Find support by condition
Speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) cover everything from unclear speech to difficulty understanding language or holding a conversation. Communication is the foundation everything else is built on — and the right support builds it alongside a child's confidence. Below you'll find providers grouped honestly by how central communication support is to their work.
Showing 2 providers supporting speech, language & communication needs — updated July 2026.
Grouped honestly: providers can name no more than three primary specialisms — so when a provider appears here, speech, language & communication needs is genuinely central to their work. Within each group, Pro subscribers are shown first. A provider's group is always decided by their own declared specialisms — never by payment.
Structured literacy tuition for dyslexic children in primary years, with a gentle, games-based approach that rebuilds reading confidence session by session. This is a sample listing used to demonstrate the directory before launch..
Updated June 2026 · Is this your service? Claim this listing
A small, low-demand alternative provision setting for children who can't currently manage mainstream school. Flexible days, interest-led learning and no pressure to be anyone but themselves.
Updated June 2026
Understanding
Speech, language and communication needs — schools use the umbrella term SLCN — take many forms. Some children struggle with speech sounds and being understood. Some find it hard to understand language coming in (receptive language); others to put their own thoughts into words (expressive language). Some speak fluently but find the social side of communication — conversation, taking turns, reading between the lines — genuinely difficult.
These needs are easy to underestimate because they hide behind other things: a child who doesn't follow instructions may be labelled inattentive; a child who can't find the words may go quiet or act out. Language underpins reading, writing, friendships and learning itself, which is why the right support early makes such a broad difference.
One important distinction: speech and language therapists (SaLTs) are regulated health professionals, registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), who assess and treat speech and language difficulties. Tutors and communication practitioners support and practise communication skills but are not therapists. Many families use both — therapy to set the direction, regular supported practice to make it stick. Little and often, with visual support and time to process, is what moves communication forward.
This is general information to help you search, not medical or diagnostic advice. If you're concerned about your child, their GP or school SENCo (Special Educational Needs Coordinator) is the right starting point.
Common questions
A speech and language therapist (SaLT) is a regulated health professional — registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) — qualified to assess, diagnose and treat speech and language difficulties. You can check any therapist's registration on the HCPC's public register. Tutors and communication practitioners aren't therapists: they support practice and confidence, often following a therapist's programme. For a new or undiagnosed difficulty, a SaLT assessment is the right starting point.
Trust the pattern, not a single moment: speech that's hard for people outside the family to understand, difficulty following instructions that peers manage, struggling to find words or tell you about their day, or friendships faltering because conversation is hard. Your GP, health visitor or school SENCo (Special Educational Needs Coordinator) can refer for an NHS assessment — and independent SaLT assessments are available without referral.
Often, yes — many SaLTs and practitioners deliver effective sessions by video, and some children engage better on screen at home than in a clinic room. It depends on the child's age, attention and the type of difficulty; very young children usually need a parent actively involved either way. Ask providers how they run online sessions and what your role would be.
More than you'd think — everyday practice is where progress consolidates. Good providers give you specific things to weave into normal life: modelling back correct sounds without correcting, offering choices to prompt words, pausing to give processing time, narrating what you're doing together. Ask every provider what home practice they suggest; the good ones treat you as part of the team.
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