Opening hours

9am – 5pm Monday to Friday

(Messages can be left out of office hours. We will return calls as soon as possible.)

14 The Close, Norwich NR1 4DZ

Opening hours

9am – 5pm Monday to Friday

(Messages can be left out of office hours. We will return calls as soon as possible.)

14 The Close, Norwich NR1 4DZ

Speech and Language Therapy Services for Children

Speech and Language Therapy Services for Children

Independent Speech and Language Therapy Services Ltd (ISLTS) offers a range of services for children.

We are registered with most leading health insurance providers.

Our services include help in the following areas:-

Delayed onset of speech and language

Some children’s speech is immature for their chronological age. There may be many reasons for this. These children require an initial assessment and may require therapy to stimulate and improve their acquisition and use of language.
Developmental speech and language disorder

Some children’s speech is immature for their chronological age. There may be many reasons for this. These children require an initial assessment and may require therapy to stimulate and improve their acquisition and use of language.

If you require advice or want to discuss your child’s difficulties telephone the main clinic and your call will be returned at a time that suits you.

Cleft lip and Palate

This is a congenital disorder ( from birth ). The palate fails to unite whilst the child is ‘in utero’. A cleft lip is caused by the failure of the tissue surrounding the lips to fuse together. Clefts can occur unilaterally (one side) or bilaterally ( both sides)

Children will be referred to plastic surgery and will undergo surgery to correct the disorder.

Sub mucous clefts. The child may have a bifid uvula. The bony hard palate and soft palate may have failed to fuse together but the surface mucous membrane has grown over the cleft and masks the disorder.

Children may present with a range of difficulties including:

  • Difficulties with sucking and feeding
  • Hearing loss
  • Disordered (phonetic) speech difficulties

Children born with a cleft lip or palate require multi-disciplined intervention from a range of professional agencies, including speech and language therapy.

Neurological disorders and cerebral palsy

There are a complex range of difficulties that arise from damage to the brain or to nerves ( the central nervous system). The damage can occur prenatally ( before birth), perinatally (during birth) or postnatally (after birth)

Children may present with a range of signs and symptoms that can affect their:

  • Movements
  • Walking
  • Posture
  • Balance
  • Hearing
  • Speech and language
  • Swallowing and feeding etc

Children may be referred to a paediatrician and a paediatric neurologist. Cerebral Palsy is a common neurological disorder. Children may have a complex range of speech and language difficulties.

Children with these disorders require a multi-disciplined approach, including speech and language therapy.

Chromosome disorders including Down syndrome

A child has 22 pairs of chromosomes plus a sex chromosome from each parent. If there is an abnormality in the chromosomes, certain syndromes result.

The child may have a range of difficulties that can affect:

  • Development
  • Learning
  • Growth
  • Cognitive skills
  • Social interaction
  • Speech and language

The child will present with a range of signs and symptoms that are described as a syndrome. The range of difficulties will differ with each child and with every syndrome. Children may be referred to a paediatrician and may be seen by a multi-disciplined team of professional agencies.

Autistic spectrum disorders

This clutch of disorders are known as a spectrum. Conditions include autism, Asperger’s Syndrome and pragmatic-semantic disorder.

Children with this syndrome have difficulties with social relationships, the development of language and imaginary play and they may demonstrate ritualistic or stereotyped behaviour. Children may attend mainstream school or may need the support and structure of a special school.

Speech, language and communication are very often affected. Children and families are advantaged by having a detailed assessment and possibly regular therapy.

Specific speech and language difficulties

This condition can affect:

  • Speech (phonological) difficulties
  • Grammatical difficulties
  • Higher functioning skills
  • Auditory memory difficulties
  • Difficulties with auditory attention and listening
  • There may be some behavioural difficulties due to frustration.

Children with this disorder require detailed assessment and may require regular therapy.

Stammering/stuttering

Someone who stammers demonstrates a disorder in the fluency of their speech. They may experience hesitations, prolonged sound productions and repetition of sounds at the beginning of and within words during speech.

Stammering usually begins in childhood. Stammering can be made worse by stressful situations and it affects people in different ways. A comprehensive assessment is often required to help an individual manage and improve their spoken fluency.

Stutter/stuttering may also be used, though this is an American term.

Voice disorders

Children can develop voice disorders for a number of reasons. They may have:

  • Hoarseness
  • Difficulties with breathing
  • Difficulties with pitch
  • Difficulties with volume and resonance

Any child with symptoms of a voice disorder should be referred to an Ear Nose and Throat consultant by their General Practitioner prior to any speech and language therapy assessment. Therapy is almost always indicated for children with a voice disorder.

Adults can also experience a range of voice disorders. They may experience hoarseness, lack of volume, breathiness, coarse tone. If you are concerned about your voice you should see your General Practitioner and seek a referral for a consultation with an Ear Nose and Throat Surgeon.

Dyspraxia/motor disorders

Some children present with speech that is difficult to understand. They may find it difficult to make voluntary speech movements. The children may be able to make individual sounds but find it difficult to sequence the sounds.

The children may demonstrate a range of other signs and symptoms.

It is important that families and schools are aware of the child’s difficulties. Assessment and regular therapy is often required.

Dysphasia/aphasia

Dysphasia relates to difficulties with expressive (speech output) or receptive (comprehension) language difficulties. This may be the result of:

  • Head injury
  • Stroke
  • Progressive disease e.g. multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease.

An individual may demonstrate specific, complex difficulties with their use of language or their ability to understand others. Their global communication skills may be impaired including: speech, reading and writing skills and their understanding.

It is important that a full assessment is made to determine areas of difficulty and for planning effective therapy. There is often close liaison between the speech and language therapist and the individual’s supporting medical professionals e.g. neurologist, general practitioner, physiotherapist.

Dysarthria

Dysarthria is a speech disorder which can result from a range of conditions, illnesses or syndromes. The muscles used for speech and voice production may be impaired or paralysed.

Dysarthric speech may sound slurred, slow and imprecise. The individual may also have difficulties with the pitch, loudness and rhythm of their speech.

Dysarthria may result from head injury, stroke, cerebral palsy or a progressive neurological disease.

A speech and language therapist provides assessment followed by direct therapy if indicated and practical intervention strategies to help improve spoken delivery and the quality of an individual’s communication skills.

Speech/phonological disorders

The child may have difficulties in:

  • The placement of sounds
  • The manner in which sounds are produced
  • Making distinctions between voiced and voiceless sounds

Children’s speech may present with a few discrete substitutions, omissions or deletions of sounds, or their speech may be difficult to understand. Children may become withdrawn or frustrated as a result of the speech disorder.

Children require a detailed assessment. They may need a course of regular therapy. A programme of help may be designed for implementation in nursery or school. Parents will be involved throughout the process.

Learning disability
Social skills difficulties
Mutism
Hearing loss

We also offer:

    • Group therapy
    • Holiday groups
    • Parent enabling courses
    • Carer enabling courses