TOUCAN TALK SPEECH THERAPY
for Children under 5
Hello!
I am Sarah Kane, an experienced, private Speech and Language therapist with over 10 years experience of working with children under 5. I am based in Dorking, Surrey.
Please get in touch if you are concerned with any of the following:
• Your child is not yet using any words
• Your child isn’t talking as much as other children of their age
• Your child struggles to make certain sounds
• You find it difficult to understand what your child is saying.
A bit about me...
I completed my MSc in Speech and Language Sciences at UCL in 2006. Following that, I worked for the NHS in London, specifically with pre-school children in clinics and children's centres, and delivering training to staff working with children in the early years.
After becoming a mother to three little girls and moving out of London, I set up my independent practice, Toucan Talk, to give families the opportunity to support their children's speech and language development in their own homes.
I have experience of working with children with Language Delay, Developmental Language Disorder and Speech Sound Difficulties (including Verbal Dyspraxia).
Qualifications:
- MSc Speech and Language Sciences, UCL
- BSc Social Anthropology, University of Swansea
- Healthcare Professions Council (HCPC) registered
- Member of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (MRSCLT)
- Member of the Association of Speech and Language Therapists in Independent Practice (MASLTIP)
Why chose Toucan Talk?
The benefits of independent Speech Therapy
You may be wondering if working with a private speech therapist is the option for you. I always recommend referring children to the NHS SLT service as well as seeking private therapy.
Be seen quickly
Beat those NHS waiting lists!
Therapy in your own home, tailored to your child
Assessment and therapy in the place where your child feels the most comfortable
A friendly, experienced and effective therapist
Using evidence based practise and fun and inspiring techniques, I will work with you and your child to support their communication skills
Speech & Language Therapy
What difficulties can I help with?
Communication Needs
Over 1 million children in the UK have communication difficulties. This is not the fault of the parent, but there are lots of things that we can do to get your child's talking on track before they start school.
Speech Sound Difficulties
Your child may have speech difficulties if they:
- are difficult to understand
- muddle some of their sounds
- miss off sounds from the beginning or end of their words
- have difficulty co-ordinating their muscles to make speech sounds
Language Difficulties
Your child may have language difficulties if they have difficulty
- understanding words and / or instructions
- using words
- putting words together
- speaking in sentences
Services
Assessment
A full assessment of your child's speech and language, in your own home, taking 1-2hrs. Advice and a detailed report will be provided.
Therapy
Therapy, if required, may involve a block of weekly sessions, or a single session providing strategies to work on at home.
Review
To monitor progress, I may recommend a review session (around 1hr), to carry out further assessment and decide the best next steps for your child. Brief report included.
Feedback from Parents
'Thank you so much for the excellent therapy you have provided for my daughter this year. Her speech has improved incredibly.
You have been able to engage with her and maintain her attention throughout with your ingenious games (not an easy task with an easily distracted 4 year old! ) Thanks for keeping the sessions fun and tailoring them to her interests. She actually looks forward to seeing you every week! '
Tej Kahlon
"My son was accurately assessed by Sarah in December.
Sorry sounds like Lorry,see sounds like lee, feet sounds like veet and fish sounds like vish.....
Sarah has so far spent 3 hour long sessions with him and we practise his tricky sounds after school (he is 4)
He has found therapy quite challenging but on Tuesday something clicked! Everything sounded so much clearer.
It was like magic.
Clear S's and lovely soft f's.
Toby is thrilled and we can't wait to see Sarah tomorrow to thank her and to continue with therapy
Jill Mills
A huge thank you to Sarah for all the support she has provided for our child’s SLT journey. Sarah has gone above and beyond her post and views every possible aspect of your child’s development in ways to help them.
Not only does Sarah give your child confidence in their speech development, she also gives the parents confidence too in their own capabilities on how to handle and support their child’s needs.
There has been a huge difference in our sons speech and we are excited to keep using the techniques Sarah has set out for us to further his development.
Thank you Sarah, we were totally lost on how to help George until you came into the picture!
Charlotte
Commonly asked Questions
Can you have NHS therapy and Private Therapy?
I always recommend that you refer your child to your local NHS Speech Therapy team as well as to a private Speech Therapist. Receiving private therapy will not effect your access to NHS therapy. It may be that you receive private therapy whilst waiting for an NHS appointment, or that you are are seen by both services at the same time. Either is fine and I am happy to liaise with other professionals involved.
What usually happens in an assessment?
At the first visit, I will start by taking a 'case history', asking you about your child's development and your concerns. I will then play with your child, and depending on their age and the type of difficulty they have, do some more formal assessments, such as looking at pictures together or asking them to follow some instructions. The whole session usually takes up to 2 hrs.
It would be helpful if you could:
- Prepare a space with a table and chairs in an area without too many distractions.
- Have a think about how your child communicates, anything they seem to find difficult and any times that their communication is better / worse.
- Put out a few of your child’s favourite toys for them to play with during the assessment (e.g. play dough / blocks / train / doll / tea set). This will help them to feel at ease and enable me to observe them in their most comfortable environment.
When can my child be seen?
My therapy days are currently Mondays and Tuesdays, within school hours. I am happy to carry out assessments and reviews at the weekend. I may have some flexibility so do ask if these days don't suit you. As the mother of three young children myself, I am only able to offer a limited service in the school holidays.
Didn’t find the answer you were looking for? Give me a call.
Sarah has been working with our daughter Clara for the last year on a weekly basis to help Clara improve her diction. One of the things that has impressed me the most is how Sarah has been able to get Clara to think of the sessions as fun and something to look forward to. She understands how to engage with Clara by including games and activities which focus on her interests. She has moved at just the right speed to ensure that progress is made without Clara getting defensive or shy about practicing the sounds that she has not been able to make. Clara has not only made huge improvements in terms of using sounds which she could make but didn't, but is now also able to make sounds which she previously couldn't - and if I'm honest I wondered how she would ever be able to. Sarah, of course, did reassure me from the start that she would get there, but I feel absolutely certain she wouldn't have done without Sarah's help. Sarah is very open and inclusive and I would recommend her to anyone.
Fiona Mills
Sarah has been working with our daughter on her speech for one and a half years now. She has Developmental Verbal Dyspraxia. Sarah has helped her and us so much with support and guidance. Before Sarah saw our daughter, she was hard to understand and did not speak much. She could only say a few sounds. Sarah has really gained our daughter's trust and since seeing Sarah our daughter's confidence has really grown. Our daughter looks forward to seeing Sarah on each visit, as Sarah makes the learning fun. Sarah got all referrals organised and has always been available to talk to other health professionals, teachers or us when it has been needed. We are all extremely happy with how Sarah works and would recommend her highly.
Carolyn Hogg
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Sarah has had such a huge impact on our son's speech. He was not talking and barely making any sounds. Sarah developed fun activities for us to do with him, which he engaged with and enjoyed doing with us. On the rare occasion he didn't engage with an activity Sarah suggested, Sarah tailored the next activity to something more appealing to him. Our son is now confidently talking and is on par with his peers. She's transformed his and our life and we are externally grateful to her.