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Word On The Street Speech and Language Therapy

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United Kingdom
Birkenhead
Word On The Street Speech and Language Therapy

Experienced pediatric speech and language therapist of 12y. Melissa

Expert in supporting all communication areas, providing tailored, empathetic care to enhance children's communication skills and overall development. I am a highly experienced specialist Speech and Language Therapist offering independent face to face support in the Wirral area, but I am able to offer support nationwide via telephone and video consultations. I offer a flexible personalised service to suit the individual needs of your child, and offer recommendations, strategies and therapy tailored for you and your family. I offer support to children aged between 18 months and 11 years old with a variety of communication difficulties, including the following:
- Difficulties using words and gestures to interact with others and make needs/wants known
- Difficulties understanding what others say (Receptive Language Difficulties)
- Difficulties with putting words together to form sentences (Expressive Language Difficulties)
- Difficulties with pronouncing sounds in words

I am registered with the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapy (RCSLT), The Association of Speech and Language therapists in Independent Practice (ASLTIP) and the Health and Care Professionals Council (HCPC)Please get in touch if you have any questions about the support I may be able to offer you, your child and your family.

09/08/2024

**Melissa's Speech and Language Therapy Services**

With over 12 years of experience as a highly specialised Speech and Language Therapist, I provide dedicated, independent support to children with a wide range of communication needs. Based in the Wirral area, I offer face-to-face consultations while also extending my services nationwide through telephone and video consultations. My approach is flexible and personalised, ensuring that each child's unique needs are met with tailored recommendations, strategies, and therapy sessions designed for both the child and the family.

**Services Offered**

I work with children aged 18 months to 18 years, addressing a variety of communication difficulties, including:

- **Social Communication Difficulties:** Helping children use words and gestures to effectively interact with others, and make their needs and wants known.
- **Receptive Language Difficulties:** Assisting children in understanding spoken language, enabling them to follow directions and comprehend conversations.
- **Expressive Language Difficulties:** Supporting children in forming coherent sentences and organizing their thoughts verbally.
- **Articulation and Phonological Disorders:** Improving the clarity of speech by working on sound production and pronunciation.

**Specialisation**

I specialise in working with children who have complex needs, including autism spectrum disorders. My extensive experience in this area allows me to develop and implement effective strategies that address each child's specific challenges and strengths.

**Professional Credentials**

I am a registered member of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapy (RCSLT), the Association of Speech and Language Therapists in Independent Practice (ASLTIP), and the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). These affiliations ensure that I adhere to the highest standards of practice and stay current with the latest developments in the field.

**Contact Information**

If you have any questions or would like to discuss how I can support your child and family, please feel free to get in touch via whatsapp, email or facebook message. I am committed to helping your child achieve their full potential in communication and look forward to working together to create a supportive and nurturing environment for their development.

20/06/2023

I’m coming back from maternity leave and opening my diary for weekend speech and language therapy sessions! Get in touch now for more information!

I am a highly experienced specialist Speech and Language Therapist offering independent face to face support in the Wirral area, but I am able to offer support nationwide via telephone and video consultations. I offer a flexible personalised service to suit the individual needs of your child, and offer recommendations, strategies and therapy tailored for you and your family.

I offer support to children aged between 18 months and 11 years old with a variety of communication difficulties, including the following:
- Difficulties using words and gestures to interact with others and make needs/wants known
- Difficulties understanding what others say (Receptive Language Difficulties)
- Difficulties with putting words together to form sentences (Expressive Language Difficulties)
- Difficulties with pronouncing sounds in words

I am registered with the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapy (RCSLT), The Association of Speech and Language therapists in Independent Practice (ASLTIP) and the Health and Care Professionals Council (HCPC)Please get in touch if you have any questions about the support I may be able to offer you, your child and your family.

Melissa

06/12/2021

Babies often start saying their first real words between 12 and 18 months. They may babble and make sounds long before this and if you respond to this regularly, you will help the babble turn into words. Remember that every child is different and will develop skills in their own time.

Before they can form words, your baby is trying to communicate with you by reacting to sounds and looking around for people they can interact with. This starts very early on so look out for early signs that your baby is trying to communicate with you – do they look at you when you are talking to them? Do they smile back when you smile or talk to them?

After a few months, do they babble or make sounds that aren’t words, but seem like they have meaning? Do they point to things they find interesting? These are positive signs that your baby wants to communicate.

Here are some simple things you can do to encourage them early on:

16/06/2021

Objects of Reference

An object of reference is any object which is used to represent an item, activity, place, or person. Understanding real objects is the first stage of symbolic development, so using objects is considered the most concrete way of representing a word. Objects of reference are used with individuals who find it difficult to understand spoken words, signs, symbols or photographs.

Why we use Objects of Reference:
•To increase understanding of the spoken word
•To signal the beginning of a new activity
•To enable the client to make their own choices
•To enable the client to request items and activities
•To provide a visual representation of their day

The object can be:
•A real object, such as a toilet roll to represent going to the toilet
•Part of a real object, for example part of a towel to represent bath time
•Miniature objects, like a toy desk to represent that it is time to work
•Abstract objects, for example a silk scarf to represent a particular person

Smells and sounds of reference can also be used to provide multisensory feedback.

29/04/2021

Every time I scroll through parent groups on Facebook and see concerned mum's asking about their child's communication when they are between 18m and 2 years.

So let's have a look at a very simplified list of the average communication skills of an 18-24 month child?

Play :
· Child enjoys repetitive actions e.g. putting objects in/out of bags or boxes
· Pretend play skills developing e.g. acting out simple activities such as washing doll

·Beginning to use objects imaginatively e.g. cardboard box as car

· Understands and plays appropriately with miniature toys e.g. Duplo or Play-Mobil

Attention & Listening
· Child can concentrate on an activity they have chosen but can’t tolerate direction from an adult

Understanding
• The child points to simple body parts on request
· Can give a number familiar objects on request
· Can follow simple instructions without gestural cues e.g. Where is your shoe?
· Performs simple actions on request e.g. 'down', 'jump up', 'sleep,' 'eat', ‘clap your hands’

Talking
· The child is able to use an increasing number of single words but not always clear
·Child continues to use a lot of jargon or nonsense speech e.g. linked babbling
· Child starting to join words together e.g. 'ball gone'
· Range of speech sounds increasing
· The child uses intonation, pitch and changing volume when ‘talking’
· By 2 years the child is able to use up to 50 single words correctly

Social Interaction
· Child initiates and maintains eye contact with familiar and some less familiar adults
· Child demonstrates simple turn taking in activities e.g. rolling a ball back & forth
· Child responds appropriately to tones of voice e.g. anger
· Child makes request by pointing.

Your 2 year old may be doing all of this and more! If your Child isn’t then remember that we develop and learn at different rates, if your child is making progress then don't panic, but always feel confident to seek advice when you are concerned.

Melissa

27/04/2021

We are very lucky, to have access to a lot of beaches. So what can our children learn at the beach, or sand table?

Language and Vocabulary
The sand is the perfect place for a child to develop their vocabulary. It is also a good opportunity for a parent or teacher to comment on what the child is doing to teach new vocabulary. While children are exploring they learn new concepts such as fill, more, less, another one, empty, full, etc. They may also talk about what they are doing, such as telling their friend about the ramp they are building for their cars to drive up.

Social Skills
The sand is a place to collaborate and discuss, especially at school. It is the perfect place for building social skills. Children have to manage sharing tools and spaces, and they often choose to build and play together. This can require a lot of talking and negotiating. There will be disagreements about what they are building, who is building what and how they are going to do it. There will also be friendly discussions as they exchange banter while they play.

Problem Solving
While children play, they are constantly solving problems. These real-life problems that need solutions form the basis for all kinds of problem-solving throughout school. Children need to understand that there are factors at play and that a solution must be thought up in order to reach the desired outcome.
When a child’s sand castle crumbles when it gets tipped out of the bucket, he needs to rethink the sand and water proportions. Or when a child is finding a way to build a ramp for the trucks to pass along, she may need to use more sand to make it reach. At this stage, children are not seeing problems the way adults do - they are seeing challenges and doing everything possible to remove them and succeed.

That is so much to learn, and this doesn't cover everything - never underestimate the value of play in learning!

Melissa

Address

Upton, Wirral
Birkenhead

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