Coronavirus Update:

This service is currently providing support via telephone or video consultations and some face to face appointments. We will contact you by phone to discuss which options are most suitable to you or your child's care. While schools are closed we are not always able to support your child in school and may contact you to offer a phone or video consultation at home. Children’s Speech and Language Therapy staff may be required to be redeployed to support with other NHS services for those who require urgent care this may affect how quickly we are able to see you.

You may find the following pages useful:

• General Appointment Guidance
• Attending your Appointment in a Clinic
• Attending your Appointment at Home
• Attending your Virtual Appointments

Or you can watch a summary of what to expect when visiting a clinic or health centre in the following animations:

Home Visits

Visiting a Clinic or Health Centre

Virtual Appointments

Who's it for?

Our service is available to people living in Leeds (or registered with a Leeds GP) who fit into the following groups:

• Children aged 0-18 years with consent from their parent/guardian.
• Adults – Stammering Support Service and Communication Aid Service only

We have ten service areas:

• Mainstream Clinic and School
• Deaf and Hearing Impairment Team
• Developmental Language Disorder
• Complex Developmental Assessment (ICAN)
• Complex Communication Assessment (ICAN) this is a pre-school autism assessment
• School Age Learning Difficulties
• Community Dysphagia (feeding/swallowing)
• Criminal Justice
• Communication Aid Service (includes adult referrals)
• Stammering Support Service (includes adult referrals)

We provide:

• Assessment, goal setting and practical advice
• Education and self-management advice for parents/carers
• Individual and group therapy (intervention)
• Parent/carer workshops

Our speech and language therapist and assistants aim to support you to:

• Be more confident in supporting your child’s speech, language and communication or swallowing needs.
• Increase your knowledge about how to support your child’s speech, language and communication or swallowing needs.
• Develop new skills to use to support your child’s speech, language and communication or swallowing needs.

Feeding Difficulties

We also treat children who have oral, motor and/or sensory feeding difficulties. Children who have other kinds of difficulties with feeding such as social, emotional or behavioural problems along with issues such as challenges using utensils and  poor appetite are best supported by other groups or professionals, or across agencies.

If you have concerns over a child's feeding difficulties please use the following guidance to help to decide your best course of action:

• Feeding Referral Guidelines
• Dysphagia Guidelines

If a referral is needed please download and complete the referral form

Workshops for Parents and Carers

Do you have a child with delayed speech and / or language development? Some children find it hard to:

• use words and sentences
• speak clearly
• understand conversations
• develop early communication skills which can affect relationships and learning

Would you like to find out more about helping your child to communicate?

Would you like a chance to meet and chat with other parents / carers whose children have similar difficulties?

We offer sessions for parents and carers of young children with delayed speech and / or language development. The courses are free for parents and carers who have a Leeds postcode and / or Leeds GP and have a child with an open referral to the speech and language therapy service. There will be a charge for parents and carers accessing our courses who are out of the area.

The workshops are very informal and give practical advice on helping your child and will give you the chance to:

• Find out more about how children develop communication skills.
• Think about the way children and adults interact together, and how this can influence children's communication development when there are difficulties.
• Share ideas and get support from other parents and carers whose children have delayed speech and / or language development.

These workshops give parents and carers an opportunity to develop their knowledge and skills in an informal and supportive atmosphere. These workshops are for parents and carers only. Unfortunately, there is no provision for your child to attend and there are no crèche facilities.

Following a speech and language assessment, if appropriate, your name will be added to a waiting list for parent training workshops. You will be offered a place on a parent training workshop via an opt-in letter. In order to book a place please follow the directions on the opt-in letter.

Workshop Information

Parent training is provided in a variety of venues across the city. Details of the parent and carer workshops we offer can be found here