Frequently Asked Questions

No, we are an independent children’s therapy service; a referral is not necessary to access speech, language or feeding therapy with South Lakes Speech & Language Therapy. Please get in touch, and we can arrange an appointment directly.

An initial feeding assessment usually takes place at a regular meal or snack time in your home or in your child’s nursery or school setting. During the initial appointment, your therapist will assess many aspects of your child’s eating and mealtime skills as well as take into account information about your child’s feeding that you share with us. For more information about what to expect during a feeding assessment with South Lakes Speech & Language Therapy, please click here.

The initial speech and language assessment is a time for you and your child’s Speech and Language Therapist to work together to determine what areas of speech and language are working well for your child and how to support any difficulties. For more information about what to expect during a speech and language assessment with South Lakes Speech & Language Therapy, please click here.

Recommendations for frequency of speech and language or feeding therapy sessions are based on your child’s skills and specific needs. Following the initial assessment appointment, we will discuss our recommendations with you and agree a therapy plan going forward.

South Lakes Speech & Language Therapy follows a parent coaching model; therefore, a key part of our sessions will be supporting you to understand how to create opportunities and interactions throughout the day that support your child’s feeding and communication development. This means your child will be engaged in targeted learning as a part of their day-to-day activities with you and not just during direct speech, language or feeding therapy sessions.

Yes, small group sessions provide your child with focused time to learn and practise speech, language and/or feeding skills with friends and are as effective as one-on-one sessions.

When appropriate, children who attend the same education setting may be offered small group therapy sessions with South Lakes Speech & Language Therapy. During small group sessions, each child focuses on their individual speech, language or feeding targets while participating in a group activity or playing a group game. Your child’s Speech and Language Therapist will provide individualised support to your child throughout the session. Small group sessions provide your child with guided practise with their specific therapy targets as well as the opportunity to develop their listening and turn-taking skills.

Feeding and communication challenges can vary greatly from one child to the next, as can a child’s development and rate of learning; meaning, we cannot predict when a child will achieve their feeding or communication goals.

We know that children make the most progress when parents are confident supporting their child’s development as a part of day-to-day activities which is why South Lakes Speech & Language Therapy follows a parent coaching model. As a part of our sessions with your child, we will support you to understand how to create opportunities and interactions throughout the day that support your child’s feeding and communication development. This means your child will be engaged in targeted learning as a part of their day-to-day activities with you and not just during direct speech, language or feeding therapy sessions.

Yes, we offer home visits as well as nursery and school visits. We also are able to see children in a clinic space in Kendal town centre and offer video appointments.

In order to achieve the best outcome for your child, South Lakes Speech & Language Therapy follows a parent coaching model which highlights the importance of parents and caregivers feeling confident in how to support their child’s development.

After each appointment, whether the appointment is at home or your child’s education setting, we will provide you with a written summary of key points from the session including specific strategies and homework activities for you (and your child’s nursery or school where relevant) to practise before our next session. We also are happy to speak with you on the telephone and via text message or email between sessions if you have any questions.

Yes, we are happy to work with children who also receive input from the NHS, and with your consent we will liaise with your child’s NHS therapist to ensure a coordinated effort.

Yes, we are happy to provide you with a second opinion regarding your child’s feeding and/or communication skills and needs. Please contact us directly to discuss your requirements.

Yes, we offer video appointments to support children with feeding and/or communication needs, and multiple studies as well as our professional experience has demonstrated the effectiveness of teletherapy. Please contact us for more information.

Yes, South Lakes Speech & Language Therapy offers a variety of workshops centred around children’s feeding and communication. If there is a specific topic on which you would like training, we are happy to create a tailor-made workshop to meet your needs. Please see our Workshops page or contact us for more information.