Late talking
Toddlers and young children who are slow to start talking or to put two or three words together.
Finding the words together, at any age
Speech and language therapy for children and adults: first words and clear sounds, stammering, language after a stroke, voice care and swallowing. Sessions take place in the clinic, at school or by video, and every plan is shaped with the family.
18 monthsthe youngest age we see
3 waysclinic, school or video
10 daysto a written report
Coughing or choking when eating or drinking, or chest infections that keep coming back? Please see a doctor promptly, because swallowing problems can need medical checks first. If someone is in danger now, ring your local emergency number.
Phone usWhat we help with
Our therapists work with toddlers, school children, teenagers and adults. These are the reasons families and adults most often get in touch.
Speech sounds
Children whose speech is hard for others to follow, or who still swap sounds as they get older.
Language and learning
Following instructions, finding words, telling a story and the language that school work depends on.
Stammering
Children, teenagers and adults who stammer, with support for confident talking and for the people around them.
After a stroke or brain injury
Rebuilding speech, understanding, reading and writing after a stroke or a head injury, or with a progressive condition.
Swallowing
Assessment and exercises for eating and drinking more safely, carried out alongside the care your doctor provides.
We do not diagnose medical conditions. Swallowing assessments follow a check by your doctor where one is needed, and with your consent we write to them about what we find.
How an assessment works
From the first message to a written report usually takes about two weeks.
Send a request
Say who the assessment is for, their age and what you have noticed, in as much detail as feels comfortable.
A first phone call
A therapist phones you within one working day to listen to your worries and check we are the right service.
The assessment
Play, picture games and conversation for children, or talking, reading and swallowing tasks for adults, over about an hour.
Feedback and a plan
What we found, explained plainly, goals agreed together and a written report within ten working days.
Assessments, sessions and fees
Everyone begins with an assessment. After that, sessions are booked as they are needed, never as a block that has to be bought upfront.
Child assessment
from$160
- Play based, with a parent in the room
- Feedback before you leave
- A written report within ten working days
Adult assessment
from$170
- Speech, language, voice or swallowing
- A partner or relative welcome to join
- A report for your doctor if you wish
Therapy session
from$95
- Activities to practise between sessions
- Progress reviewed every eight sessions
- Parents and carers shown how to help
Fees are settled with the practice once each appointment has finished. Help with fees from insurers, schools or public services depends on the country and your situation, and we supply receipts and reports for any claim. Sessions moved with less than a day's notice are charged at half the fee.
Children learn to talk through play
For young children, therapy looks like play: bubbles, puppets, picture books and games chosen to practise one sound or one kind of sentence. Parents join in, because most progress happens in the everyday chats at home between sessions.
Every child develops at their own pace, and nobody can promise how quickly change will come. We set small goals, look at them together every eight sessions and adjust the plan honestly.
- A parent or carer in every session
- Home activities of about ten minutes a day
- School visits with the family's agreement
- Reports that teachers can put to use
Adults: speech, voice and swallowing
Adults come to us after a stroke or a head injury, with a stammer they want to talk about, with a voice that tires easily or with a condition that affects speech or swallowing. Sessions take place in the clinic, at home or by video.
Swallowing work begins with checks by your doctor where they are needed and moves at a careful pace. We explain what each exercise is for and what to do if eating or drinking becomes harder.
- Word finding and reading after a stroke
- Voice care for teachers, singers and anyone who talks for a living
- Swallowing exercises agreed with your care team
- Partners and families taught how to help
Things families and adults ask us about
A few of the topics that come up on the first call. If yours is not here, ask anyway.
- First words
- Lisping
- Unclear speech
- Stammering
- Understanding instructions
- Word finding
- Social communication
- Hoarse or tired voice
- Reading and spelling links
- Talking after a stroke
- Eating and drinking safely
- Bilingual children
Not sure whether something needs therapy? Ask on the first call. If another professional should see you first, such as for a hearing test, we will say so and explain why.
Where sessions happen
Sessions take place in the clinic above the bookshop, by video at home, or at school with the family's agreement.
Words from families (example reviews)
Our daughter went from single words to short sentences over one term. The home games took ten minutes a day and felt like play to her.
After the stroke, conversation felt out of reach. Weekly sessions at home, with the family shown how to help, made phone calls with the grandchildren possible again.
Video sessions fitted around the school day for our teenage son, and the therapist helped his teachers understand stammering too.
Questions about speech therapy
When should a child see a speech therapist?
If you are worried about how your child talks, understands or plays with others, it is reasonable to ask at any age. Children develop at different rates, so a short call is a good first step. A hearing test is often useful too, and your doctor can arrange one.
Do families need a referral?
No. Families and adults can book directly. Some insurers, schools and public services ask for a referral before they help with fees, and their rules vary by country and region.
Are your therapists qualified and registered?
Yes. Every therapist on the team has a degree in speech and language therapy and is registered with the professional body or regulator where we practise. The job title itself, such as speech pathologist or speech and language therapist, changes from country to country, so check the register where you live.
How long will therapy take?
That depends on the person and their goals, and we will not promise a timescale. Some children need a short run of sessions, while others are seen across a school year. Progress is reviewed together every eight sessions.
Do sessions work by video?
For many older children and adults, yes. Toddlers usually do better in the room with us, and swallowing assessments always take place in person.
What about choking or repeated chest infections?
See a doctor promptly. Coughing or choking with food or drink, or chest infections that keep returning, can be signs of a swallowing problem that needs medical checks. When it is an emergency, use your local emergency number straight away.
Ask for an assessment or a session
Let us know who needs the appointment, their age and where sessions should happen. A therapist answers within one working day to arrange the first call and offer a time.
Choking or chest infections? Please see a doctor promptly rather than waiting for an appointment.
- Child assessment about 60 minutes, $160
- Clinic, school or video
- Fees settled with the practice, never online
Contact the clinic
Phone while the clinic is open, or send an email whenever it suits you and expect an answer by the following working day.
Talk to us
A first floor clinic with a lift above the bookshop on the market square, plus video sessions and school visits
Clinic hours
| Monday to Thursday | 08:30 to 18:30 |
| Friday | 08:30 to 15:30 |
| Saturday | 09:00 to 12:30 |
| Sunday | Closed |
For schools and nurseries
Teachers and nursery staff are welcome to call about a child once the family has agreed. We also run short training sessions for staff on supporting talking in the classroom.
Ask about a school visit