Children's speech and language therapy

About

Specialist paediatric speech and language therapists work with infants and children on our wards with feeding and swallowing difficulties.

We provide evidence-based specialist assessment, treatment and advice to parents/carers of infants and children with eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties in a multidisciplinary clinical setting.

Referrals are accepted from consultants within the Trust or a member of the multidisciplinary team.

Our therapists work with inpatients on our paediatric wards and in our paediatric and neonatal intensive care units at Hammersmith, Queen Charlotte’s & Chelsea and St Mary’s hospitals.

In addition, a small specialist outpatient service is offered for infants and children with feeding and swallowing difficulties and their families. This service includes a paediatric videofluoroscopy clinic at St Mary's Hospital and a multidisciplinary feeding clinic held at Hammersmith Hospital that combines psychology and dietetics.

Occasionally children may be seen at home when it is best practice to assess children's feeding behaviour in their own surroundings.

We work hard to promote a positive feeding experience for both the infant/child and parent/carer, facilitate optimal oral feeding development and promote growth.

Further online resources

• The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) 
• Bliss – the preterm baby charity 
• Living with reflux