Chris Kamara, TV presenter and football pundit, has opened up about his diagnosis of apraxia of speech. He bravely discusses the struggles he first experienced in 2020 here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5e7Thrjmabc Apraxia of speech is a motor speech disorder, which is caused by damage to parts of the brain that control the muscles needed for speech. This can make it difficult to coordinate the tongue and lips correctly to be able to say the right sounds and words. Other terms sometimes used for apraxia of speech are: acquired apraxia of speech, verbal apraxia or dyspraxia of speech. Follo ..read more

This month, the UK government asked people with Down’s syndrome, their families and carers, and professionals to give their views on what they believe will improve the lives of people with Down’s Syndrome in England. Some of the key actions proposed by the RCSLT that the government must take are: Improve accessibility of services, so that everyone with a communication and swallowing need is able to access speech and language therapy Improve workforce planning, so that people with Down’s syndrome are supported by speech and language therapists with the right level of specialism Better sup ..read more

As last month marked national awareness of teen self-esteem, our therapists have been working hard to highlight the importance of helping young people value and perceive themselves in a healthy way. Within the social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) settings, our therapists have been delivering small group interventions, which have focused on developing self-awareness and self-esteem by looking at personal appearance, qualities and what makes us feel good and bad. Our therapists have also been completing Emotional Literacy Assessments with students, which help identify areas for interventio ..read more

Two key priorities for the curriculum during the Covid-19 pandemic have been to support children’s: ·         Communication and language skills ·         Personal, social and emotional development   Here are some top tips to support your child’s communication and language: 1.      Talk slowly and use simple words. Introduce a new word every day. 2.      Encourage your child to talk about what they are doing, what they can see and feel. 3.     ..read more

October 2021 81% of children and young people with social, emotional and mental health needs (SEMH) have significant speech, language and communication needs (SLCN). The COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to increased mental health needs for many people, such as feelings of anxiety related to returning to school/work. Now, more than ever, we all need to work together to better understand mental health, how to support the communication and mental health of children and young people and to promote better outcomes for them. The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) offer a free ..read more

Disability Awareness Day (DAD) is an international affair, which celebrated its 30th anniversary this year. It took place on September 12th 2021 at Walton Hall Gardens in Warrington. The aim of the free event is to support people with disabilities, including their carers, to find out more information about the services and products available to facilitate independent living. Speech and Language Therapists help people with disabilities in a range of ways, such as using communication aids, symbols or signing; supporting understanding and decision-making; and offering communication strategies to ..read more

Welcome to a number of new members to our team. This growth has been caused by an increasing demand for our services from both schools and individuals. At the start of the new term we took the opportunity for a social to catch up with each other, thanks to Yvonne for hosting ..read more

Sky College recently joined the Learn@ Multi Academy Trust. It is a specialist educational provision catering for boys aged 10 to 17, with complex social, emotional, behavioural and mental health difficulties. ChildSpeech were asked to carry out a review of Sky College in relation to speech, language and communication needs (SLCN), to help the school prepare for the 2021-2022 academic year. Lexi-Jo, one of our Speech and Language Therapists, had a successful visit to the school last term. Lexi-Jo spent some time observing and assessing children in the classrooms and offering advice to staff ..read more

Early language development and communication skills are the precursor for good social, emotional and learning outcomes for a child. However, as many as 81% of children with emotional and behavioural difficulties have speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) that have not been identified. 1 in 4 children who have language difficulties at the age of 5, do not reach the language levels expected by the end of primary school. The Best Start in Speech, Language and Communication Programme is a new initiative to support health visitors in England in identifying SLCN early. The programme, whic ..read more

DLD is a hidden, yet, common disability affecting 2 children in every class of 30. It was previously known as Specific Language Impairment (SLI). DLD means that children have severe, persistent difficulties understanding and/or using spoken language. It is a long-term condition, which significantly impacts on a child’s education, employment, and social, emotional and behavioural development. Awareness of DLD across 18 European countries is 60%, compared to awareness of Autism which is 90% or above. This is very interesting, considering DLD is 5 times more prevalent than Autism. ChildSpeech ar ..read more