Speech and language therapy · London
Speech and language assessment, HCPC speech and language therapist-led assessment for children and adults.
A structured speech and language therapist (SLT) assessment for children with delayed language, articulation or fluency; adults with post-stroke aphasia, dysarthria, dysphagia or voice disorders. HCPC-registered clinician, structured report and personalised therapy plan.
Why patients choose us
- 01
HCPC-registered SLTs
We route you to a Health and Care Professions Council registered speech and language therapist — child and adult pathways, both.
- 02
Structured, standardised
Assessment uses validated tools (CELF, WAB, others) so the report holds up wherever it needs to go — school, MDT, insurer.
- 03
A plan you can act on
You leave with a personalised therapy plan and clear goals, not a description of the problem.
Key facts
What a speech and language assessment is, in six facts.
The essentials — what the session is, who runs it, how long, and what you leave with.
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Definition
SLT-led structured speech and language assessment.
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Duration
60–90 minute session.
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Clinician
HCPC-registered speech and language therapist.
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Pathways
Child and adult pathways available.
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Tools used
Standardised assessment tools (CELF, WAB).
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What you get
Structured therapy plan with defined goals.
The problem
An SLT assessment is only useful if it comes with a plan.
A description of the problem is not the answer. We route you to an HCPC-registered SLT who runs standardised tools and writes a plan you can act on.
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A child not meeting language milestones?
We arrange a paediatric SLT assessment with the right standardised tools.
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Post-stroke aphasia, dysarthria or dysphagia?
We route to an adult SLT with the relevant subspecialty and MDT links.
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Voice, fluency or swallowing concern?
We match to the SLT whose bread and butter is that specific area.
The journey
From enquiry to therapy plan — what happens, in order.
One clinician from first message to plan — often within the week.
Phase 1 · Before your session
Concierge, off-stage for you
Phase 2 · On the day
60–90 minutes with the SLT
Phase 3 · After
Report and therapy plan
- 01
Before
You tell us what’s going on
A short, confidential form. Symptoms, developmental or stroke history, previous reports if any.
- 02
Before
We come back with a recommendation
Within one working day: whether an SLT assessment is the right first step, which clinician, indicative price.
- 03
Before
We arrange the appointment
Often within the week, including evenings and Saturdays. Insurer pre-authorisation handled.
- 04
On the day
SLT consultation and case history
Detailed history from you, parent or carer — including developmental milestones or the timeline of symptoms.
- 05
On the day
The structured assessment
60–90 minutes. Standardised tools (CELF, WAB), oro-motor exam, voice and fluency assessment as relevant.
- 06
On the day
Straight home
No recovery. The session is the assessment; you go home and normal life resumes.
- 07
After
Structured report and therapy plan
A written report with a personalised therapy plan and defined goals, typically within a week.
Typical end-to-end: 1–2 weeks. Urgent cases: same week.
Assessment steps
How an SLT reaches an answer.
The steps most SLT assessments follow — history, standardised tools, physical exam, voice and fluency, then plan.
- 01
SLT consultation
Introductions and the presenting concern — from you, or from a parent or carer.
- 02
Case history + parental / carer report
Developmental history, previous reports, school or MDT input, medications and relevant medical history.
- 03
Standardised assessment tools
Validated instruments — CELF for language in children, WAB for aphasia in adults, and others as needed.
- 04
Oro-motor examination
Lips, tongue, palate and swallow function — the physical apparatus behind speech.
- 05
Voice + fluency assessment
Vocal quality, pitch, stamina and — where relevant — stammering / stuttering patterns.
- 06
Structured report
A clear written report — findings, interpretation, and what they mean.
- 07
Personalised therapy plan
Defined goals, therapy frequency, home-practice tasks and review points.
What it shows
When a speech and language assessment is the right first step.
SLT assessment answers a specific question — where the communication or swallow difficulty sits, and what to do about it. These are the presentations we see most.
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Delayed language development
Expressive or receptive language behind expected milestones in children.
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Speech sound disorder
Articulation and phonological difficulties affecting intelligibility.
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Stammering / stuttering
Fluency disruption — repetitions, prolongations, blocks — in children and adults.
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Post-stroke aphasia
Loss of language after stroke — expressive, receptive or global.
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Dysarthria (Parkinson’s, MS)
Weakness or in-coordination of the speech muscles from a neurological cause.
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Dysphagia
Swallowing difficulty — assessment and safe-swallow guidance.
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Voice disorder (dysphonia)
Hoarseness, vocal fatigue or altered vocal quality.
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Red flag: rapid post-stroke deterioration — urgent stroke team
Sudden worsening of speech, weakness or swallow post-stroke is a 999 call, not a private appointment.
Treatment options
What follows the assessment.
The therapy pathways your plan may draw on — from individual sessions to intensive programmes and MDT review.
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Individual SLT therapy
One-to-one sessions targeting the specific goals in your therapy plan.
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Group therapy programmes
Peer-based practice — fluency, aphasia and social communication groups.
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LSVT LOUD (Parkinson’s)
Intensive evidence-based voice programme for hypophonia in Parkinson’s.
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Voice therapy (dysphonia)
Vocal function exercises, resonant voice therapy and vocal hygiene.
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Swallowing rehabilitation
Exercises, postural strategies and diet modification for dysphagia.
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Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC)
Low- and high-tech tools when speech alone isn’t enough.
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Structured SLT follow-up
Scheduled review sessions with objective outcome measures.
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Multi-disciplinary team review
Joint working with ENT, neurology, paediatrics or the stroke team as needed.
Our vetted London network
A small panel of SLTs, we picked them.
Partners across central, north, west and south London — child and adult subspecialties. Introductions are made privately, once we understand the case.
Selection criteria
How we choose every SLT in our network.
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HCPC-registered speech and language therapists
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Use of standardised assessment tools (CELF, WAB and others)
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Structured written report within one week
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Onward MDT pathway — ENT, neurology, paediatrics or stroke team — where indicated
Red flags
When SLT assessment isn’t the first thing to book.
Some presentations need urgent medical review — or a specific joint pathway — before or alongside SLT. Here are the ones that matter.
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Rapid post-stroke deterioration
Sudden worsening of speech, swallow or weakness after a stroke is a 999 call.
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Silent aspiration on dysphagia assessment
Aspiration without a cough is high-risk — needs urgent instrumental swallow assessment.
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Post-radiotherapy dysphagia
New swallowing difficulty after head-and-neck radiotherapy needs prompt review.
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Vocal cord palsy
Persistent hoarseness with a suspected palsy needs ENT and imaging alongside SLT.
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Head-and-neck cancer with dysphagia
Swallowing symptoms in the context of head-and-neck cancer — joint SLT and oncology review.
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Motor neurone disease
Progressive bulbar symptoms — early SLT input with neurology co-management.
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Progressive aphasia
Insidious language decline in an adult — needs neurology and cognitive work-up.
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Autism spectrum disorder + regression
Loss of previously acquired language in a child — urgent paediatric review.
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Selective mutism
A child who speaks freely at home but not in certain settings — specialist pathway.
Reading your report
An SLT report can look dense. It isn’t.
Whatever the finding, the report keeps to the same four parts.
A quiet reminder
The report is written for the wider clinical team too — and that’s normal.
If you would like your SLT to talk you through it, just ask.
- 01 Header
Presenting concern and history
Your details, the reason for assessment, and the developmental or medical history that shapes interpretation.
- 02 Assessment
Standardised tools and clinical observation
Which instruments were used (CELF, WAB, others), oro-motor findings, and voice / fluency observations.
- 03 Findings
Scores, profile and interpretation
Standardised scores, a plain-English profile, and what the pattern means clinically.
- 04 Plan
Goals, therapy and review
A personalised therapy plan with defined goals, frequency, home tasks and review points.
Recognised by major UK insurers
Cover depends on your policy and clinic; we confirm with your insurer before booking.
Frequently asked
Everything we get asked about SLT assessment.
Quick answers on what it is, which tools are used, how long it takes, and what happens afterwards.
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What is a speech and language assessment?
A structured session led by an HCPC-registered speech and language therapist (SLT) to evaluate speech, language, voice, fluency and — where relevant — swallowing. It uses standardised tools alongside clinical observation and produces a written report with a therapy plan.
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Do you assess both children and adults?
Yes. We arrange child pathways (delayed language, speech sound disorders, stammering, autism-related communication) and adult pathways (post-stroke aphasia, dysarthria, dysphagia, voice disorders).
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What standardised tools do you use?
For children, the CELF (Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals) is a common core tool alongside articulation and phonology batteries. For adults with aphasia, the WAB (Western Aphasia Battery) is widely used. Selection depends on the presenting concern.
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How long does the assessment take?
Typically 60–90 minutes for the session itself, with the structured written report and therapy plan sent afterwards — usually within a week.
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Do I need a referral?
Most clinics accept self-referral. Some insurers require a GP or consultant referral for cover — we handle that, and can arrange a fast-track private GP if needed.
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What happens after the assessment?
You receive a written report and a personalised therapy plan with defined goals. Onward pathways — individual therapy, group programmes, LSVT LOUD, voice therapy, swallowing rehab or AAC — are arranged from there, with MDT review where indicated.
Sources
- Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists — clinical guidance.
- NICE. Stroke rehabilitation in adults (NG236).
- American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).
- British Aphasiology Society.
Reviewed by Pulse Atlas Editorial Board () · Published 2026-07-30 · Next review 2027-07-30
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In practice, in London
Where speech and language assessment sits in a private London pathway
With speech and language assessment, the London question is usually about report turnaround and the radiologist reading it — not whether the scan is available. Public provision for speech and language assessment is competent but constrained by capacity. Private London clinics tend to have shorter diaries and longer appointment slots, so you get the same specialists with more time. For people who’ve been going round in circles with primary care, that first proper conversation is often what shifts things.
A private speech and language assessment pathway in London usually looks like this: an initial consultation, any diagnostics booked at a nearby facility (most within Zone 1 or 2), and a written report sent to you and your GP within a few days. The consultants we work with hold NHS posts alongside their private lists, which keeps the standards consistent across both settings. For speech and language assessment specifically, the difference between a routine report and a sub-speciality read is where private care earns its keep.
There are a lot of consultants in London who can technically handle speech and language assessment. Fewer who do it week in, week out for the exact question you’re bringing. We spend most of our time working out which is which — and being straight when a different test or a different specialist would serve you better. Everything runs to CQC, GMC and Royal College standards; the choice is about fit, not floor.