Getting Started…
If you live in Hertfordshire or Bedfordshire, Help Me To Talk may be able to help you.
Our Hertfordshire speech and language therapy team is based in South West Hertfordshire, covering areas in and around St Albans, Hemel Hempstead, Radlett, Kings Langley, Bushey, Elstree, Borehamwood and Potters Bar.
Our Bedfordshire speech and language therapy team is based in Central Bedfordshire, covering areas in and around Bedford, Marston Mortaine and Ampthill.
We offer a 15 minute telephone consultation free of charge so that we can discuss your child’s needs and determine whether they might benefit from speech and language therapy.
If we think we can help you then we can arrange an initial assessment appointment. This may take place at your home, your child’s school or at the therapist’s base. This will involve taking a case history as well as informal and/or formal assessment of your child. We also provide written summary or comprehensive reports depending on your requirements.
Assessment – What To Expect
A speech and language assessment will involve taking a case history from you about your child and their communication. We’ll then do an informal and/or formal assessment with your child – depending on their age, needs and how they are that day.
We may ask you and your child some questions, do puzzles or games with them or ask them to communicate with us in another way. There are lots of ways we can assess your child’s speech and language and our assessment styles vary all the time.
What Next?
If your child’s communication skills are appropriate for their age, then no further input will be required. We hope we can reassure you with our conclusions.
Therapy – What To Expect
If we think your child will benefit from having speech and language therapy then we will discuss with you how our therapy input would benefit your child. Every child has different needs so some of the services we offer might include:
- Therapy sessions – these take place in your home, school or nursery
- Observations of your child in their educational setting followed by discussions with school staff
- Therapy programmes – written targets, activities and resources tailored to your child’s needs which can be worked on at home/school
- Written progress reports
The level and type of input your child receives will be based on their individual needs and will be regularly reviewed.
Parent coaching and advice
Supportive 30-minute sessions via phone or Zoom — available as individual chats or in a short block. A chance to talk through any worries, ask questions, and get practical, tailored advice to support your child at home. Perfect if you’re looking for a bit of guidance while waiting for NHS input, or if you’re unsure what next steps to take.
Open to parents anywhere in the UK.
