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)
Intervention is prioritised to allow the children who have the most severe specific 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:
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
Contact and Referral Details
Across mainstream schools and clinics, we are experiencing, on average, an 18 week wait from receipt of referral to the phone call to a parent or school to book in an appointment. We are currently working towards reducing the waiting times to 12 weeks. Over the school holidays we are putting on more clinics across the city.
