Melanie

Specialist Speech & Language Therapist

I combine my work for Hegarty Therapy with a role as a Specialist Speech and Language Therapist in the NHS. I work directly withchildren from two years old to teenage, and recognise the crucial importance of working with families, nurseries and schools to support each child’s participation, communication skills and confidence.

I graduated in 2015 from University College London with an MSc in Speech and Language Sciences (Distinction). I am experienced in supporting children whose communication is affected by a broad range of conditions including developmental language disorder, speech sound disorder, stammering, and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). I love to find out what communication barriers a child is experiencing and help them, and those around them, to build the skills and make the changes to bring the barriers down.

I am registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and am a Certified Member of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT).

Additional Qualifications and accreditations:

• Nuffield Dyspraxia Programme (NDP) – assessment and intervention for Developmental Verbal Dyspraxia
• Lidcombe Program of Early Stuttering Intervention (therapy for children who stammer)
• Michael Palin Centre Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCI)
• Michael Palin Centre Family Communication Therapy
• Makaton Signing Foundation workshop
• Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) Level 1 Training
• Therapy Outcome Measure (TOM) – Train the Trainers course
• Practice Educator Course (Canterbury Christ Church University)