Career History

Sharon qualified as a speech and language therapist (SLT) in 2011. Sharon has worked within an NHS service in Devon as a Community SLT working with children with a range of speech, language and communication needs and in independent practice since qualifying. Sharon has also worked within a range of settings including the client’s home, nursery or school, and clinic.

Sharon’s experience includes assessment and management of language skills, speech sounds, fluency and social communication skills. Sharon has worked with children aged from 2 to 16, with delayed and disordered speech and language skills, dysfluency, medical conditions, complex disability, Downs Syndrome, Autism Spectrum Disorder and genetic conditions. Sharon has also worked within multidisciplinary environments and works alongside education settings and local authorities to support children’s speech, language and communication skills working on functional, client-centred goals.

Current Work

As well as working with Westcountry Case Management, Sharon works independently and within NHS services as a speech and language therapist providing information for education, health and care plans to the local authority and advice for supporting the client’s communication and interactions skills. Sharon works within the multi-disciplinary team to ensure communication needs are identified and supported. She supports development of functional goals to support the client’s social, emotional and mental wellbeing and works closely with parents and carers, keyworkers and teaching staff to upskill and enable them to support the child more effectively.

Key Skills

• Comprehensive assessment and provision of advice and recommendations of speech, language and communication needs.
• Understanding of typical child developmental milestones and how to support key areas of development.
• Ability to work within a multi-disciplinary team and independently as necessary.
• Working with a client-centred approach to ensure the client is able to participate, where possible, in life choices to maximise their potential.
• Good organisational skills – managing own caseload, prioritising work according to client’s needs.
• Provision of training to staff.
• Effective communication skills and ability to build good relationships with clients, families and professionals.
• Supporting early communication skills using parent/child interaction therapy to support speech, language and communication skills development.
• Passionate about early intervention to maximise communication effectiveness for all clients.

Professional Affiliations & Additional Qualifications

• Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists
• Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)
• Lidcombe Programme of Early Stuttering