Initial assessment
You've been watching and wondering for months. Maybe nursery mentioned something, maybe you're comparing notes at the school gate, maybe your gut simply says this needs checking. What you want is a clear answer from someone qualified to give one.
£120 ·90 minutes · In person
- HCPC registered
- RCSLT member
- Enhanced DBS
Where this work takes you
By the end you'll know how your child's speech and language compares with what's typical for their age, whether therapy would genuinely help right now, and exactly what to do next. All of it in a written summary you can share with nursery, school or your GP.
This is a good fit if
- You're wondering about first words, unclear speech, stammering or understanding, and you want a clear answer
- Nursery or school has gently raised something and you'd like it looked at properly
- You're on an NHS waiting list and want a baseline, plus ideas to work on in the meantime
It's not the right fit if
- If your main concern is feeding, chewing or swallowing, that needs a specialist assessment I don't offer, and I'll point you to the right service
- If your child's hearing has never been checked, a hearing test is often the smartest first step, and I can explain how to arrange one through your GP
How it unfolds
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Before we meet
You fill in a short questionnaire and we have a quick phone call about your child's history: babbling, first words, hearing, anything you've been told before. It means the assessment time is spent on your child, not paperwork.
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The assessment itself
Ninety minutes at the clinic, with you in the room throughout. To your child it's games, toys and picture cards. Underneath, I'm looking systematically at how they understand language, use words and sentences, make speech sounds and hold a back-and-forth. We take breaks whenever they're needed.
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Your written summary
Within a week you get a plain-English summary: what I looked at, what I found, how it compares with what's typical for their age, and an honest recommendation. If therapy would help, it says how much and what for. If it wouldn't, it says that too, with things to watch for and try at home.
Every session includes
- A pre-assessment questionnaire and history phone call
- 90 minutes of play-based assessment, with you in the room throughout
- A written summary in plain English within a week, yours to share with nursery, school or your GP
- An honest recommendation, including 'no therapy needed' when that's the truth
Price
£120
Duration
90 minutes
Format
In person
Location
Reading
We walked in worried and walked out with an actual plan. The written summary explained everything in normal words, and nursery said it was the most useful report they'd ever been sent.
Start with a free 15-minute chat
Tell me what you've noticed, in your own words and in whatever order it comes out. I'll ask a few questions and give you an honest steer on whether an assessment is worth doing. Either way, you'll come away with something useful to try at home.
Book a free 15-minute chatFree 15-minute chat · after-school appointments on Tuesdays and Thursdays
Asked before booking
Will it feel like a test to my child?
No. To your child it's a morning of games, picture cards and a new grown-up who is unexpectedly fun. The structured assessment is woven through the play, and if your child needs a break, we take one.
What if it's a bad day and my child won't join in?
It happens, children are children. I build the session around whatever your child brings that day, and even a quiet session tells me a great deal. If we genuinely can't get what we need, we finish another day at no extra charge.
Start with a free 15-minute chat
Tell me what you've noticed, in your own words and in whatever order it comes out. I'll ask a few questions and give you an honest steer on whether an assessment is worth doing. Either way, you'll come away with something useful to try at home.
Book a free 15-minute chatFree 15-minute chat · after-school appointments on Tuesdays and Thursdays