Support for Pre-school Children

We support children according to their communication needs adopting a virtual first approach.  To achieve this we work with parents / carers, setting staff and other professionals.

What happens during an assessment?

After introducing themselves to you, the therapist will have a discussion with you (as appropriate to your child’s age and communication ability) about:

• How you feels about your child’s communication
• How your child feels about their communication
• Any specific areas of difficulty you/your child has noticed
• Your child’s early developmental history
• What support is currently in place

From the information provided we will be able assess your child’s communication skills in order to see how they are communicating in comparison to expectations for their age.

Please visit http://www.talkingpoint.org.uk for more information on your child’s expectations.

Following the assessment, the therapist will discuss with the parents/carers to explain what the assessment has shown and to agree on the next steps. This will all be summarised in a report to parents/carers and Nursery , which outlines the child’s communication needs, next steps agreed with the SLT department, and any useful strategies for family and other adults to use. This report can be copied to any other professionals you feel will benefit from the information.

What happens after assessment?

Following assessment, the Speech & Language Therapist will write a report which will include:

• information from the young person, their parent/carer and setting staff (if appropriate) about how the young person communicates at home, at nursery and in their spare time.
• Description of the SLT assessment process and the results of any formal assessments that were carried out.
• Individualised recommendations to address the areas of concern at home, at school and in other settings.

Reports are sent to parents/carers, the young person’s GP and other relevant professionals as agreed with parents/carers. SLT reports can be used to support a young person’s Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), although not all children who receive speech & language therapy will require an EHCP.