steps. Their collaboration and communication are always professional, responsive, and focused on achieving the best outcomes for each child.
I would not hesitate to recommend their services to families and colleagues alike.
We started working with Karyn four years ago during Covid and at the time we were really struggling with a young family to adapt to our autistic daughter’s additional needs. She had lots of communication challenges and Karyn really helped us to better understand and support her in the tricky early days of her diagnosis.
We really cannot thank Karyn enough for her support over the last few years. She has delivered a lot of direct therapy, trained up school staff, attended reviews, written endless reports and gone above and beyond to ensure that our daughter got the early intervention she so desperately needed and deserved. The difference she has made speaks for herself quite literally in this case.
Although our daughter is not currently seeing Karyn for individual sessions, our contact has continued with our daughter attending monthly social communication and language processing groups.
We would highly recommend The Speech and Language Practice - it is run to a very high standard by people who really care about what they do.
We cannot thank The Speech and Language Practice enough. We sought Karyn out when our son was pre-verbal and I honestly think he would still not be talking unless we had found her. Karyn understands our son inside-out and has had our backs through all the pressures having an SEN child brings. She helped ensure that our son got his EHCP approved, and I won't go to an EHCP Review without her as she is just phenomenal!
Karyn is a professional who gets things done and who has fought our corner when things have gone awry with the system. I have never met a professional who is not only clued up with every aspect of what she does but also connects totally with the child and family.
Thank you for everything. You have made this journey so much easier for our whole family when at times it has felt like everything was falling apart. We are extremely grateful for everything you've done. It has made such a difference to us all.
The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists
The Health and Care Professions Council
