Medway Paediatric Speech and Language Therapy service is for children and young people aged 0 to18 with speech, language and communication needs and/or feeding and swallowing difficulties.
This is a specialist service which assesses, diagnoses and provides therapy to children and young people with speech, language, communication and/or swallowing problems to help them communicate to the best of their ability.
Children might be born with these difficulties or get them as a result of illness or trauma.
Therapists work as a team of parents, carers, educational staff and other professionals to support children who have difficulties with:
- understanding and spoken language
- social communication skills or autistic spectrum disorders
- speech sounds difficulties
- stammering
- voice disorders
- language delay
- hearing impairment
- cleft palate
- feeding and or swallowing.
Speech and language therapists work in a range of settings in Medway including specialist nurseries, mainstream primary and secondary schools and Health Clinics across the area.
How to make a referral
Referrals can be made to the service once parental consent has been agreed.
If you feel your child needs to be referred you should talk to your health visitor, GP or school/nursery.
You can make a referral using the speech and language therapy by online referral forms.
Parents can find out more about referrals by phoning 0300 123 5005 or emailing MEDCH.childrenscommunity@nhs.net.
Useful resources
- Medway Early Talkers - a free online resource dedicated to supporting the speech and language development of
Medway children. This platform offers a variety of videos of fun activities to try at home, quizzes, podcasts, local support and more - Stories with Symbols - videos for children with speech, language and communication needs
- Picture Exchange Communication System - PECS.