Early Language: Speech and Language Therapy (Under 5s)

We are a team of NHS Speech and Language Therapists and Speech and Language Therapy Co-workers supporting children under 5 years old who have speech, language and communication difficulties.

Families we support may have specific concerns, such as:

Difficulties with talking, e.g. not yet using words or joining words to make sentences
Speech sound difficulties, e.g. sounds are unclear and it is difficult for you to understand what your child is saying despite them using lots of language.
Situational mutism, e.g. able to communicate easily with some people but may be silent or speak in whispers with others
Difficulties understanding language, e.g. unable to follow simple instructions.

You may also have other concerns about a child's communication skills.

To help you think about how your child is getting on with their talking and understanding, you can look at the ages and stages information
• Attend your local children and family centre. We work with the Children and Family Centres to run a communication group called Little Talkers. Please contact a health visitor, family support worker or your nearest Children and Family Centre to decide whether this group could provide the right support for you and your child. You can find details of your nearest Children and Family Centre, including their activity timetables.
Professionals: To refer a family to a specific activity/group at a Children and Family Centre, such as Little Talkers, please complete highlighted sections of the MAST form and email the form back to the MAST Team.
Look at the leaflets and videos to learn more about supporting communication at home and put these strategies in place every day for a few months.

If you still have concerns after a few months of using these strategies consistently, please refer to Speech and Language Therapy.

Referrals to the Early Language Team can be made for children aged 0 - 5 years (up to the end of Reception) who are living in Tower Hamlets or are registered with a Tower Hamlets GP.

When making a referral, we encourage you to think about and share information on the child's talking, understanding, and interaction with others. Giving specific examples of what the child is doing will help us to understand your concerns and enable us to process your referral quickly.

Parents: For queries about referrals to our service, please contact the Early Language Team via email or telephone 020 7767 3322 option 3. If you have previously accessed support from our service, please note we can only accept a referral for a new concern. However, you can request a telephone consultation to discuss a previous referral and next steps.
Professionals (e.g., GPs, health visitors, family support workers, early intervention workers, etc.): Please refer via the Single Point of Access (SPA) Form and the Early Language and SCD referral form. Please fill out these form in full, including as much relevant information as possible, and send it securely to the SPA team. Please note that if a child attends a school, we will request that the school arranges a consultation with us to discuss the child to help us identify whether our service is appropriate.
Professionals: To refer a family to a specific activity/group at a Children and Family Centre, such as Little Talkers, please complete highlighted sections of the MAST form and email the form back to MAST Team.
Schools: Schools wishing to refer to our assessment service should contact our team to discuss the child. Please email [email protected] to request a consultation and a suitable time to discuss the child will be arranged. Please include the year group but no other information about the child in the e-mail. Referrals from schools / nurseries will only be accepted if this consultation process is followed. Please do not ask parents to ask their GP to make a referral, as these will be rejected and settings will be advised to arrange a consultation.

Please note: We are reviewing how families can access our service and aim to improve the support that we are providing. There will be changes, so please check this page for updates before getting in touch or making a referral.

The assessment will be carried out by a Speech and Language Therapist. It will take around one hour.

The assessment will include:

A case history. We will ask the parent / carer detailed questions about the child’s communication and development. It can feel like a lot of questions and details but it helps the professional make better decisions about diagnosis / appropriate next steps.
A play-based observation and, if appropriate, some formal assessment may also be completed with the child.
The parent / carer and referrer will receive a written report a few weeks after the assessment.

For children referred before their third birthday: If a child is referred before they are three years of age, they may be offered a block of therapy. The speech and language therapist who assesses the child will decide on the best next steps. This may be a group, one-to-one therapy, or a discharge from the service, depending on the child’s needs.
For children referred after their third birthday: Our service can only offer assessments (no therapy) to children aged three years or older at the time of referral.

Parents of children who are aged 5 or under (up to the end of reception class), who have been known to our service and have a specific query, can request advice in a telephone session with a speech and language therapist, e.g., they have been using recommended strategies but these are not working, and they would like advice on what else they can try.

If a parent would like a parent consultation, they should contact the Early Language Team at or 020 7767 3322 option 3 to book a telephone session for advice from a speech and language therapist.

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Early Language: Speech and Language Therapy (Under 5s)

Early Language: Speech and Language Therapy (Under 5s)

I am concerned about a child's speech and language, what can I do?

How can I refer a child to the Early Language Speech and Language Therapy team?

What does an assessment look like?

What happens after the assessment?

A child has been discharged from the Speech and Language Service but I am still worried about their speech and language. What can I do?