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Your Headspace provides a highly specialist speech and language therapy service. You will benefit from extensive experience and expertise in a range of speech and language disorders.

What do speech and language needs look like?


Specific speech and language needs may be hard to identify and may present as: 

  • literacy difficulties
  • difficulties with paying attention
  • behavioural difficulties 
  • a reluctance to participate or interact with others. 

Children and young people with speech and language delays/ disorders may need support with related areas of development for example:

  • listening
  • play
  • social interaction
  • managing emotions
  • literacy
  • learning 

Your Headspace tailors therapy to take account of these potentially associated areas of need.

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What speech, language and communication needs can Your Headspace help with?


Speech

Speech that is difficult to understand. Awareness of words and parts of words, telling the difference between speech sounds, telling the difference between words, articulating sounds, saying words and sentences clearly, generalising sounds into everyday speech, managing a speech difficulty appropriately in a social context. 


Difficulties with speech sounds can impact on literacy skills. Therapy can be tailored to take account
of and support a child/young person's literacy development. Close collaboration with a child/young person's teacher would be important.


Language

Understanding spoken and written language - understanding the meanings of words, understanding questions, understanding sentences of different length and complexity, understanding a story, understanding different styles of language, developing a child's/ young person's awareness of their understanding, managing a language difficulty appropriately in a social context. 


Communication

Using language and communication skills appropriately in play, social and learning contexts - developing a joint focus for communication, listening and taking turns, managing communication with different people, using language to make friends, using language to express and manage emotions.

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Speech and language therapy fees:


Initial consultation 2 hours: £110


Subsequent sessions: 

  • £65 per hour
  • £40 per half hour

Travel expenses: 

  • Travel is not charged within the boundaries of Cardiff or within 10 miles
    of the Your Headspace base. 

Further costs are negotiated in advance and may include mileage and/or travel time at half the
sessional rate if journey time is over 45 minutes. Return mileage is charged at 45 pence per mile
using the AA route finder.

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What can I expect?

 

Initial consultation

The initial consultation is the start of the therapy process and usually begins with a case history.
This involves structured questions to gather the information needed to help paint as full a picture
as possible of a child's skills, strengths and needs. Time is also needed for direct assessment 
of the child's speech, language and communication skills. 

 

Assessment includes discussion, detailed observation, informal structured activities and formal
tests depending on a child's age and needs. At the end of the initial consultation, findings and recommendations will be discussed in full with you. Practical suggestions for activities and strategies
will be explored during the session. You are supported to help your child's speech, language and communication as soon as possible.

 

Further intervention and subsequent sessions

If further intervention is indicated, a therapy plan that includes a programme of practical strategies/ activities is discussed and formulated. 

 

A therapy plan is based on: 

  • the outcome of assessments 
  • a child's needs and context
  • agreed priorities

 

The number of sessions that may be required are fully negotiated and can vary depending on
individual needs.

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What if my child is waiting for an NHS therapy appointment?

The provision of independent therapy does not prevent a child or young person from receiving
NHS therapy. Sometimes independent therapy is sought whilst waiting for NHS therapy,
sometimes in between 'blocks' to 'top-up' therapy received and sometimes alongside NHS therapy.

 

Whatever the circumstances, full co-operation and collaboration between independent and
NHS speech and language therapists is expected and necessary in a child's best interests.
This is set out in guidelines from the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists called
'Working in Harmony'  - www.rcslt.org