Speech and Language

Speech and Language Therapists works with children who have speech and language or communication difficulties

Speech and language therapy aims to:

• Prevent speech, language and communication difficulties from arising.
• Empower parents and practitioners to know how best to help their child’s communication develop.
• Support children with speech, language or communication needs to enable them to reach their full potential. 

If any of these sound like your child, don’t wait, ask for a referral to speech and language therapy.

Is your child:

• Appearing not to understand what’s being said to them even by 18 months old?
• Not using any spoken words at 18 months old?
• Using less than 50 spoken words at 2 years old (these can be a mixture of languages)?
• Not putting 2 spoken words together at 2½ years old?
• 3½ years old or over and not easily understood by...?
• Needing lots of support playing or interacting with other people?
• Having difficulties speaking fluently, such as a stammer?
• Having ongoing difficulties with eating, drinking or swallowing?
• Not speaking in a setting such as nursery after a settling in period of 6 weeks or more? 
• Very quietly spoken, hoarse, or unable to talk loudly at all?

There’s a lot of speech and language support you can access without a referral to the Speech and Language Therapy Service. 

Parent and Practitioner Workshops

We run a range of parent and/or practitioner workshops each term – please contact us via wlm-tr.sltuniversalservices@nhs.net to find out what is running this term. 

Speech and Language Therapy advice line

We have a speech and language therapy advice line, where parent, carers and professionals can contact us for advice on any area of speech, language and communication for children aged 0 to 18. We are open Monday-Friday 1-4pm. You can ring us on the number below or email us and we will get back to you as soon as we can.

Advice line:

Phone number: 07512 716 478

email: ealing.sltadvice@nhs.net

Monday to Friday,

1pm to 4pm

We can call you with an interpreter, if needed.

 Speech & Language Therapy Drop-ins

The Speech and Language Therapy team offer each children’s centre in the borough a drop in/advice session once a term. Please contact your nearest children’s centre and they will be able to inform you when the team will be visiting.  

Talk & Play Groups for ages 0-5 years
Talk and Play is a play based group for parents who are worried about their child’s talking. The group is for children aged 0-5. The groups run once a week for 5 weeks in various children’s centres across Ealing. It is run jointly by children’s centre staff and the speech and language therapy team. The groups provide families with strategies to support their child’s communication skills. Please contact the children’s centre where you would like to attend and they will add you to the waiting list for the group.  

Fun and Learn groups

Fun and Learn is a play-based group for parents who are worried about their child’s social interaction and talking. The group is for children aged 0-5. The groups run once a week for 5 weeks in various children’s centres across Ealing. It is run jointly by children’s centre staff and the speech and language therapy team. The groups provide families with strategies to support their child’s interaction skills. Please contact the children’s centre where you would like to attend and they will add you to the waiting list for the group.

Webinars and Top Tips Video’s

https://www.youtube.com/@ealingchildrensservices6470

 Our YouTube Channel has a range of webinars (30-45 minutes) on different areas of speech, language and communication for parents and practitioners to watch.

 We also have bite sized videos (5-10 minutes long) covering all different areas of speech, language and communication for parents and practitioners to watch.

The service works exclusively with children who attend schools or are registered with GPs in Ealing.

0-5 years

If your child attends a school nursery

If your child is at school nursery, they will be seen by the Speech and Language Therapist attached to the school. The school must make the referral to Speech and Language Therapy. If you are concerned about your child’s speech, language or communication please speak to your schools Special Educational Needs Co-Ordinator (SENCo) as they will be best placed to support your and make a referral.

If your child does not attend nursery or attends a private nursery

If your child is a private nursery or not in nursery/school, any health professional or educational professional can refer a child to Speech and Language Therapy.  Please speak to your Health Visitor, Community Nursery Nurse, Occupational Therapist or GP about making a referral. As a parent, you can also refer, however discussing your concerns with a professional as early as you can may help you and your child by getting help that is available before your child is seen.

5 years plus

If your child is at a school nursery or is of school age, they will be seen by a Speech and Language Therapist attached to the school. The school must make the referral.

If you are concerned about your child’s speech, language or communication please speak to your schools Special Educational Needs Co-Ordinator (SENCo) as they will be best placed to support your and make a referral.

Speech and Language Therapists work with children and families in different ways, including: 

• Assessing the child’s skills and abilities
• Giving advice and suggesting strategies to support the child
• Working with children both individually and in groups
• Training parents and professionals
• Working in lots of different places-schools, nurseries, children’s centres, clinics and children’s homes.
• Trains parents and professionals to support identification of speech, language and communication needs as well as how to support children’s speech, language and communication needs at home or in nursery/school/college.

The service works exclusively with children who attend schools or are registered with GPs in Ealing. It provides training to early year’s staff to support speech, language and communication needs, and works to increase the number of communication- friendly environments in early years/childcare settings (nurseries etc.).

Speech and Language Therapy Admin Office

Carmelita House
21-22 The Mall
Ealing
W5 2PJ

Tel: 0300 1234 544 (for referrals) 

Email:ealingcommunity.referrals@nhs.net ( for referrals)