Speech Therapists tend to be pretty nice people, and we work in a helping profession, so you might reasonably consider us to be fans of the Christmas season and good will to all peoples. But the Christmas season can be a difficult one for children that we work with, in ways that are avoidable,...

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For a long time I have been passionate about using visuals with children, for the simple reason that, once words are spoken, they have disappeared. Visual information provides a concrete and permanent access to language, and Aided Language Stimulation (ALS) is an approach that embeds this...

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To some degree we all use natural gesture to support our spoken communication. Signing builds on this by providing a tool which supports communication and interaction. The most commonly used sign languages within the UK are British Sign Language (BSL), Makaton and Signalong. BSL is largely...

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Cerebral Palsy is a neurological condition associated with brain damage before or during birth, or in the early part of life. Damage can happen to different parts of the brain, responsible for or involved in different functions.It is usually considered a motor disorder, so a disorder of...

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The Autumn term is a time when we are getting to know the children, whether they are new to the school, or just to your class. As you complete your observations and assessments, it is also a good time to think about screening children for Speech and Language needs. This will help you to...

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As you get to know the children in your class this term, it's a good time to think about whether they may have difficulties with language comprehension. This list will be appropriate, whether you are working with children in Early Years, right through to secondary. Poor expressive language Too...

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If you support a child with SLCN, it can already be difficult to keep on top of their visual support preparation. In current times, our need to laminate resources has gone through the roof to try an ensure that we can keep resources clean. I don't know about you, but my plastic consumption...

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Many Speech and Language Therapists have moved their services online during the pandemic. I am grateful to have this opportunity to keep offering services to the families and schools that I work with. But is online Speech Therapy (also known as Teletherapy) even an option for your child? This...

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Is private (also known as Independent) Speech and Language Therapy (SLT or SaLT) the right choice for you and your family? This blog is to give you more information about the reasons that people seek out private Therapy, and the ways it can work for you and your child, both instead of and...

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Originally published on Feb. 8, 2020. This blog post comes thanks to a Parent who asked me a question on Twitter. Thank you for all your questions, it helps me to understand what you need from me. In this case, the child was using a low-tech AAC system, but being considered for transition to...

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