Speech and Language Therapy is provided onsite at Woodlands School, funded by Surrey County Council. The Speech and Language Therapy team is comprised of Link Speech and Language Therapist (Sheena-Marie Worsfold), Speech and Language Therapist (Sarah Foxwell) and Speech and Language Therapy Assistant (Lyn Greetham). Our primary goal is to support the class teams in establishing a functional means of communication for the students and ensure their opportunities to communicate are maximised.

There is regular input to every class and our close links with the class teams and being onsite means we are available to problem solve and pick up on changing needs in a timely manner. Input is matched to each student’s identified needs.

Class teams have a good skill mix to implement individualised communication strategies across the whole day. Where needed, we provide general and child specific training and modelling of strategies for school staff as part of their continuous professional development. We work with the school staff to offer training opportunities to parents and carers.

We also oversee dysphagia (eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties) across the school, offering advice and training. Our overall aim is making meal and snack times as safe and pleasurable as possible for all students. For referred students we provide assessment of oral feeding/drinking, advice on strategies and adaptions and child specific training for key adults to increase the safety of oral feeding/drinking.

Some common approaches

All our children are different, but here are some approaches that we use:

-          AAC                                               https://www.communicationmatters.org.uk/

-          PODD                                           http://www.novita.org.au/Content.aspx?p=683

-          Intensive Interaction                http://www.intensiveinteraction.co.uk/

-          Makaton                                     http://www.makaton.org/

-          Attention Bucket          https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPPw7Ij3k2Zhe19Fb3CO-ag            

-          Now / next visual timetable            12.-Home-Visual-Support-Guide-to-using-Now-Next-boards-with-symbols.pdf (thirdspace.scot)

We have an open door policy so if you have any questions please get in touch any time

01372 377922 / 01372 361201