Melissa at her desk

Experience

  • I am a Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist (band 7), working with children aged 3-21 years, and have been practicing for 15 years. I offer therapy in the East Surrey region, either in my Reigate clinic, or in your child's home, school or nursery. I also carry out assessment and reports for SEND Tribunals, and provide specialist support (medico-legal) to an independent practice of Speech and Language Therapists based in Wandsworth, London.
  • I worked in the NHS for six years (2004-2010) in community clinics, nurseries, schools, and a Language Unit; and was lead therapist at three Special Needs units over a period of three years, including a nursery unit for children with ASD, a KS1 unit for children with moderate-severe learning disabilities, and a KS1-2 unit for children physical disabilities.
  • I set up my private practice in 2006, initially balancing my private work with my NHS work, but now work fully independently with individuals in clinic or the child's home or school, and have had a number of school contracts.
Little Girl Learning

Schools

    I have worked in the following independent Special Needs schools:
  • Step by Step school, a small ABA school for profoundly autistic children aged 5-13yrs (2009-2010)
  • St Joseph's school, for pupils with severe and complex learning difficulties and ASD with associated challenging behaviour aged 7-19yrs (2010-2011)
  • Brantridge school, for boys with Emotional, Social and Behavioural Difficulties aged 5-13yrs (2011-2014)
  • Grafham Grange school, for boys with Emotional, Social and Behavioural Difficulties aged 11-16yrs (2011-2014)
  • Papillon House school, for children with severe autism and associated challenging behaviours aged 5-16 (2013)
  • Sacred Heart ASD unit, for children with moderate-severe autism and associated communication difficulties aged 4-11 (2014)
  • The Paddock School, for children with profound learning difficulties aged 4-11 (2014-2015)
  • I have also worked in a number of independent mainstream schools supporting pupils with speech and language needs.

Courses

I have attended the following courses:

  • Nuffield Dyspraxia Programme; 2 day course
  • Palin PCI stammering therapy; 2 day course
  • Attention Autism; 2 day course
  • Makaton (key word signing system) – 2 day course
  • TalkAbout (assessing and teaching social skills, self-esteem and friendship skills) – 3 day course
  • Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) – 2 day course
  • TeamTeach (positive handling behaviour management) – 2 day course
  • Advanced Report Writing; Expert Witness Institute - 1 day course
  • Bond Solon; excellence in report writing and courtroom skills - 2 day course

Training

I have also had training in the following:

  • Cued Articulation
  • Metaphon
  • TalkTools
  • Intensive Interaction
  • Social Stories
  • Sensory Stories
  • TEACCH
  • Alternative and Augmentative Communication
  • Feeding
  • Anxiety and Autism
  • Dynamic Assessment
  • Safeguarding (updated annually)

Professional Qualifications and Memberships

  • Honours Degree in Speech and Language Therapy
  • Registered Member of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT)
  • Registered Member of the Association of Speech and Language Therapists in Independent Practice (ASLTIP)
  • Registered Member of the Health Care Professions Council (HCPC)
  • Registered under the Data Protection Act
  • Fully Insured (£2,000,000 indemnity insurance)
  • CRB clearance – Enhanced Disclosure (updated annually)
  • Member of the ASLTIP Surrey Local Group.
  • Member of the London ASD Special Interest Group (SIG), Surrey Specific Language Impairment SIG, and the Medico-legal SIG.