New service aims to help children with speech problems

A service has launched in North Yorkshire offering help for parents of children with speech and language difficulties.

Called Cleartalking, the therapy service is led by Boroughbridge-based NHS-trained speech and language therapist Julia Charlesworth and provides help for children up to 16 years.

The new service will see children referred from parents, schools and GPs across North Yorkshire, including Harrogate, Ripon, Northallerton, Catterick and Wetherby.

Julia founded the business in response to growing demand from parents and schools for treatment of children with speech and language problems beyond that provided by the NHS.

She said: "With increasing pressure on health services in terms of meeting growing demand and funding, parents are finding it difficult to get the help they need for their children, when they want it. We hope to fill that gap with professional services designed around parents and schools.”

Julia added: “I regularly meet parents who are concerned about the ability of their children to communicate effectively and how this might affect their social skills and learning at school. Our service is designed to help mums and dads with a service provided where and when they want it - to fit in with busy lives."

Cleartalking assesses and treats children aged under the age of 16 with a range of difficulties including unclear speech, dyspraxia, children who are slow to start talking or slow to put words together and difficulties with word order, grammar or sentence construction.

Parents, schools and GPs looking for more information can visit clear-talking.co.uk.

Julia is a registered member of the Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists (MRCSLT), the Health Professionals Council (HPC Reg.) and the Association of Speech & Language Therapists in Independent Practice (ASLTIP).