Specialist Speech and Language Therapist based in Altrincham
Speech and Language
Therapy services in Altrincham, Trafford and Cheshire
I provide independent Speech, Language and Feeding Therapy for children and families in Altrincham and surrounding areas, with appointments available at home, nursery or school.
Whether you have concerns about your child's speech, language, eating, drinking or swallowing, please get in touch to talk through your concerns and discuss the most appropriate next steps.
Therapy tailored to your child
There isn't a one-size-fits-all approach to Speech and Language Therapy. Every child responds differently, so the type, length and frequency of therapy will depend on their individual needs. Working independently means I'm able to adapt therapy rather than being restricted to a fixed number of appointments or treatment blocks.
Where appropriate, I can provide home or school programmes, practical activities and advice to help your child continue working towards their goals outside our sessions. I can also liaise with your child's nursery, school, NHS Speech and Language Therapist or other professionals involved in their care.
It's not always possible to predict how many sessions a child will need. Progress can depend on age, individual difficulties, motivation and the support they receive between sessions. I constantly monitor, review and adapt to meet a child's changing needs, and will also tell you if therapy is not appropriate, working, or no longer needed (the ultimate goal!)
Speech and Language Therapy
Every child develops communication skills differently. If you have concerns about your child's speech, language or social communication development, an assessment can help identify their strengths and where they may need additional support.
I provide individual speech and language therapy tailored to your child, using a combination of formal assessment and informal approaches such as play, observation and conversation.
Following assessment, I will talk you through my findings and recommend the most appropriate next steps. Where helpful, I can provide activities, targets and practical advice for home, nursery or school, as well as liaising with other professionals involved in your child's care.
Speech Sound Therapy
If your child is difficult to understand, struggles to pronounce certain sounds or has a phonological or articulation difficulty, such as a lisp, targeted speech sound therapy can help.
Following an assessment, I will identify the specific sounds your child is finding difficult before creating therapy activities and targets tailored to their individual needs.
Speech sound therapy sessions are usually weekly for 45 minutes, including time for parent feedback and discussion. However, sessions can be longer, shorter and more or less frequent depending on your child's individual needs.
I can provide support with: phonological issues, articulation difficulties, lisps, reduced speech clarity and a range of other issues.
Weaning and Sensory-Based Support
Feeding difficulties can make mealtimes extremely challenging for both children and their families. The emotional toll of supporting a child with feeding difficulties is hard to imagine if you have not experienced it.
I provide a specialist assessment and support for babies and children experiencing difficulties with feeding and eating, from problems with breast or bottle feeding, weaning and progressing through textures, to food aversion and sensory-based difficulties including ARFID (Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder). I am also happy to assess possible tongue-tie and discuss your concerns.
Assessment involves taking a detailed history (usually over the phone) and observing your child eating and drinking so I can better understand what may be contributing to their issues.
Following assessment, I can provide practical advice, therapy and an individual programme to follow at home, with ongoing monitoring and support as your child progresses.
Eating, Drinking and Swallowing Support
If your baby or child is experiencing difficulties eating, drinking or swallowing safely, a specialist swallowing assessment can help identify what is happening and what support may be needed.
During the assessment, I will take a detailed history (usually over the phone) and observe your child eating and drinking. Where appropriate, I may use a stethoscope to listen to your child’s swallow.
Following assessment, I will talk you through my findings and provide advice about possible diagnosis, intervention and any further support that may be needed. I can suggest other professionals that may be helpful to your child, and/or refer to those professionals as necessary. This might include a Dietitian, Occupational Therapist, Audiologist, Paediatrician, Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) specialist or gastroenterologist.
I am happy to provide ongoing monitoring and support for as long as your child needs it.
What happens when you contact me?
1. Get in touch
First, you contact me by telephone, email or through the website and tell me a little about your child and any concerns you have.
2. Initial telephone consultation
If necessary, we book a free, 15 minute initial telephone consultation to talk through your concerns and discuss whether an assessment would be helpful and what type of support may be most appropriate.
3. Assessment
Your child’s initial assessment will usually take place at a location of your choice and last between one and two hours, depending on your child and the areas being assessed.
I’ll gather a detailed background history (generally taken over the phone for eating and drinking concerns) before carrying out the most appropriate assessment for your child. This may involve formal assessment and/or more informal approaches, such as play, observation and conversation.
4. Recommendations
Following the assessment, I'll explain my findings and discuss any possible diagnosis, recommendations and options for intervention.
5. Therapy and ongoing support
If therapy is recommended, we'll agree an approach that works for your child and family. Progress can be reviewed regularly and therapy adapted as your child's needs change.
Not sure what support your child needs?
You don't need to know exactly which service your child needs before getting in touch.
If you have concerns about your child's speech, language, feeding, eating, drinking or swallowing, contact me for a 15 minute, free initial telephone consultation. We can talk through your concerns and decide on the most appropriate next step together.
Speech and language therapy at home, nursery or school
I offer flexible Speech and Language Therapy appointments, with sessions available at home, school, nursery or preschool, and online where appropriate. I also offer sessions at my home, when I am unable to travel to you.
I’m based in Altrincham and work with families across surrounding areas of Trafford, Cheshire and Greater Manchester. Online sessions or appointments at my home are also available, providing greater flexibility for families who live further away or where online therapy is suitable for the child.