AREAS OF SUPPORT
Conditions I can help with
Every child is different. Below you’ll find information about the main areas I work in — including signs to look out for and how therapy can help.
Delayed Speech & Language
Some children develop speech and language more slowly than expected. This can affect their ability to understand others, express themselves, or both. Early support can make a significant difference.
Signs to look out for
- Not babbling by 12 months
- No single words by 16 months, or two-word phrases by 24 months
- Difficulty understanding simple instructions
- Frustration or withdrawal due to communication difficulties
How I can help: Through structured assessment, I’ll identify exactly where your child’s development sits and build a personalised therapy plan — with strategies you can use at home too.
Stammering (Fluency)
Stammering is a common speech pattern where the natural flow of speech is disrupted. It usually begins in early childhood and, with the right support, many children develop fluent speech.
Signs to look out for
- Repeating sounds, syllables or words (“b-b-but”, “and and and”)
- Prolonging sounds (“mmmmmy”)
- Visible struggle or tension when speaking
- Avoidance of talking in certain situations
How I can help: I use evidence-based techniques appropriate to your child’s age and profile. For young children this often involves parent-focused strategies; older children may work directly on fluency techniques and building confidence.
Autism & Social Communication
Children on the autism spectrum often experience difficulties with social communication — understanding and using language in social situations. Therapy can support both verbal and non-verbal communication.
Signs to look out for
- Limited eye contact or joint attention
- Difficulty understanding social rules of conversation
- Taking language very literally
- Challenges with turn-taking in play and conversation
- Using language in unusual or repetitive ways
How I can help: I have specific training in autism and social communication. Therapy is highly individualised and may include Makaton, visual supports, and collaboration with school and other professionals involved in your child’s care.
Selective Mutism
Selective mutism is an anxiety-related condition where a child is unable to speak in certain situations — often at school — despite speaking freely at home. It is not a choice, and it responds well to the right support.
Signs to look out for
- Speaks freely at home but not at school or in public
- Freezes or becomes very still in certain social situations
- Communicates through gestures, nodding or pointing
- High anxiety around speaking situations
How I can help: I have specialist training in selective mutism. Therapy uses a gradual, anxiety-reducing approach and close collaboration with school to create environments where your child feels safe to communicate at their own pace.
Makaton
Makaton is a language programme using signs and symbols to support spoken language. It can be enormously helpful for children who find verbal communication difficult, including those with autism, Down syndrome, or other learning difficulties.
How I can help: As a trained Makaton practitioner, I can introduce Makaton as a core communication tool and teach parents, carers and school staff how to use it consistently. Makaton supports — rather than replaces — speech development.
Developmental Language Disorder (DLD)
DLD is a common but under-recognised condition where a child has persistent difficulties with language that cannot be explained by another condition. It affects around 2 children in every class of 30.
Signs to look out for
- Difficulty following instructions and understanding what is said
- Limited vocabulary and word-finding difficulties
- Short or grammatically simple sentences
- Struggles to retell events or stories in sequence
- Difficulties in literacy and learning at school
How I can help: Thorough assessment, a clear diagnosis, and a therapy programme targeting your child’s specific language profile — alongside strategies for parents and school staff to use every day.
Phonological Difficulties & Unclear Speech
Some children have difficulty producing speech sounds accurately, making their speech hard to understand. This may be a phonological disorder (affecting patterns of sounds) or an articulation disorder (affecting specific sounds).
Signs to look out for
- Speech is difficult to understand — even for family
- Consistent patterns of errors (e.g. always leaving off end sounds)
- Strangers cannot understand the child
- The child shows frustration when not understood
How I can help: Assessment identifies which sounds and patterns are affected and how they compare to typical development. Therapy is playful and engaging, using evidence-based approaches to build accurate and clear speech.
Not sure which area applies to your child? Get in touch for a free consultation — there’s no obligation.
Bayburn Speech Therapy 