Overview
Speech and Language Therapy helps children with their understanding and talking.
We work with children, families, carers and staff in pre-schools and schools, to help children’s communication skills. We give practical advice and support through training for families, teachers and staff.
We also provide support for children with swallowing difficulties.
Using this service
You can contact us directly to ask more or to discuss a referral for your child. Simply call us on 0300 330 5777 or visit one of our drop-in sessions if you have a pre-school child. You can also talk to your doctor, health visitor or member of staff from your child’s pre-school or school, who can refer your child or speak to us for you.
Who do we see?
This service is open to children registered with a Bromley GP or at a Bromley school, who meet the criteria described in our leaflets:
Speech and Language Therapy – Children and Young People leaflet
Speech and language assessment for pre-school children leaflet
If your child attends a pre-school or a mainstream school, you will be offered an appointment at a community clinic (see list under ‘Location’).
Children attending specialist education pre-school or school provisions will be seen by a speech and language therapist within their setting.
Appointments
Your first appointment
We do everything we can to make your visit to speech and language therapy welcoming and fun for your child. In the first visit we want to find out more about your child’s speech and language development and current skills. We do this by talking and playing with you and your child and perhaps using some more formal assessments. We may need to see you and your child for a second appointment.
We will then discuss our observations with you and plan together the best way for you and others to help your child. With your consent we will talk to other people involved in your child’s care (e.g. pre-school and school) about ways they can help too.
If you would prefer to talk to the therapist without your child in the room you may like to bring someone with you who can be with your child in the waiting area while this happens.
At the end of your first appointment you will be asked to give us your views about your experience with us, which can be anonymous. Your feedback helps us to keep improving our service.
Changing or cancelling an appointment
Please give us as much notice as possible if you need to cancel an appointment, so that we can give this time to another child. We will try to arrange a new time for you as soon as we can.
Families who repeatedly cancel or miss appointments will not be offered further appointments.
When your child no longer needs our service
It will be agreed with you when no new advice is needed for you and your child and you do not need any further appointments. After this, school aged children can attend advice appointments at the clinic they have been attending, or within their specialist school provision.
'Drop-ins'
Are you worried about your pre-school child’s talking and understanding? If you’re a parent or carer you could come to one of our drop-in sessions with your child. You don’t need an appointment as we will see you on a ‘first-come, first-served’ basis, although on busy days we may ask you to come back to the next session. The drop-ins are for children who have not been referred to our service.
To find out the dates and times of these, please see our Speech and language assessment for pre-school children leaflet.
More information
Babies’ communication skills develop from birth. They will let you know if they are hungry or uncomfortable by crying. They learn to look at faces and will smile as we talk to them. Over time they begin to understand the words we say. Babies enjoy making babble sounds too and will usually say their first words at 12-18 months.
Toddlers develop their listening skills and begin to understand a growing number of single words and simple phrases. They start to put two or more words together in small sentences.
Three year olds understand more difficult words (e.g. position words like under). By four years they enjoy listening to simple stories, will use longer sentences and ask many questions. Some speech sounds are still difficult for them to say.
Children continue to make progress with their understanding and talking throughout their school years. The ability to engage in two-way conversations is also key for developing a wider circle of friendships in different social situations.
If you are worried about your child’s speech and language talk to us directly on 0300 330 5777, or talk to your child’s health visitor, GP, pre-school or school. Find out more about your child’s speech and language development here.
Find out more about…
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
Autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) / Aspergers Syndrome
Cerebral palsy
Cleft lip and palate
Down’s syndrome
Dyslexia
Dyspraxia
Epilepsy
Glue ear
Hearing impairment (deafness)
Children with learning difficulties
Stammering
Useful information
Talking point
General information about children’s speech and language development.
Afasic
Information and support for children and young people with speech and language impairments, and their families.
I can
Information about speech & language impairment for parents, and training and advice for professionals.
British Dyslexia Association
Advice, information and help for families, professionals and individuals with dyslexia.
British Stammering Association
Information and support on stammering.
Bromley Mencap
A charity working with disabled people and their families and carers in Bromley.
Burgess Autistic Trust
A charity working with children, young people and adults with Autistic Spectrum Disorders in Bromley.
Communication Matters
A national voluntary organisation of members concerned with augmentative and alternative communication.
Downs Syndrome Association
A national voluntary organisation of members concerned with augmentative and alternative communication.
National Autistic Society
Providing information and advice for parents of children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders.
National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS)
A charity giving support, advice and information for families of deaf children and those working with them.
Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists
The professional organisation for speech and language therapists.
Scope
The UK charity for cerebral palsy.
Leaflets
Speech and Language Therapy – Children and Young People leaflet
Speech and Language assessment for pre-school children leaflet