Speech and Language Therapy at Little Bird Psychology
Our Speech and Language Therapy service provides individualised support for young people with a wide range of speech, language and communication needs. Our support is tailored to each young person’s individual strengths, needs and goals. Sessions can take place in one of our clinics, at home or online, depending on what is most appropriate for the young person and what works best for the family. Little Bird Psychology brings together professionals with different areas of expertise. Where appropriate, Speech and Language Therapy can sit alongside psychological or other therapeutic support, allowing us to think more holistically about a young person's needs.
What are Speech, Language and Communication Needs?
Communication is a vital part of everyday life. It helps us express our thoughts, feelings and needs, understand others, build relationships and take part in the world around us. For young people, developing strong communication skills can support their learning, friendships, emotional wellbeing and independence.
Speech, language and communication are closely connected, but each refers to a slightly different area:
Speech refers to how we produce sounds and how clearly we are understood when speaking.
Language refers to how we understand and use words, sentences and conversations to understand others and express our thoughts and ideas.
Communication is broader and includes how we share and understand messages through spoken language, gestures, facial expressions, body language and social interaction.
Every young person develops these skills differently. Some may experience difficulties in one particular area, while others may have more complex communication needs that affect several areas of their everyday life.
How can Speech and Language Therapy help?
Our role is to understand each individual’s communication profile and provide support that is meaningful and tailored to them. A Speech and Language Therapist identifies underlying communication needs, provides tailored strategies, and delivers direct therapy.
Therapy may focus on:
Understanding and using language
Attention and listening differences
Speech sounds
Play skills and/or social and emotional difficulties
Expressing thoughts, feelings and needs
Understanding other people's communication
Following instructions
Vocabulary and sentence development
Communication confidence
Communication for emotional regulation and wellbeing
Selective mutism
Developing and using visual communication or AAC
Helping parents, carers and professionals understand how best to support a young person's communication
SALT Assessment
Our in-depth assessments are designed to build a detailed picture of an individual’s communication profile, including their strengths and areas where they may need further support. Assessment sessions can vary in length but typically last around 1.5 hours. Both the young person and a parent/carer would usually be involved in the assessment, depending on the young person’s age, needs and the family’s preferences.
The assessment process may include:
A case history discussion with parents/carers about their concerns and their child’s communication
Getting to know the young person, including their interests, strengths and communication preferences
Gathering the young person’s voice and views
Observations
Formal standardised assessment activities, where appropriate
Reviewing relevant reports or information from other professionals
Following the assessment, you will receive a full written report. Reports are written in a clear and accessible way and will include an analysis of the assessment findings, a summary of the young person’s communication strengths and needs, and recommendations and strategies for families, schools and other professionals.
SALT Therapy
Therapy sessions are individualised and built around the needs, interests and goals of each young person. Therapy will focus on developing specific communication skills and supporting progress towards personalised targets. We believe that meaningful progress is more likely when support feels relevant and meaningful to the young person. Sessions are therefore adapted to be engaging, flexible and appropriate to their age, interests, strengths and individual communication style.
Parents and carers can play an important role in the therapy process, and we aim to work collaboratively with families throughout the intervention. Strategies and relevant updates will be shared to help support communication and progress beyond the therapy room.
SALT Fees and Packages
Please click on the link above for full information about our SALT packages and fees
Frequently Asked Questions
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If you have concerns about how your child communicates, understands language, expresses themselves or interacts with others, an assessment may be helpful.
You do not need to know exactly what the difficulty is before getting in touch. Part of the role of a Speech and Language Therapist is to understand your child's communication profile and consider whether additional support would be beneficial.
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Every assessment is individualised, but this will usually involve a discussion with parents/carers, spending time getting to know your child and exploring their communication through conversation, observation, informal activities and standardised assessments.
We will adapt the process to your child's age, interests and communication needs.
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Not always. Following the assessment, we will discuss our findings and recommendations with you. Some children may benefit from direct therapy, while others may benefit from strategies and recommendations that can be used at home or school. In some cases, we may recommend another type of support or onward referral.
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There is no single approach that is right for everyone. The frequency and type of support will depend on your child's individual needs, goals and circumstances. Recommendations will be discussed with you following the assessment and reviewed as therapy progresses.
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Absolutely. We recognise that parents and carers have valuable knowledge about their child and their involvement can be an important part of the process. Depending on your child's age and preferences, this may involve attending sessions, having separate parent sessions, receiving regular feedback or being provided with strategies to support communication at home.
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Yes. With your consent, we can liaise with schools and other professionals where appropriate. This can help ensure that everyone involved has a shared understanding of your child's communication needs and how best to support them
Free Initial Phone Call
We offer an initial free 15-minute telephone consultation to all families who are considering working with us. During the call we would gather more information about your concerns and check that we might be a suitable fit for your child. We will also answer any questions you might have about the process. To book an initial consultation, please visit the Contact page and fill in our contact form.
“The conversations and meetings were very helpful and Alfie* has been much better. I was grateful for the quick and helpful responses I received when we got in contact”
*Name changed.
Parent, South West London