Frequently asked questions

Speech and language therapists (SLTs) are fully qualified professionals who assess, diagnose, and treat speech, language, communication and swallowing problems. SLTs are trained to work with people of all ages and aim to maximise everyone’s potential to communicate. SLTS work with the client, their family and other professionals to achieve the best possible care. SLTs can work in a range of settings including, schools, homes, hospitals, and clinics.

All our speech and language therapists are fully qualified and are registered with the Health Care Professions Council (HCPC) and are members of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT).

Speech and Language Therapy benefits people of all ages.

Infants: SLTs support premature babies and infants with conditions such as cerebral palsy, cleft palate, and Down syndrome from very early in life who have difficulties with drinking, swallowing and early play and communications skills.

Children: SLTs support children with primary speech, language and communication difficulties, such as stammering, as well as speech, language and communication difficulties that are secondary to other conditions such as learning difficulties and hearing problems.

Adults with learning difficulties: SLTs support adults who have developmental conditions such as learning disabilities, autism and Down syndrome.

Adults: SLTs support adults with communication and/or swallowing difficulties as a result of medical conditions, such as stroke, head and neck cancer, Parkinson’s disease and dementia.

At The Muir Practice we can treat a variety of conditions which cause speech, language, communication, sensory, motor and difficulties with independence. Common conditions or problems include:

Neurological problems including epilepsy, cerebral palsy, Rett syndrome, head injury, stroke, MS, MND

Complex needs

Language delay and impairment

Speech delay (delayed development of speech sounds)

Speech disorders (delayed development following an atypical pattern)

Stammering

Social communication delay/disorders

Eating, drinking, and swallowing difficulties

Voice

Transgender voice modification

Motor difficulties

Difficulties with activities of daily living

The Muir Practice offers a tailored service to help individuals with speech, language, communication, and swallowing needs.

An initial assessment will help to identify if a client has a speech, language, communication or swallowing difficulty and the severity of their difficulty. The SLT will then decide what the best method of treatment will be for that client. This can be carried out in a variety of ways:

One-to-one therapy sessions

Therapy sessions with children will tap into the individual’s interests to ensure it is fun whilst they learn.

Small group sessions involving parents/siblings/carers/family members

Parent/carer training

Training for teachers/nursery staff

Training for family and carers

Training for other professionals

The type of therapy given will be tailored to the specific needs and abilities of each client.

An initial assessment will help us to determine what type of treatment to provide and the duration and number of sessions needed. Goals would be established and a block of therapy (between 6-8 sessions) would be recommended. We would then discuss how therapy has progressed and whether more therapy would be beneficial.

Most sessions take place, face to face, at our clinic in Giffnock:

Burnfield House
4 Burnfield Avenue
Giffnock
G46 7TL

Adults with certain speech and language concerns can be assessed and receive sessions online.

No, a doctor’s referral is not necessary for the assessment of you or your child’s speech and language concerns or sensory/ motor concerns. Simply get in touch with us and we will be happy to arrange an appointment.

Yes. The earlier a client is treated for a speech, language, communication or swallowing disorder, the better. It is well researched that early intervention is highly beneficial for individuals with speech, language, and communication difficulties.

You can see a private speech and language therapist whilst on an NHS waiting list, or whilst also receiving NHS treatment. Having private treatment should not affect your NHS entitlement in any way.

This depends entirely on the client’s needs. After an assessment, we would provide advice on whether any intervention would be beneficial and what form that should take; from 1:1 weekly/fortnightly therapy, to a programme of activities to practise at home or school. Goals would be established and a block of therapy (between 6-8 sessions) would be recommended. Following this we would discuss how therapy has progressed and whether more therapy would be beneficial.

We have a 48-hour cancellation policy, except in exceptional circumstances. If cancellations are made within 48 hours of the appointment, the session fee will be payable in full.

At any age. It is well researched that early intervention is highly beneficial for individuals with speech, language and communication difficulties.

There are 4 key areas of communication. Children may experience difficulties in one or more of these areas:

Speech – a child’s ability to pronounce sounds in words correctly.

Understanding Language – also referred to as Language Comprehension or Receptive Language – when a child has difficulty understanding what other people are saying to them.

Spoken language – also referred to as Expressive Language – refers to the words that a child uses, their ability to put sentences together and use the right word-endings or ‘filling in’ words like ‘is’, ‘-ing’, etc. It also includes the ability to join sentences together to tell news or stories.

Social Interaction or Social Communication – the ability to make a social connection with someone else, with or without talking. It includes the ability to make appropriate eye contact, understand and use appropriate facial expressions and tone of voice, form friendships and use social cues to make predictions about what might be happening in a certain situation.

In addition to communication difficulties, SLTs can also work with babies and children who have difficulties with feeding and swallowing, which may include problems with drinking, chewing and swallowing food and drink safely.

During the initial assessment, the therapist will take some time talking with the parent/carer gathering specifics on what their child finds easy and what they find difficult.

The therapist would then take time to build a rapport with the child, whether it be through play, songs, or conversation.

If the child is having difficulties with their language development, the assessment will continue through play. The therapist would be looking at the child’s interactions skills, eye contact, turn taking and joint attention. They would also assess how they communicate, for example: do they point, gesture, vocalise or say words and how they follow instructions.

If the child is having difficulties with their speech sounds, the therapist will use a formal assessment. This would involve looking and naming different pictures.

Following the assessment, the therapist will discuss their first impressions and what they would suggest are the next steps.

All the findings from the assessment will be analysed and written in a short report for parents and carers to share with relevant others (detailed report available on request, at an additional cost). Reports will be provided within 2 weeks of the initial assessment appointment.

Yes. Although individuals make most of their recovery in the first six months of having a stroke, they will continue to make progress after this time, however the rate of progress will depend on the individual. Speech and language therapy can help individuals who have had a stroke in any aspect of their speech, language, and communication.

An assessment will let us know what speech and language difficulties you are having. We will then offer an individual treatment programme to suit your specific needs and abilities.

Yes, an initial assessment will determine the severity of your stutter and allow you to share any concerns you have. We will then offer you a tailored therapy programme providing you with advice, support and techniques which will help you to manage your stutter in more difficult situations.

At The Muir Practice we will help to increase your confidence and self-esteem about communicating and managing your stutter in a positive way.

This is a common problem that speech and language therapy deals with. Individuals who must use their voice a lot as part of their profession will often experience voice problems. This type of

problem responds well to speech and language therapy. An initial assessment will determine the type and severity of your voice problem and help in creating an individualised voice programme to suit your specific needs and abilities. We can provide advice, support and techniques to help you manage any problems you are having with your voice.

If you think you or your child may have signs of autism, then please get in touch to discuss this with us. We can make an appointment with our autism specialists, who will be able to carry out an assessment.

The first thing to do is a write a list of the signs of autism you or your child display and bring this with you. Ask close friends, family members and teachers who know you or your child to list possible signs and add these to your list.

It’s a good idea to bring a pen and paper with you and invite someone who knows you or child well to come to the appointment with you, for support.

Our autism specialist will ask about any problems or difficulties you or your child is experiencing and watch how they or you interact with others. They will also speak with those that know you or your child well to get a full understanding. This will then be followed by a report which will outline if you or your child is autistic.

For parents an autism diagnosis can help you to understand your child and their needs and explore support for your child at school as well as support for yourself.

If you are an adult, a diagnosis will help you yourself understand why you might find certain things and circumstance more difficult than other people and allow you to explain to others, why you see the world from a different perspective. A diagnosis will also allow you to get the necessary support at work, college, or university, to allow you to thrive and reach your full potential.

Autism Spectrum Disorder is the ‘official’ clinical term used to describe a range of neurodevelopmental conditions including autism, Asperger’s syndrome, and pervasive developmental disorder (PDA).

Every individual is unique, and signs present in different ways. However, some of the more common signs of autism include:

• finding it hard to understand what others are thinking or feeling
• getting very anxious about social situations
• finding it hard to make friends or preferring to be on your own
• seeming blunt, rude, or not interested in others without meaning to
• finding it hard to say how you feel
• taking things very literally – for example, you may not understand sarcasm or phrases like "break a leg”
• having the same routine every day and getting very anxious if it changes

Other signs include:

• not understanding social "rules", such as not talking over people
• avoiding eye contact
• getting too close to other people or getting very upset if someone touches or gets too close to you
• noticing small details, patterns, smells or sounds that others do not
• having a very keen interest in certain subjects or activities
• liking to plan things carefully before doing them

Yes, in some cases there are differences between men and women, which means it can be more difficult to tell if you are autistic if you’re a woman.

Some autistic women for example have learned to hide their signs, to ‘fit in’, tend to be quieter and hide their feelings. While other women appear to cope better in certain social situations and show fewer signs of repetitive behaviours.

Following the assessment, the Neurodevelopmental team spend time analysing all the information gathered from parents, educational settings, and assessments. This information is discussed within a multidisciplinary team which can include Speech and Language Therapist, Occupational Therapist and Psychologist. All professionals involved in carrying out the assessment must come to an agreement whether the evidence collected confirms or denies a diagnosis. The report would be completed and shared with parents within a two-week period. The report will include general advice along with specific recommendations on whether further support would be beneficial at this stage for parents and/or the child/young person. At The Muir Practice we can support the individual’s acceptance and understanding of the diagnosis, provide parent/carer training through individual or parent group sessions, peer support for older children, access to social groups to empower the child in increasing self esteem, self awareness, communication, friendships and assertiveness.