We are a group of Speech and Language Therapists who work with infants and children (aged 0-5 years) with eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties. The service works through supporting families and carers children who have difficulties of this type. We provide a service in different settings according to the needs of the child e.g. in the clinic, nursery or home.
You can access Speech & Language Therapy, Early Years Team if...
The child:
Is preschool age (i.e. not yet in reception)
Is registered with a Kingston GP
Has a speech, language and / or communication need, where:
Speech includes the sounds we use for talking
Language includes understanding and talking
Communication includes conversational skills and rules as well as facial expression, eye-contact and gesture
They have difficulties with Eating, Drinking and / or Swallowing (PTO)
Carmel Brady Karen Cooke Anna Abrahams Fraiza Sword Ruth Magennis Clare Linney Laura Perry Sarah Church Kim Haddon Amy Gee
Any queries?
The speech and language therapy, Early Years Team is based at: Hollyfield House, 22 Hollyfield Road, Surbiton, KT9 2BU Tel: 020 8274 7814 Twitter: @kingston_SLT_EY Fb: facebook.com/KingstonSLTEYT
Eating, Drinking and Swallowing
What We Do
We are a group of Speech and Language Therapists who work with infants and children (aged 0-5 years) with eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties. The service works through supporting families and carers children who have difficulties of this type. We provide a service in different settings according to the needs of the child e.g. in the clinic, nursery or home.
You can access the Eating, Drinking and Swallowing Service if…
Shows clinical signs of aspiration (ie food or drink going down into the lungs), egFrequent coughing and/or choking when eating and/or drinking
Breathing distress and/or increased wheezing during or after eating and/or drinking
Recurrent chest infections
Show signs of stress when eating and drinking, e.g. sweating, skin pallor change, eye tearing and blinking, grimacing etc.
Food/drink coming out of the nose
A gurgly, wet voice or breathing during or after meals
Slow, effortful chewing
Excessive dribbling or loss of food/drink out of the mouth when eating and drinking
Has alternative or supplementary non-oral feeding, e.g. via nasogastric tube
Has shown a regression in their eating and drinking skills
Is stuck with making progress in their eating and drinking development
What can lead to a referral?
It is likely that children with the following conditions/experiences, often linked to eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties, may benefit from a referral to the service:
Extreme prematurity
Muscle tone and movement disorders
Cardiac conditions
Respiratory disease
Gastro-oesophageal reflux
Cleft lip/palate
Any queries?
The Speech and Language Therapy, Early Years Team is based at: Hollyfield House, 22 Hollyfield Road, Surbiton, KT9 2BU Te: 020 8274 7814 Email: sltchildren@yourhealthcare.org Twitter: @kingston_SLT_EY Facebook: facebook.com/KingstonSLTEYT