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PAEDIATRIC SPEECH AND LANGUAGE THERAPY
Expert care, fully focused on your child’s needs
- Self-referrals available
- Inpatient and outpatient services available
- Neurodiversity-affirming care
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Speech and Language Therapy at HCA UK
Why choose us?
When it comes to your child’s health, you want expert care that’s easy to access and fully focused on their needs, with clear advice for you as a family.
That’s exactly what you’ll find at The Portland Hospital. Our highly trained, multidisciplinary team works together closely to give your child the specific support and treatment they need, and all under one roof. That means gold-standard assessment and treatment , such as videofluoroscopic swallow studies, delivered by our leading speech and language therapists.
That’s exactly what you’ll find at The Portland Hospital. Our highly trained, multidisciplinary team works together closely to give your child the specific support and treatment they need, and all under one roof. That means gold-standard assessment and treatment , such as videofluoroscopic swallow studies, delivered by our leading speech and language therapists.
You might consider seeing a speech and language therapist if your child is having difficulties with their expressive or receptive language, understanding others, communicating, eating, drinking or swallowing.
Problems with speaking and communicating can be a common developmental delay that children experience. At HCA UK we offer a holistic approach to speech and language therapy – paying careful attention to any medical, psychological and developmental needs that your child may be experiencing.
There are a range of medical conditions which can result in a child experiencing speech and language challenges. Our expert therapists are here to assess and treat children with speech and language difficulties and help support their communication development.
In addition, our speech and language therapists help children with swallowing and feeding problems, and will work in collaboration with medical teams across the hospital to support your child.
There are a range of medical conditions which can result in a child experiencing speech and language challenges. Our expert therapists are here to assess and treat children with speech and language difficulties and help support their communication development.
In addition, our speech and language therapists help children with swallowing and feeding problems, and will work in collaboration with medical teams across the hospital to support your child.
Speech and language therapy aims to support children in developing independent communication skills in whatever form that may take, whether it's verbal, sign language or Makaton, or even the use of special tools and technology to help communication.
Depending on the type of communication or language challenge your child is experiencing, speech and language therapy can improve language skills, social and communication skills, confidence in communicating with peers and can be instrumental in working towards improved school skills such as literacy and comprehension.
Babies and children with feeding difficulties are assessed to determine the underlying cause for that difficulty. Working closely with medical and or other therapies if needed, we can support your child’s ability to explore new foods, self-feed and swallow safely.
Yes, you can. You don’t need to wait for a GP or consultant referral to access our therapy services – parents can contact us directly. Simply get in touch with our admin team at therapies@hcahealthcare.co.uk or call +44 (0) 207 390 6553 (option 2). We’ll send you a short self-referral form to complete and return, and once we receive it, we’ll guide you through the next steps and arrange an appointment.
If you already have a referral letter from your NHS GP, you’re welcome to send this to us instead.
If you have any further questions, please feel free to get in touch. Our team is here to make the process as simple and supportive as possible, so you can focus on getting your child the care they need.
Fast access to specialists
Appointments booked within 72 hours
Convenience of care
All our paediatric therapy services under one roof
Multidisciplinary team expertise
We focus our wealth of experience on your child
Paediatric speech and language therapy at HCA UK
Conditions we treat
Our speech and language therapists work with children of all ages to support their speech, language and communication skills. Whether your child needs help with early language development, social interaction, or managing complex neurological conditions, we’ll create a personalised therapy plan to help them reach their full potential in a way that’s engaging, supportive, and family-focused.
- Early language difficulties and late talkers
- Play-based interaction
- Language disorders
- Social communication
- Speech sound disorders
- Voice disorders
- Augmentative and alternative communication
- Paediatric dysphagia
- Sensory feeding difficulties
- Traumatic and acquired brain injury
- Cerebral palsy
- Autism and ADHD
- Down syndrome
- Genetic conditions
Accessing private healthcare
Self-referral
You don't need to wait for a GP or consultant referral to get access to our therapy services, you can contact us directly.
Get in touch with our admin team at therapies@hcahealthcare.co.uk or call us on +44 (0) 207 390 6553 (option 2). We’ll send you a short self-referral form to complete and return. Once we receive it, we’ll guide you through the next steps and arrange an appointment.
Call +44 (0) 207 390 6553
The process
What to expect
From assessment, treatment to discharge, we want you to feel as comfortable and reassured as possible.
One of the ways we can put you at ease is to let you know what to expect at each stage.
If you have any questions that aren’t answered here or in the FAQ section below, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Our team will be happy to help in any way they can.
One of the ways we can put you at ease is to let you know what to expect at each stage.
If you have any questions that aren’t answered here or in the FAQ section below, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Our team will be happy to help in any way they can.
01
Initial consultation
Your child will have an initial consultation with one of the speech and language therapists. They’ll take time to get to know you and your child, carrying out a detailed history to better understand their goals, challenges, and individual needs. This helps shape the most appropriate treatment approach right from the start.
If your child is already under the care of other specialists, such as ENT or neurology, we’ll work closely with those teams to ensure fully joined-up, multidisciplinary care.
If your child is already under the care of other specialists, such as ENT or neurology, we’ll work closely with those teams to ensure fully joined-up, multidisciplinary care.
02
Assessments
To get a complete picture of your child’s needs, we may carry out a series of assessments, tailored to their age and needs. Assessments may include a mix of standardised and non-standardised assessments along with clinical observations. We make sure the initial assessment stage is fun, playful and as stress free as possible.
03
Review of results
Once the assessments are complete, your therapist will review the findings with you in detail, alongside any other relevant medical information. Working collaboratively with other specialists where needed, they’ll develop a clear, fully personalised treatment plan designed to support your child’s progress.
04
Ongoing consultation
As your child begins therapy, we’ll provide regular reviews and consultations to track progress, adjust their plan if needed, and offer continued support. Our team is here for both you and your child at every step, helping to ensure the best possible outcomes in a supportive, family-focused environment.
Our location
The Portland Hospital
205-209 Great Portland Street W1W 5AH London
Take a tour of The Portland Hospital
Take a whistle-stop tour of The Portland Hospital with Abigail and Hannah as they embark on a treasure hunt that sees them visit the different departments to see exactly what we offer.
Paediatric speech and language therapy FAQs
Our speech and language therapists provide a wide range of evidence-based treatments tailored to each child’s individual needs. Working closely with families and our wider multidisciplinary teams, we aim to offer practical, effective care that supports you and your child on their way to achieving their goals.
ADOS-2 assessment (to support autism diagnoses)
The ADOS-2 assessment is a comprehensive assessment used to support the diagnosis and evaluation of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Carried out by our speech and language therapists in conjunction with our occupational therapy team. This service requires a referral from a consultant or paediatrician.
Feeding and swallowing evaluation and treatment
We can assess babies and children with feeding difficulties to determine the underlying cause and will work closely with medical teams or other therapists if needed, supporting your child to explore new foods, self-feed and swallow safely.
Inpatient therapy
Working closely with our wider medical and therapy team, we provide expert support for children receiving inpatient care, including those in the Neonatal Unit, paediatric intensive care, cardiac unit as well as our neurorehab unit.
LSVT Loud Voice Therapy
This treatment helps children with voice and speech difficulties improve their vocal strength, clarity, and volume. It focuses on building confident, functional communication through structured, intensive practice.
Neonatal follow-ups
We offer specialist follow-up care for babies after an admission to the Neonatal Unit, helping to monitor your baby’s development to give them the best possible start.
Personalised home treatment plans
Our personalised plans keep your child’s progress moving between sessions. Clear, practical, and tailored to your child’s needs, they’ll help you support their development and recovery with expert guidance at every stage.
Sequential Oral Sensory (SOS) feeding therapy
This play-based approach is designed to help develop positive experiences with food. It means we can gently support your child in exploring different food tastes, textures, and smells at their own pace, building confidence as they go.
Speech and language evaluation and treatment
At the Portland Hospital we pride ourselves on using evidence based and best proactive guidelines for all our assessments and treatment interventions. Assessments can be a combination of standardised and non-standardised assessments as well as clinical observations. These assessments and results will be discussed with you and will help inform the best treatment approach for you and your child.
Standardised assessments
Our collaborative approach involves conducting assessments alongside our multidisciplinary team (MDT) to get a better understanding of your child’s needs and address all aspects of their development and health.
Videofluoroscopic Swallow Studies (VFSS)
A VFSS is a diagnostic assessment used to assess children with feeding and swallowing difficulties. It’s an X-Ray video that shows how your child’s swallow progresses and if it is safe and controlled. It allows us to advise on safe options and if appropriate tailor therapy to support safe feeding and swallowing.
If you can’t find the information you’re looking for here, please don’t worry. Get in touch and one of our team will be happy to help.
If you have any concerns around your child’s communication and their feeding, it’s important to seek advice early as early intervention can support better outcomes. It’s important to remember that there can be many reasons a child may be experiencing a delay in their communication or feeding skills, and our speech therapists can support in addressing many underlying conditions and diagnoses.
Our paediatric speech and language therapists can assess your child and work with you to create a personalised plan to support their language development. In some cases, they may also work with other medical specialists in order to get a fuller picture of what’s going on and make sure your child gets the right support.
Our paediatric speech and language therapists can assess your child and work with you to create a personalised plan to support their language development. In some cases, they may also work with other medical specialists in order to get a fuller picture of what’s going on and make sure your child gets the right support.
At the Portland we offer both inpatient and outpatient services. If your child is admitted to the Portland hospital and requires speech therapy support as part of that admission, they will be seen for therapy input. If, however, you’re looking to make an appointment for your child for an assessment, or to get some advice, this can be booked as an outpatient appointment.
The first step is to understand the reason for your child’s communication or feeding difficulties . The speech therapist will support in assessing your child and, together with you, they’ll create an individualised therapy plan to support your child’s engagement and promote their skill development.
Our speech and language therapists also work closely with other medical specialists, such as paediatric ear, nose and throat specialists (ENT) and paediatric neurologists to support your child during any medical intervention, or to refer you on if necessary.
Our speech and language therapists also work closely with other medical specialists, such as paediatric ear, nose and throat specialists (ENT) and paediatric neurologists to support your child during any medical intervention, or to refer you on if necessary.
Speech and language issues can have different causes, which is why it’s so important to start with an overall assessment of your child’s presenting difficulties get a clearer overall picture.
Assessments can be a combination of standardised and non-standardised assessments as well as clinical observations. These assessments and results will be discussed with you and will help inform the best treatment approach for you and your child.
Assessments can be a combination of standardised and non-standardised assessments as well as clinical observations. These assessments and results will be discussed with you and will help inform the best treatment approach for you and your child.
Yes. Our speech and language team can help children with swallowing and feeding difficulties, and will work with medical teams across the hospital to support these functions. Where relevant, we can also work closely with your child’s consultant in ENT or paediatric neurology to help support their treatment programme in the most holistic way possible.
Yes, The Portland Hospital is a private hospital in London that’s dedicated to treating women and children. Our paediatric services at The Portland Hospital include:
Yes, you can get here by underground, bus or taxi and ride services. Please see further details below.
The nearest underground stations are:
Several bus routes stop close to the hospital. The most convenient routes include: 18, 27, 30, 88, 205, 453 and C2.
These stop near Great Portland Street, Harley Street and Portland Place, all of which are within a short walking distance of the hospital.
By taxi or ride services
Taxis and ride-sharing services like Uber or Bolt can drop you off directly outside The Portland Hospital main entrance at 205-209 Great Portland Street, W1W 5AH.
The nearest underground stations are:
- Great Portland Street Station (Circle, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan Lines) - approx. 5 minutes’ walk
- Regent’s Park Station (Bakerloo Line) – approx. 6 minutes’ walk
- Oxford Circus Station (Central, Victoria and Bakerloo lines) - around 10 minutes' walk
Several bus routes stop close to the hospital. The most convenient routes include: 18, 27, 30, 88, 205, 453 and C2.
These stop near Great Portland Street, Harley Street and Portland Place, all of which are within a short walking distance of the hospital.
By taxi or ride services
Taxis and ride-sharing services like Uber or Bolt can drop you off directly outside The Portland Hospital main entrance at 205-209 Great Portland Street, W1W 5AH.
- Pick-up and drop-off options: Visitors can pick up and drop off patients at the main entrance. No parking is allowed as the driveway is for emergency vehicle access.
- Local parking: There’s no on-site parking and street parking isn’t permitted on single yellow lines between Monday and Saturday, from 8.30am to 6.30pm. However, national and private car parks are available nearby. Please contact the admissions team if you need help to find a local car park near to the hospital.
- Disabled parking: Westminster Council operates a small number of disabled parking bays near the hospital, available to Blue Badge holders for up to four hours. The nearest one is on the corner of Bolsover Street, next to Tesco Express.
At The Portland Hospital, we have open visiting. However, we recommend that visitors leave by 10pm. If your child is staying overnight, this gives both parents and child the chance to settle for the night.
Should you wish to stay overnight with your child, you can. We can provide you with a bed for one parent.
Should you wish to stay overnight with your child, you can. We can provide you with a bed for one parent.
“Following our positive experience at The Portland, I have recommended it countless times and couldn’t be happier with the results...”
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This content is intended for general information only and does not replace the need for personal advice from a qualified health professional.