The Nuffield Hearing & Speech Centre is a multi-disciplinary specialist centre for the assessment, diagnosis and management of hearing disorders, listening difficulties, speech and language difficulties, tinnitus and balance disorders in children and young people from birth to 19 years of age.
When a child is attending the Nuffield Hearing & Speech Centre, health professionals such as doctors, clinical psychologists, or speech and language therapists may refer the child to the occupational therapist for an assessment. Children may be experiencing difficulties with performance skills in relation to school, self care and leisure activities. These children commonly have difficulties with the following:
- Motor co-ordination (i.e. Developmental Co-ordination Disorder (DCD), dyspraxia)
- Sensory skills (i.e. ADHD, hyper/hypo sensitivity)
- Developmental delay/disorders (i.e. Down Syndrome, ASD)
Following the assessment process, the occupational therapist will provide a detailed assessment report to the parents/carers. The occupational therapist can provide advice to parents/carers if this is required, to address any functional difficulties identified during the assessment process. Referrals can be made to the child’s local occupational therapy service to follow up any difficulties identified, if this is deemed necessary. The child is then discharged from the Nuffield Hearing & Speech Centre occupational therapy service.