oxleas.nhs.uk

October 2013

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) TeamSpeech and language therapy servicesBexley Specialist Children’s Services

oxleas.nhs.uk

• The ‘Communication Checklist’ helps identify a pupil’s strengths and weaknesses in communication including:

• attention and listening

• understanding language

• expressive language

• social communication

• speech sounds or voice difficulties.

Confidentiality

All our staff are required to abide by a strict code of conduct on confidentiality. We will only share information with those who need to know in order to provide good quality care. Occasionally there may be exceptions to this, for example to support a clinical audit or to monitor the quality of care provided. We will usually discuss this with your beforehand.

Your opinion matters

We are committed to providing the highest standards of care, so we welcome your views on

the services we provide. If you would like to comment, make a suggestion or make a complaint, please speak to the person you normally see or ask to speak to the team manager. You may also like to speak to our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) by ringing 020 8308 5449.

How to contact the ASD Team

Autistic Spectrum Disorder Team Woodside Speech and Language Centre Woodside Road Barnehurst DA7 6LA

T: 01322 521330

F: 01322 521697

E: oxl-tr.slt-admin@nhs.net

qmh.oxleas.nhs.uk

• special educational needs coordinators (SENCOs).

Speech and language therapists assist children and young people who have the following types of problems:

• difficulty producing and using speech

• difficulty understanding language

• difficulty using language and communicating

• difficulty with feeding, chewing or swallowing

• a stammer

• a voice problem.

The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists and the Health and Care Professions Council are the professional bodies governing the conduct and standards of the profession. All therapists working in Bexley are registered with both of these professional bodies.

What we do

Working with school staff and parents, we may undertake some of the following activities:

• advice

• pupil observation or assessment

• provision planning with school staff

• support staff to carry out individual speech and language therapy programmes

• strategies for the classroom

• guidance of group work

• modelling of activities and materials

• training

• parent meetings.

How to refer

• For school age pupils, SENCOs should use the JCT referral form. Indicate that you require ‘Assessment for Social Communication Difficulties’.

• For pre-school children, SENCOs should use the pre-school referral form.

• Referrals cannot be accepted without parental permission.

• Parents can contact the ASD team directly.

• The child’s care can then be discussed at a planning meeting with ASD team staff.

• If needed, other professionals can be involved.

About the ASD team

We are part of the Autism Assessment Service that provides advice, assessment and practical ways to promote learning, access to the curriculum and the development of communication skills for children and young people. We also belong to the Joint Communication Team, an integrated team of health and education professionals that supports pupils with communication difficulties attending mainstream primary schools.

We work in partnership with the ASD Advisory Teacher Service, early years professionals, school staff, parents and children to maximise communication for learning, social skills and independence.

Our team consists of speech and language therapists who specialise in working

with children with social communication difficulties. We work with pre-school, primary school age and secondary school age children.

Speech and language therapists

Speech and language therapists are trained to assess and treat speech, language and communication problems to enable people to communicate to the best of their ability. They may also work with people who have eating and swallowing problems. They work closely with parents and carers and health and education professionals, such as:

• doctors

• advisory teachers

• health visitors

• teachers/nursery staff

• speech and language therapy assistants

This leaflet is for parents, carers and referrers of children and young people with communication difficulties. It introduces the Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Team and explains who we work with, the problems we can help with, the support we can offer and how to make a referral.