Speech and Language therapy for children

Do you have a “word baby” or “intonation baby”?

19 January 2024

Did you know there are two ways to acquire language! Yes it’s true there is in fact two ways to acquire language and I’m going to tell you all about it… The first is Analytic Language Processing We might call these children our ‘Word Babies’. They’re tuned into the words we use around them.Analytic language…

Glue Ear

22 March 2023

Here at Castlepoint Independent Speech and Language Therapy, we often see children with a diagnosis of glue ear. Glue ear, also known as “ottis media with effusion” is when the empty middle part of the ear canal fills up with fluid which can cause temporary hearing loss, earache and balance problems. It is commonly seen…

How can I encourage my child’s early language skills?

28 November 2022

The first 3 years of a baby’s life is crucial in terms of language development. It’s important to remember that expressive language doesn’t just begin when a child is using words – it also includes using gestures, sounds and vocalisations to express their needs. I want to share my favourite activities to encourage early language…

Why is home practice crucial for success?

9 September 2022

When your child visits us in clinic, they likely will have speech, language or social communication goals that they are working towards. But, here at CISLT, we don’t just want them to meet these goals in clinic – we also want them to use their new skills within their everyday talking! If we see your…

My child is really difficult to understand

25 July 2022

Does your child have difficulty speaking clearly? Do they produce words differently each time they say them so you’re not even always sure what they are trying to say? One approach that we use at CISLT is called the Core Vocabulary Approach and it is typically used for children with very unintelligible speech who don’t…

Are you worried about your child’s speech? 3 things you can do today.

19 March 2022

With current demand being high for Speech and Language Therapy services, you may find that referrals are taking time and waiting lists are long. However, there are some practical things you can do that will help your child and could even speed up the process when you do get an appointment. Here’s 3 things you…

My child can say the sound but doesn’t use it in their words….

7 December 2021

Does this sound like something your child is doing? If you are concerned about the clarity of your child’s speech and you’ve noticed certain sounds that they miss or use a different sound for, you may have tried practising saying that certain sound. And they can make the sound! Hooray! But they can’t use it…

4 tips to help your school starter’s communication skills for their big day!

1 September 2021

I’ve been a bit slow with social media and blog posts lately as I have been taking a break from some of the extra work stuff I do outside of seeing clients in my clinic. This is so I can spend as much time doing fun things with my little boys this summer. Particularly with…