27th April 2026 • My Family Our Needs

In this ‘How to’ blog, Consultant SALTs and Directors of London Speech Therapy, Emily Kirchin and Máiréad Skinner unpack how speech and language support works in practice. From understanding the role of SALTs and SENDCOs to navigating EHCPs and recognising early signs, this first part focuses on building a clear picture of how support fits around your child’s everyday world.

How do speech and language therapists (SALTs) support children and why is their role so important?

Speech and language therapists play a key role in helping children communicate, understand others, and feel understood themselves. Their work often sits across home and school, helping to bring everything together in a way that supports the whole child.

Emily: “We bridge the gap between school and parents. If you’ve got a SALT, it’s important to have them involved in annual reviews and meetings. They can help explain what’s being seen at home and school, and support with strategies. For example, seating children who need extra support nearer the front, ensuring teachers understand each child’s level of need, using tools like visual timetables or adapting their language.

“SALTs also support strategies like movement breaks, which benefit all children not just those children with SEND. It’s about pitching support at the right level, recognising some children are hypersensitive and need different input to those who are hyposensitive. Speech and language therapy helps translate that into a language that everybody understands.”

How do SALTs work alongside SENDCOs and the wider school team?

Support for a child doesn’t happen in isolation. It’s a collaborative effort, with SALTs working closely with SENDCOs, teachers and other professionals to make sure strategies are understood and used consistently.

Emily: “Their role is to coordinate the support that a child with SEND in their school requires, including EHCP paperwork and coordinating professionals and provision that is outlined in that care plan. They’ll be coordinating with the speech and language therapist (SALT), the occupational therapist, the educational psychologist – everybody who is involved with that child and the parents. They’ll be arranging meetings and the annual review. They’ll also be working with the teaching staff, ensuring that they’ve got the skills and the knowledge to support that child. As SALTs, we work closely with the SENDCO and that filters through to the teaching team to ensure that each classroom is communication friendly.”

Máiréad: “We run training for SENDCOs to come in and understand communication, knowledge and strategies. If parents are feeling a bit unsure on how to work with their SENDCO, look at the whole team around them, whether it’s the teacher, the teaching assistant, or a therapies team, and reaching out to those professionals because they can help support you with those conversations.”

How do SALTs fit into the EHCP process and work with local authorities?

The EHCP process can feel complex but understanding how different professionals connect can help parents feel more confident in navigating it.

Máiréad: “The SENDCO would be the main point of contact for an EHCP. The therapist would only interact with the caseworker at the beginning of the EHCP, at the annual reviews, or if any changes needed to happen. The parent should have access to their caseworker and be able to be supported. Often parents don’t realise they can speak to the caseworker after the annual review or once the EHCP has been put in place.”

How do you know if a child needs speech and language therapy?

Many families wonder when to seek support, or how concerns are first identified. Often, it begins with small observations that something doesn’t quite feel right.

Emily: “Concerns are usually raised by parents or schools which may refer for a speech and language assessment. If they’re already going for an EHCP assessment, they can make a recommendation then. This can happen via school, a GP or direct referral to NHS services, though waiting lists can be long. Families can also seek private support, often working alongside the NHS.

“Assessment is tailored to the child. It might be informal, looking at how they communicate, whether they respond or initiate communication, and if they use other forms of communication like signs, gestures, core boards or other AAC.

“Part of the assessment would include a case history with parents and observations in natural settings such as the classroom, or at home, which are invaluable for understanding real-life communication.

“In some cases, particularly for neurodivergent children, a more formal, standardised assessment may be used to compare their language skills with their peers.”

What information should parents share with the school and SALTs?

Parents often worry about saying the ‘right’ thing but your insight is one of the most important pieces of the puzzle.

Emily: “Parents are the experts on their child. There’s so much information that parents will have on their child that will be supportive to the SENDCO and the school team. Sharing that information, background, case history information, family history, the journey that they’ve been on before getting that EHCP or before attending that school, is so important. It’s vital to have, if possible, a good relationship between the parents and the SENDCO – with open dialogue.”

Why might a child seem fine at school but struggle at home?

This is something many parents experience and it can feel confusing or even invalidating when school reports a ‘good day’.

Máiréad: “We use lots of analogies to describe masking in speech and language therapy – one of the things we talk about is the Coke bottle effect. Sometimes it can be hard for parents to understand what’s happened and the school said they’ve had a lovely day.

“The Coke bottle effect is where small things happen over the course of the day – a little shake of the bottle here and there. When they come home to their most comfortable setting, they take off the lid and the can just explodes. 

“Sensory overwhelm can be invisible, building up all day or even all week. You might think, ‘we’ve had such a great week’, and suddenly one day feels like a real challenge. Often it’s tiny changes to routine that have built up and they need support to emotionally regulate.

“Parents might want to have a think about what helps their child feel emotionally safe and regulated at all times and share this with the school. Whether that’s a favourite toy for transitions or small habits such as foot tapping or holding something for comfort.

“In terms of sensory support, allow opportunities to run, jump, and take rest breaks when needed. Sensory breaks are not a reward – they’re a basic human right.”

How is progress tracked and how do you know support is working?

It’s natural to want to know whether strategies are making a difference and how progress is being measured over time.

Máiréad: “It can be done in many ways, for example, using therapy outcome measures. As a parent, it’s important to understand how targets are tracked and what the real life outcomes are.

“There may be short-term targets, like developing a specific skill in a session, but the focus is on the carry over into the classroom. Longer-term outcomes might include answering questions more confidently or interacting with their peers.

“Progress should be reviewed across short, medium, and long-term targets with classroom observations where possible. Carry over relies on well-trained staff, especially teaching assistants, who play a key role in supporting this day-to-day.

“Parents should be kept informed. At a minimum, targets should be reviewed at annual reviews, ideally termly, and you should be able to contact the therapist or speak with the SENDCO about progress and next steps.”

Emily: “Therapists may run coffee mornings to offer informal conversations for parents to talk and ask questions.

“Provision varies between schools – some can fund regular speech therapy, while others have more limited access. In those cases, therapists often work closely with teaching assistants, modelling strategies and explaining the ‘why’ behind them so support can continue day-to-day.

“At London Speech Therapy, our services are flexible and bespoke. Schools come to us with their budget, and we work with them to make the most of it, whether that’s review assessments or more regular therapy.”

Read Part 2 here!

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