Language and communication
Speech therapy for language delay and communication
If your child is slow to talk, puts few words together or finds instructions hard to follow, I can help work out why and what to do about it. Language delay speech therapy starts with play, not tests.
Why is my child not talking as much as others?
There are lots of reasons, and most of them are not anyone's fault. Some children understand plenty and have few words. Some have words but cannot join them up. Others talk a lot and still lose the thread of what is being asked of them. "Language" covers all of it: what a child understands, what they say, and how they use it with other people. When a language difficulty lasts and has no known cause, such as hearing loss or autism, the current term is developmental language disorder (DLD).1
I work with children from 18 months to 16, so this page covers a toddler with ten words and a teenager who struggles to explain what happened at school. A three year old not talking much and a nine year old who finds instructions confusing are different problems, and I treat them that way.
Some children are late talkers who catch up. Some do not, and it is surprisingly hard to tell early on which is which, so waiting does not always help.2 My guide to late talkers goes through how to tell the difference. If your child hears more than one language at home, that is not the cause.2 There is more in the bilingual children guide, and please keep speaking your home language.
What might you be noticing?
- Your toddler has very few words, or uses mostly single words well after you expected sentences.
- They seem to understand less than other children their age, or follow only the instructions that come with a gesture.
- They know the words but jumble the order, or leave out little words, so sentences sound muddled.
- They find it hard to tell you what happened, or to answer questions that start with who, why or how.
- They go quiet in groups, or play beside other children without much talking to them.
- Nursery or school has mentioned that they need extra help to follow what is going on.
What will therapy look like?
A conversation and some play
I start by hearing from you what a normal day sounds like. Then I play with your child, watch how they communicate, and use short, gentle assessments only where they help. I use standardised tools such as the CELF-5 where they suit the child, never as the whole picture.3
A plan we both understand
After the assessment I explain what I found in plain words and what I think is getting in the way. If you want a written report, for school or for an EHCP, that is an extra £95. You choose whether to go on to therapy.
Sessions built around what your child likes
Therapy is play with a purpose: stories, small-world toys, songs, whatever your child will lean in towards. I show you what I am doing so you can use it in ordinary moments at home, in the car, at bath time.
I aim to build on how your child already communicates, whether that is words, gesture, pointing or pulling you by the hand. Every way of communicating counts. If a child learns language in whole phrases, I work with that rather than against it, and you can read about it under gestalt language processing.
Where it helps, I work with nursery or school too, so the adults who spend the day with your child talk to them in the same way. I can visit; see the schools page.
I would rather you came in worried and left knowing what you were looking at than waited another six months.
What does it cost?
The first step is a free 15-minute call. An assessment is £270, with no written report unless you ask for one. Therapy is £85 an hour, or £680 for a block of eight sessions. Everything is on the fees page, and you can ask me anything about it through the contact page.
- Free15-minute call
- £270Assessment
- £85Therapy, per hour
More on the fees page.
Questions parents ask
Do I need a GP referral?
No. You can book me directly. Seeing me does not remove your child from an NHS waiting list either, so many families do both.
Can I help at home without special equipment?
Yes. Talk about what your child is already looking at, leave small gaps for them to fill, and add one word to whatever they say. If they say "car", you say "red car". I will show you more once I have met your child.
Will therapy make my child talk like other children?
I can't promise a result. The aim is for your child to understand and be understood more easily, in whatever way works for them, and to feel less frustrated while they do it.
How many sessions will we need?
It depends on your child, and I will tell you what I think after the assessment. There is no minimum commitment, and a block of eight is only there if it suits you.
References
Sources checked on 18 October 2026.
- Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists. (n.d.). Clinical information on developmental language disorder (DLD). https://www.rcslt.org/speech-and-language-therapy/clinical-information/developmental-language-disorder/ ↩
- Bishop DVM, Snowling MJ, Thompson PA, et al. (2017). Phase 2 of CATALISE: a multinational and multidisciplinary Delphi consensus study of problems with language development: Terminology. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 58(10), 1068–1080. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.12721 ↩ ↩
- Bishop DVM, Snowling MJ, Thompson PA, et al. (2016). CATALISE: a multinational and multidisciplinary Delphi consensus study. Identifying language impairments in children. PLOS ONE, 11(7), e0158753. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0158753 ↩
Other things I help with
Gestalt language processing
For children who learn language in whole chunks: film lines, songs, scripts.
Read more about Gestalt language processing
Autism and social communication
Neurodiversity-affirming support for autistic children and social communication needs.
Read more about Autism and social communication
AAC
Signing, symbols, books or apps for children who don't rely on speech, or not yet.
Read more about AAC
Not sure if it is language?
Tell me what you are noticing on a free call. I will say honestly whether I can help.