Speech and language therapy

Our speech and language therapy service supports individuals across a wide range of needs and age groups. Below is an overview of our different service pathways and typical appointment wait times. Wait times below were updated in February 2026.

Pre-school clinics

This service is for children aged 2 and half years, until they start school. The first appointment take place at a health centre. In the last three months most children were seen within 24 weeks.

Mainstream school pathway

This service is for all school-age children. We arrange appointments directly with the school and will send you a text message with details of the appointment. In the last three months most children were seen within 24 weeks.

Specific Speech Disorder and Developmental Language Disorder team

Open to children up to 19 years, children are seen in school or health centres. In the last three months most the typical wait time was 38 weeks.

Find out more about the Specific Speech Disorder and Developmental Language Disorder team

Stammering support service

Available to children aged 6 and over, as well as adults. Initial appointments are over the phone and then at a health centre. In the last three months most the typical wait time was 24 weeks.

Find out more about the stammering support service.

Community Feeding team (Dysphagia)

Supporting children from birth to 19 years, this service is delivered via phone or home visit. In the last three months most were seen within 6 weeks.

Find out more about the Community Feeding team (Dysphagia).

School Age Learning and Dysphagia team (SILCs and partnership schools)

For school-age children up to age 19, support is provided at school or home visits during the school holidays. Over the last three months the average wait time was 15 weeks.

Deaf and Hearing Impairment team

Supporting children from birth to 19 years, this service is delivered through phone calls, home visits for pre-school children or school visits. Over the last three months the average wait time was 34 weeks.

Find out more about the Deaf and Hearing Impairment team.

Communication aid service

Open to children up to 19 years, as well as adults, appointments are typically via phone or home visits. Over the last three months the average wait time was 16 weeks.

Down syndrome pathway

This service is for children from birth to 2 years. Support is delivered by phone or home visit. (No wait time was reported for this pathway.) The average wait time is usually 4 weeks.

Complex developmental assessment (ICAN)

For children from birth until school age, assessments take place at a child development centre or at home. These are delivered by the ICAN service.

Complex communication and autism assessment (ICAN)

For children aged 2 years until school age. Appointments are typically at home, occasionally at nursery or school. These are delivered by the ICAN service.

You can request support by completing a referral form. You can do this yourself or you can ask for help from another professional, for example, 0 to 19 public health integrated nurse practitioner, GP, childcare worker, teacher or SENCo.

Before you make a referral, please visit our website pages for parents or carers for further information on how to support your child.

If you’re worried about your child’s speech, language or communication and need specialist support, you can refer them directly to us.

Our referral guidelines will help you decide if they need to be referred

• Children speech and language therapy referral guidelines
• Children speech and language therapy referral form
• Stammering support service referral form

Not sure which form to use? Want to talk it through? Just get in touch, we’re happy to help.

If you’re a professional (for example, teacher, health visitor, SENCo), you can refer a child with parent or carer consent.

Before referring:

• all professionals should read the referral guidelines
• education staff must complete a screening assessment as part of a graduated approach

To request a copy of the screen, please fill in this request form Screening tool request form and email it to sltleedstraining@nhs.net
If you have any questions please contact our team on 0113 843 3650.

Here are our referral forms:

Pre-school clinics, mainstream and SILC schools

• General CSLT referral form

Stammering support service

Children over 6 years and Adults

• Stammering support service referral form

Deaf and Hearing Impairment team

• Deaf and Hearing Impairment team referral form

Leeds Communication Aid Service

• Leeds communication aid service referral form
• LCAS inclusion and exclusion matrix

Feeding difficulties

We support children with eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties.

If the difficulties are more about emotions, behaviour, using utensils, or appetite, other professionals or services may be more suitable.

To help you decide the best route download the referral from which contains guidance on appropriate referrals

• Eating, drinking, swallowing and feeding referral form