Speech and Language Therapy for Children
About Us
Help Me To Talk is run by specialist speech and language therapists Ali & Naomi. They are both members of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT), the Health Professions Council (HCPC) and the Association of Speech and Language Therapists in Independent Practice (ASLTIP).
Our small team of dedicated therapists work around South West Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire with children aged between 2-16. We provide speech and language therapy across a range of settings, including the family home, nurseries and preschools, mainstream schools, special schools and speech and language units.
Who we work with…
The Help Me To Talk team has experience working with children with a wide range of communication difficulties, including:
- Speech and Language Delay
- Developmental language disorder (DLD)
- Speech disorders including developmental verbal dyspraxia
- Autistic Spectrum Disorders
- Dysfluency (stammering/stuttering)
- Cleft lip and palate
- Learning difficulties
- Developmental delay
- Cerebral palsy
- Down Syndrome
- Hearing impairment
Areas We Cover
As a small, locally based team, we are not able to cover all of Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire.
Our South West Hertfordshire team covers areas in and around St Albans, Hemel Hempstead, Radlett, Kings Langley, Bushey, Elstree, Borehamwood and Potters Bar.
Our Central Bedfordshire team covers areas in and around Bedford, Marston Mortaine and Ampthill.
About Ali
Ali has a Distinction in a Post Graduate Diploma (PGDip) in Speech and Language Therapy from City University. Prior to this she completed a BA in Music from the University of Nottingham and worked in social research for 5 years.
Ali has over 12 years of experience, starting her career in the NHS before starting Help Me To Talk in 2014. She has specialised in speech sound disorders for several years, and now works exclusively with children with phonological impairment and Childhood Apraxia of Speech.
Specialist Training that Ali has completed includes:
- Dynamic Tactile and Temporal Cueing (DTTC) for Childhood Apraxia of Speech
- ReST Rapid Syllable Transition Training
- Lateral Lisp Remediation
- The Complexity Approach to Phonological Intervention
- The Cycles Approach to Phonological Intervention
- The Minimal Pairs Approach to Phonological Intervention
Ali lives in Radlett with her husband, son & daughter . When she isn’t doing speech therapy she enjoys cooking and reading.
Ali works with children in St Albans, Hemel Hempstead, Radlett, Kings Langley, Bushey, Elstree, Borehamwood and Potters Bar.
About Naomi
Naomi graduated in 2010 with a BSc in Speech and Language Sciences from Newcastle University. She works with families in Bedfordshire.
Naomi specialises in working with pre-school and primary age children and has a special interest in supporting young children with speech sound difficulties including Childhood Apraxia of Speech.
Naomi enjoys working closely with a child and their parents, helping them to understand and support their child’s communication difficulty.
Specialist Training that Naomi has completed includes:
- Dynamic Tactile and Temporal Cueing (DTTC) for Childhood Apraxia of Speech
- Nuffield Dyspraxia Programme
- Attention Autism
- Makaton signing
- ELKLAN
- Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)
- Colour Coding
- Hanen – More Than Words
- Parent-Child Interaction Therapy
Naomi lives in Marston Moretaine with her husband, two daughters, Tofu the Cat and Ziggy the dog! Naomi enjoys cooking, running, reading and going camping with her family.
Naomi works with children in Bedford, Marston Mortaine, Kempston, Flitwick, Bromham and Ampthill.
About Laura
Laura graduated with a PgDip in Speech and Language Therapy from City University. Laura is passionate about supporting parents to best meet the needs of their child. She is friendly and personable and prides herself on her ability to build a strong rapport with children and families in her care. Laura is a creative therapist and she enjoys planning and adapting therapy sessions so that they are tailored to the child/young person’s needs and interests.
Laura has experience working in early years, mainstream schools and special education settings with children and adolescents. She has a particular interest in working with young children with Autism and in working with children and adolescents who stammer.
Laura has received formal training in a number of approaches/interventions including:
- Attention Autism
- PECS
- Hanen ‘More Than Words’ for preschool children with ASD/social communication difficulties
- Palin PCI Therapy for children under 7 who stammer
- Lidcombe Programme for Stammering
- Secondary School Children who Stammer: Realising Their Potential
- The Swindon Packs for young people who stammer
- Study Day in Stammering Plus – When children who stammer also have ASD
Laura works with children primarily in the Leighton Buzzard area.
About Nebras
Nebras graduated with a BSc in Speech and Language Therapy from City University in 2015. Nebras is passionate about working with children and their caregivers, to provide person-centred, evidence-based and creative speech and language therapy. Nebras has experience in working in a range of settings with children of all ages.
Nebras has received training in:
- Hanen: It Takes Two to Talk
- Attention Autism
- Word Aware with Stephen Parsons
- Lego Therapy
- Talking mats
- Michael Palin Parent Child Interaction
Nebras works with families primarily in and around Luton.
About Adina
Adina graduated with a BSc in Speech and Language Therapy from City University.
Adina is a generalist therapist, and works with children with a wide range of speech and language needs.She is committed to empowering every child to express themselves uniquely and uses play as a captivating tool for engagement in therapy.
Adina has received the following specialist training:
- Michael Palin Parent Child Interaction for Dysfluency
- The Minimal Pairs Approach to Phonological Intervention
- Dynamic Tactile and Temporal Cueing (DTTC) for Childhood Apraxia of Speech
- Makaton
Adina works with children in Watford, Radlett, Kings Langley, Bushey, Elstree, Borehamwood and Potters Bar.
About Sian
Sian graduated with a Masters in Speech & Language from City University of London, and has a BA in Modern Drama Studies.
As a mother of two, she started her career as a Speech & Language Therapist following her daughter’s diagnosis of Childhood Apraxia of Speech in 2020, and has a passion for developing communication potential through storytelling, drama, music and play.
Sian has worked within the NHS supporting children with complex needs in both mainstream and specialist settings, and also has experience working with local charities supporting children with Down Syndrome.
Sian has received training in:
- Dynamic Tactile and Temporal Cueing (DTTC) for Childhood Apraxia of Speech
- Makaton level 1,2,3 & 4
- Lis’n Tell live interactive storytelling
- Attention Autism
- Paper based AAC level 1,2 & 3
- PECS
- Shape Coding
- The Minimal Pairs Approach to Phonological Intervention
Sian enjoys singing and running storytelling and drama classes at schools and nurseries.
Sian works with families primarily in Hemel Hempstead, St Albans, Harpenden and Redbourn
Book an appointment
We offer a free 15 minute telephone consultation to discuss your child’s needs. To book a time, please contact us.
