What is The Special Needs Service (SNS)?

We are a team Speech and Language Therapists who work in the Special Needs Service (SNS) to provide a co-ordinated approach to assessment and management of children with a range of severe and/or complex communication, feeding and general development difficulties within Mainstream Primary schools or Special Schools.

A larger part of our role is to work closely with school staff, such as teachers, Learning Support Assistants (LSA's), Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs) and Educational Psychologists (EPs). We also liaise with physiotherapists, occupational therapists, teachers of the sensory impaired, paediatricians and social services where appropriate.

Why would my child be seen by the Special Needs Service?

Children are seen as part of the SNS service when their communication and learning skills are assessed as being on the 1st centile. Typically this includes children with severe and/or complex communication and learning difficulties.

In most cases, your child will already be known to the Speech and Language Therapy Service, and will therefore transfer from the Child Development Unit (CDU) to the SNS when they enter school in the Reception year

What does the Speech and Language Therapist do?

In the SNS service your Speech and Language Therapist will visit your child at school at least once a term to review him/her.

We do this using tests, observing your child, talking to staff or using games or fun activities. We then provide advice to home and school (written or verbal) or provide a written programme of work for school to carry out. We will explain this verbally to somebody at school or demonstrate it with your child present. We set communication objectives that will be reviewed and evaluated to check your child is making expected progress

We also write reports for your child’s Statement of Special Educational Needs and try to attend as many annual review meetings as possible.

Discharging from Speech and Language Therapy

Your child will discharged from the SNS service when:

• The school has all strategies in place to meet your child's communication needs and your child is functioning at optimum level. This may be despite any ongoing speech, language or communication difficulties, which may be specific in nature or part of a more general delay.
  
• Your child reaches level P8 of the national curriculum
  

Following discharge:

If new difficulties with your child’s communication skills arise which are not covered by the recommendations already provided, then a re-referral can be made

Should you simply wish to make a brief enquiry about something we have recommended, we continue to be available for advice if and when required without the need for a re-referral

Special schools/resourced schools and units have regular contact with the SLT and they will offer general advice in an ongoing way even once a child is discharged if needed.