This service provides a tertiary level service, specialising in diagnostic assessment and treatment of complex speech sound disorders. The team has particular expertise in Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS).
An multidisciplinary approach to assessment and treatment of complex speech sound disorders.
We do not offer an assessment of Auditory Processing Disorder (APD), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), Global Developmental Impairment / Disorder, Cleft Lip and Palate, Sensorineural Hearing Loss or Stammering.
Clinical services provided:
1. Assessment: Children are seen in the multidisciplinary Paediatric Speech Clinic, for a joint assessment with a consultant doctor and a speech and language therapist. After the assessment a joint report is generated and we liaise with the child’s local speech and language therapist. According to need, some children will be offered a review appointment after the initial assessment and some may be offered treatment at our centre.
2. Treatment: A specialist, time – limited service is provided with the aim of supporting the local speech and language therapist to meet the child’s needs. We also offer “diagnostic therapy” to explore the child’s speech difficulties in greater detail. It is important to note that primary responsibility for therapy provision remains with the local service.
We provide:
• Weekly, individual therapy sessions
• Individual Intensive Therapy Courses – for 5 consecutive sessions, offered during the school holidays.
Therapy sessions are tailor-made for each child and the therapy approachesinclude:
• Nuffield Dyspraxia Programme (Williams and Stephens 2004)
• Dynamic Temporal and Tactile Cueing (E Strand 2010)
• Biofeedback Interventions, Ultrasound, EPG
• Psycholinguistic Intervention
Nationwide.
- Have a severe or persisting speech sound disorder which is not felt to be due to another condition, or in line with their overall developmental profile
- Be between 3 and 18 years of age
- Be able to participate in formal assessment, involving naming pictures and imitating sounds
- Have had at least one block of therapy targeting their speech
- Have verbal comprehension skills which are at least at a 3 year level on formal assessment, or a three information carrying word level
- Demonstrates clear communicative intent for social interaction
- Have had some assessment of their learning skills e.g. developmental assessment, educational psychology assessment or information/report from school staff. The results of this assessment must be discussed with parents/carers prior to referral.
Please note that this is not a specialist second opinion centre for assessment of Developmental Language Disorders (DLD), Social Communication Disorders including ASD, Stammering, Cleft Palate, Sensorineural Hearing Loss, or Global Developmental Disorder (GDD). Where another medical, developmental, or learning issue is suspected, this should be investigated prior to referring to our paediatric speech clinic.
The family are seen by a highly experienced Speech and Language Therapist and Consultant in Audiovestibular Medicine, and by a member of the audiology team. The appointment will last up to 2 hours. Usually, the doctor will ask about the child’s health and development while the Speech and Language Therapist assesses the child’s speech.
Please note that we do not formally assess understanding/use of language, nor social communication skills, in this clinic.
Following a short break, the doctor and therapist will meet with the family to discuss the results of the assessment.
It may be possible to give a diagnosis, although referrers should note that it may not be appropriate to give a diagnosis to very young children, children with very limited verbal language, or children with complex conditions. We may recommend onward referral for further investigations.
Where possible we will make suggestions about therapy targets and recommend the type of therapy provision, we feel a child needs. However, it is the responsibility of the local service to determine how a child’s needs are best met. The local Speech and Language Therapist is welcome to come to the clinic, with the parent’s permission.
Our speech and language therapist will contact the local therapist by email to give feedback on the assessment. Please make sure we have an email address for the relevant SLT. We will produce a report including both medical and speech information, which will normally be sent to the referring SLT, GP and the parents.
Our report may take up to 4 weeks. We do not produce reports/complete forms for EHCPs or SEND tribunal hearings. However, parents may submit our reports as additional evidence. We are unable to attend review meetings or tribunal hearings.
Many children will be discharged from our service following the clinic. However, some may need to be reviewed by our speech and language therapy team, in order to update management advice and monitor progress. We offer limited therapy at this hospital to explore therapy strategies and work on specific areas of difficulty. The responsibility for the child’s speech and language therapy remains with the local service.
General enquiries
Service management
Benjamin Carpenter
Other contact information
Contact telephone number for referrals: 020 3456 5115
Clinical enquiries should be directed to: uclh.paediatricslt@nhs.net
Referrals and enquiries regarding appointments should be directed to: uclh.paediatricslt@nhs.net
Address
Royal National ENT & Eastman Dental Hospitals,
47-49 Huntley Street,
London, WC1E 6DG
Referral
Other referral information
The speech clinic referral documents should be completed by the referring speech and language therapist, and returned to us, accompanied by:
- Parent/carer case history form
- Referral form
- GP letter supporting the referral, along with a GP print off/medical summary
- SLT reports
- any relevant medical and/or education reports
Referrals should be sent to by email: uclh.paediatricslt@nhs.net.
Referral guidelines can be downloaded.
Paper referrals are not accepted and will be returned to the referrer.
Please note that documents 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 listed above are essential for us to triage any referrals. If the documents are incomplete or do not accompany the referral, the referral unfortunately will be rejected and returned to the referrer. The documents will have to be resubmitted for us to triage the referral.
Photographs of documents are not accepted as they are not compatible with the hospital electronic healthcare records system. Documents should be scanned and sent via secure email. Password protected forms should be accompanied by their password.
Please note that we do not send letters of acknowledgment for your referral letters.
Referral address
The following websites provide information on Developmental Verbal Dyspraxia or Childhood Apraxia of Speech.
Apraxia Kids: www.apraxia-kids.org
Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists’ Policy Statement on Developmental Verbal Dyspraxia: http://
