Speech and Language Therapy – children and young people

If you wish to speak with one of our Speech and Language Therapists about one of the children you are working with, please scan the QR code to book an appointment.

If you are a professional please:

1 Use our screening tools

They will help you understand if a referral to our service is appropriate.

2 Read the relevant referral criteria:

• Referral criteria – stammering
• Referral criteria – voice
• Referral criteria – Dysphagia
• Referral criteria – 18 months – 3 years
• Referral criteria – 3-5 years
• Referral criteria – 5-7 years
• Referral criteria – 7-11 years
• Referral criteria – 11+ years

3 Use the appropriate referral form

Please note, if you are referring for more than one speech and language issue, please use the ‘multiple needs’ form:

• Eating and drinking (dysphagia)
• Stammering
• Communication
• Voice
• Multiple needs

Please watch the video and use the correct screening tool and referral form for the child you are considering referring.

As well as assisting you to understand whether a referral to our service is appropriate, the screening tools will also help you to know where to focus your support.

• Early years screening tool (18 mths-3 years)
• Early years screening tool (3-5 years)
• Key Stage One screening tool (5-7 years)
• Key Stage Two screening tool (7-11 years)
• Key Stage Three and Four screening tool (11 years and over)

You can also view the pictures you’ll need to use with the speech sound screen.

Alternative screening tools

If your setting is supporting children using an alternative screening and intervention tool, we will also accept these as supporting evidence for your referral. Please ensure you make it clear on your referral how the child meets the red referral criteria for their age. Alternative screening tools may include:

• products for educators from the speechandlanguage.org.uk shop
• the NELI programme
• the GL assessment toolkit.

Please use the ‘how you can help’ tab next to ‘for professionals’ and select the child’s age group to click through for strategies, activities and ideas to support a child to understand language, talk and interact socially.

It will also be helpful if you can signpost parents to the appropriate page during your work with them.

Additional resources for professionals

All age groups

• Introduction to ‘intensive interaction’

3-4 year olds 

For help with understanding and talking

• Black Sheep Press Nursery Fun with Narrative User Guide

For help with speech sounds

• Time for sounds, Nursery User Guide

4-5 year olds

For help with understanding and talking:

• • Neli user guide
  • Black Sheep Press Nursery Narrative User Guide
  • Black Sheep Press Reception Narrative User Guide

For help with speech sounds

• Time for sounds – speech awareness, reception level

5-7 year olds

For help with understanding and talking:

• Active listening for active learners
• Black Sheep Press Speaking and Listening Through Narrative User Guide
• Word Aware 3 – teaching vocabulary in small groups
• Black Sheep Press Fun with Narrative User Guide
• Pre-teaching Vocabulary User Guide
• Colourful Semantics User Guide

For help with social interaction:

• Comic strip conversations user guide

For help with speech sounds:

• Time for sounds – speech awareness, reception level

7-11 year olds

For help with understanding and talking

• Active listening for active learners
• Black Sheep Press Oral to Written Narrative User Guide
• Pre-teaching Vocabulary User Guide
• Colourful Semantics User Guide
• Word Aware 3 – teaching vocabulary in small groups

For help with social interaction:

• Language for Behaviour and Emotions User Guide (upper Key Stage 2)
• Comic Strip Conversations User Guide
• Visually Supported Conversations User Guide

11 years and over

For help with understanding and talking:

• Pre-teaching vocabulary (PTV)
• Language for Behaviour and Emotions User Guide (upper Key Stage 2)
• Active listening for active learners

For help with social interaction:

• Visually Supported Conversations User Guide
• Language for Behaviour and Emotions User Guide (upper Key Stage 2)
• Comic Strip Conversations User Guide
• Autism Identity and Me User Guide

For help with speech sounds:

• Supporting unclear speech in older children

You may find these resources helpful:

• Communication supportive environments for practitioners (speechandlanguage.org.uk)
• Communication-friendly environments (Communication Trust)
• Communication-friendly checklists (speechandlanguage.org.uk)

These resources will help you to develop your own knowledge and skills to support children with their speech, language, and communication.

• Top talking tips for early years practitioners
• Every Child a Talker (ECAT) – Strategies and resources
• Supporting children learning English as an additional language (speechandlanguage.org.uk)
• Vocabulary for Early Years Practitioners (speechandlanguage.org.uk)
• Using scaffolding to help children’s language (speechandlanguage.org.uk)
• Scaffolding language
• Visual timelines – Practitioners factsheet
• Introduction to Developmental Language Disorder
• Working with secondary students learning English as an additional language
• Top tips for word learning in secondary school
• Understanding the links between communication and behaviour

Training courses

• EYSEND Partnership (speechandlanguage.org.uk)
• CPD short course (speechandlanguage.org.uk)
• SLCF – The Communication Trust (slcframework.org.uk)
• HELLO improvement framework: Helping nurseries improve their language and literacy provision (National Literacy Trust)
• Supporting Speech, Language and Communication Needs Delivered by Stephen Parsons

Training videos

Supporting understanding – blank levels overview
Watch this 30-minute training video to find out how adults can adapt their language to support a child’s understanding. It describes the ‘blank levels’ model of language and how it can be used to support a child’s ability to understand language during interactions and learning activities.

Supporting vocabulary and word-learning
Watch this 35-minute training video to learn how adults can support a child’s vocabulary development. It describes how to choose target vocabulary and explains a range of universal strategies and targeted supports that can be used within the classroom and small groups.

Developmental Language Disorder (DLD)
Children over the age of five who have language difficulties that impact on their communication and learning in everyday life may have Developmental Language Disorder (DLD). A Speech and Language Therapist would make this diagnosis. Watch a short eight-minute presentation explaining more about DLD and describing some key strategies to help.

Supporting understanding and clarification skills (active listening)
Watch this 30-minute training video exploring strategies that can be used to support children to be active in their own understanding and learning.

Supporting language using colour coding
Watch this 55-minute training video to find out how adults can use colour coding of words and sentences to support a child’s understanding and talking.