Supporting 8 to 14s who stammer

This online three-day training course will aim to increase speech and language therapists’ knowledge and skills in assessing and supporting primary school-aged children. The course will also aim to develop participants’ confidence in working with this age group. It will be supported by video, discussion, skills practice and clinical resources (including 2 webinars) that will be emailed to participants in advance of the course. This course is appropriate for therapists working with children from 8 to 14 years old. The transferable skills taught in this course include engaging parents in the assessment and therapy process; communicating complex and/or sensitive information to parents; using video feedback to develop parents’ confidence and skills; and addressing wider child management issues with parents, e.g. emotional, behavioural issues. These skills are applicable with a wide range of clinical contexts and caseloads.

Course content

Day 1: Theoretical issues and assessment:

• Assessing primary school-aged children: case history, child interview and how to develop a formulation of the individual child’s needs
• Developing an effective therapeutic relationship with children and their families, drawing on SFBT and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
• Principles and components of a treatment package using video interaction as a basis for change

Day 2: Working collaboratively with families:

• Palin Stammering Therapy for Children (Palin STC): use of video to facilitate change (drawing on Palin PCI principles)
• An introduction to using SFBT to identify children’s and parents’ strengths, best hopes and signs of change
• Discussion about specific communication skills, praise and reinforcement, problem-solving and negotiation skills in the family
• A series of session-by-session activities will be presented which form the structure for this communication skills approach.

The Mickeal Palin center in London