About Nikki

Speech, language and communication skills are key to every child's development; impacting their ability to express themselves, learn, form friendships and understand and interact with the world around them.  I am a BBC Tiny Happy People Champion supporting early language development  in families from birth.

When children experience challenges in their Speech, Language and Communication development, Speech and Language Therapy based on up to date research and evidence can make a real difference.

Understanding of children's neurological development through their experiences guides my therapy. As an Sensory Integration Practitioner, my knowledge of how brains take in information through all our senses and bodies and processes and integrates this sensory information for use is foundational in my support of children with the development of attention, social interaction, language, eating and drinking, motor speech production as well as sensory modulation and emotional regulation.

Therapy should always be fun, motivating and relevant to a child's everyday life. My experience and research shows that intervention is most effective when it also includes those who are with the child every day, giving them the best chance of achieving their full potential by ensuring therapy is developed according to each child’s individual and family needs. 

Children's development is complex and alongside my own knowledge and expertise I place great value on liaising and working with other professionals your child may be working with e.g. Occupational Therapist, Physiotherapist, Paediatrician. If your child is also receiving Speech and Language Therapy from the NHS I will liaise with their therapist to ensure our input is integrated for the most effective outcomes. 

As well as a Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist I am a certified Sensory Integration Practitioner qualified to assess children's sensory processing and integration needs and provide Ayres Sensory Integration Therapy.

I am a Hanen® Certified Speech and Language Therapist - certified to deliver the More Than Words® Programme for parents of children with social communication difficulties and Autism.  

I am also fully PROMPT® trained (to Bridging Level) and able to offer PROMPT® Therapy to children with motor speech difficulties. 

I support children with therapy approaches that are pro-neurodiversity and have children's communication needs at their heart. As such I am highly experienced in using many different therapy approaches and have received Post-Graduate Training in :   

• Early AAC (Alternative and Augmentative Communication) Systems
• Makaton
• The SCERTS model
• Solution Focused Brief Therapy
• Verve Child Interaction
• Attention Autism
• Gestalt Language Processing
• ADOS-2 (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition)
• Intensive Interaction
• Early Childhood trauma and Attachment
• Supporting children with Eating and Drinking Difficulties (Dysphagia) (The Practical Management of Eating and Drinking difficulties in Children: Intermediate level  at University College London in 2010)