Delayed Language

For children under five:

If you are concerned about your child's hearing, or a delay in language please speak to your health visiting team, or your child's key worker if they are in an Early Years Setting. This may be in relation to your childs understanding or use of language. They will be able to assess your child's language development and offer support for improvement if required. It may be that they will continue to moniter this with you and that no additional services are required.

If significant language delay is suspected, your Health Visitor will refer your child for a hearing assessment (at Bristol Royal Hospital for Children) and to a Speech and Language Therapist. It is always recommended that a child's hearing is tested when any language delay has occured so that appropriate treatment can be givin in support of speech and language therapy.

For children over five:

Please speak to your School Health Nurse or GP - and as above.

Other CCHP services that may be involved:

• Speech & Langauge Therapy
• Health Visitor
• School Nurse
• Community Paediatrics

If your child is referred to a speech and language therapist they will see you and your child for an assessment. This may be in a clinic or your child's educational setting, and may take up to two sessions. Following this and a diagnosis they will work with yourself and your child's education setting to give the appropriate level of support, for some this may not involve any more contact with the Speech and Language therapist directly, and for others it may involve more intensive support with targets and regular reviews, and working together with other professionals.