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100+ fun activities for kids that will keep them entertained for hours! Target speech development through play and games. They won’t even know they are learning!

Learn about your baby and toddler developmental milestones! Check if you are on track, when to worry, and how to work on skills like language, potty training, and feeding!

Every child is different! Here are speech and language tips and tools for kids with learning differences, alongside information for parents provided by speech therapists.

Parenting starts with your well-being! Here is some advice on how to teach life skills, work from home, distance learning, along with tips for developing parenting coping skills.

We help kids speak no matter their speech challenges! Speech therapists advise parents about late talkers, speech delay, stuttering, apraxia, articulation, and other speech impediments.

From your first worry to your first appointment, and your last speech therapy session – find the information you need to help your child thrive and gain necessary speech skills.

Parent's Academy › Speech Therapy › Speech Therapy for Kids › Testing for Speech and Language Therapy

Testing for Speech and Language Therapy

Stacie bennett.

Speech-Language Pathologist , Trenton , New Jersey

Feb 5, 2022 What is the Test of Preschool Vocabulary? How, when and why should I get my child tested?

When getting a child evaluated for speech and language services, most parents want to know what sort of tests will their child be exposed to, when should they look into testing and how do you go about looking for an SLP ? This blog will go into detail about different batteries of tests that your child might be exposed to and will culminate in how and when testing should be completed. 

Test of Preschool Vocabulary (TOPV)

The Test of Preschool Vocabulary (TOPV) measures a child’s ability to recognize and use single words that represent all parts of speech and a variety of basic concepts, including things, events, and experiences. The words are presented in order of difficulty, progressing from familiar words and concepts to less familiar ones (wbspublish.com). 

The TOPV is divided into an expressive (what your child can produce verbally and written) vocabulary and receptive vocabulary (what words your child can understand). You would use the TOPV on children who are 2 years of age to 5 years and 11 months of age. This testing will help with:

• Identifying children with oral language disorders
• Diagnosing early semantic ability
• Comparing receptive and expressive vocabulary knowledge
• Monitoring language intervention progress
• Conducting research

Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals (CELF)

There are several different versions of the CELF, depending on the age of your child. No matter what age bracket your child is in, the format of the testing is basically the same. Directions may change and the complexity of the subtests will adjust accordingly. As a speech pathologist, this is one of my favorite tests to administer because it truly looks at every aspect of a child’s language skills . The CELF includes a variety of subtests that provide in-depth assessment of a child’s language skills: Concepts and Following Directions, Word Structure, Expressive Vocabulary, Recalling Sentences, Sentence Structure, Basic Concepts, Recalling Sentences in Context, Word Classes and Phonological Awareness.

The CELF tests begin at preschool age and continue all the way into adulthood. The test will be administered to a child/adolescent if there are issues with formulating sentences , recalling verbal information, following multi-step directions or vocabulary.

Comprehension Assessment of Spoken Language (CASL)

The CASL looks at language processing skills and knowledge . It can be used on children as young as three and can be administered to adults up until the age of 21. What is really nice about this test is that it answers a variety of referral questions including eligibility for speech services, placement in special education, determining if a language delay or disorder is present, or measuring language abilities in English language learners.

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Goldman-Fristoe Test of Articulation (GFTA-3)

The GFTA is a test that looks at articulation skills or, in other words, how your child produces sounds , syllables, words, sentences and conversations. It can be used on a child as young as 2 and up until age 21.

The great thing about the GFTA is that it only takes between 15-20 minutes to complete so it’s perfect for young kids who may not have the attention span to sit for longer tests. The GFTA will, most likely, be included in your evaluation if your child is school aged and not speaking clearly.

Oral and Written Language Scales (OWLS)

The OWLS looks at how well your child can write language and formulate sentences verbally . Depending on your child’s ability level, it could take 40 minutes or 2 hours and can be given to children as young as 3, although I would not recommend it be given to children until they can formulate language and can start writing letters.

The OWLS will ask your child to complete a story based on a picture prompt that the speech pathologist will show him/her. Their story will be assessed to see if it has a logical flow, good vocabulary usage, punctuation/capitalization errors and age-appropriate grammar. Sentences will also be formulated based on vocabulary words given (definitions).

Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT)

The Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, revised edition (PPVT-R) “measures an individual’s receptive (hearing) vocabulary for Standard American English and provides, at the same time, a quick estimate of verbal ability or scholastic aptitude ” (Dunn and Dunn, 1981). The PPVT-R was designed for use with individuals aged 2½ to 40 years. The English language version of the PPVT-R consists of 175 vocabulary items of generally increasing difficulty. The child listens to a word uttered by the interviewer and then selects one of four pictures that best describes the word’s meaning.

The PPVT also has an expressive component where the child has to name a picture that is shown to them. These words also grow in complexity as the testing progresses.

Screening Test for Developmental Apraxia of Speech (STDAS)

The STDAS is an evaluation tool that is administered to determine if a child’s receptive language scores are higher than their expressive language . If a child can understand more than what they are expressing, that is a key sign that the child may have apraxia of speech . If this discrepancy is shown, a speech-language pathologist will complete further testing on your child to get a definitive diagnosis. Apraxia is an acquired oral motor speech disorder affecting an individual’s ability to translate conscious speech plans into motor plans, which results in limited and difficult speech ability. Basically, they can’t formulate the words that they are thinking in their heads. 

The STDAS takes about 15 minutes to complete and is acceptable to use on children 4-12 years of age. 

Test of Language Development (TOLD)

The TOLD is similar to the CELF. It’s a test that looks at a child’s ability to understand and formulate language . TOLD tests are also geared towards certain ages. For example, there is a TOLD-Primary, which looks at young children. There is also a version of the TOLD that can be used for students who are adolescents and young adults. 

The TOLD testing can take anywhere from 40 minutes to 2 hours. Testing lengths are really dependent on your child’s ability level and if there are any other cognitive or attention issues that may make testing more difficult. 

When To See A Speech-Language Pathologist

We at Speech Blubs have written several blogs about when to get help for your child’s speech. Instead of going to a lengthy discussion where I repeat the information that’s already been told, the biggest piece of advice I tell people who contact me about speech and language services is to go with your gut. You know your child the best. If you think there is a problem, get help. If a professional looks at him/her and tells you that they are “on target,” it will at least give you peace of mind. If they qualify for services, then they get the help that they need. 

Go with your gut. You know your child the best!

Why Speech Services?

A parent asked us why a child should be enrolled in therapy. There are several reasons why a child should receive services:

• Delayed speaking/communicating
• Speech is unclear or unintelligible to peers, family members and friends
• Child does not gesture or babble to communicate
• Limited eye contact or lacking social skills
• Poor written language skills
• Difficulty with processing information – it can be written or verbal
• Trouble with memory

If your child is exhibiting any of the above mentioned issues, I highly suggest getting a referral for speech services from your pediatrician. 

Most likely, there will be a waitlist to get into a speech therapist’s office. Please download the Speech Blubs app to work on speech and language skills. It’s great screen time that will allow your child to work on rhyming, vocabulary, articulation, social skills and oral motor activities. It doesn’t matter your child’s diagnosis – this app will assist in the refining and learning of speech!

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The author’s views are entirely his or her own and may not necessarily reflect the views of Blub Blub Inc. All content provided on this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for independent professional medical judgement, advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.

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Take Our Quiz to See if Your Child Needs Help with Speech and Language

Is your child meeting their speech and language milestones? Does your teen seem to have a hard time communicating clearly? Or are you concerned about your own communication skills?

Our simple screener will let you know if a speech evaluation is recommended, for you or your child.

Take our speech and language screener

This free online screener takes just a few minutes to complete. The quiz questions are tailored by age, from babies and toddlers, through school-age children, teens, and adults.

If your toddler isn’t talking much yet, you might wonder if they’re simply a “late bloomer.” How do you know if it’s a speech delay?

Perhaps other people have a hard time understanding your preschooler’s speech. Maybe your teen seems to struggle with conversational skills. Or as an adult, you’d like to improve your communication style at work, or continue working on a speech issue that you received therapy for as a child.

The screener questions cover all of these issues and more:

Expressive language: How well we can express our thoughts and needs

Receptive language: How well we can understand spoken language

Speech clarity: How clearly we can speak and pronounce speech sounds

Social communication: How well we use verbal and nonverbal language for social purposes, such as conversation

Voice quality

Feeding and swallowing

Discuss your personalized results with a professional

After completing the screener, you'll receive in-depth results that explain the communication milestones targeted in each question and what your answers might mean. You can save your personalized results as a PDF to share with your doctor or refer back to later.

You can also discuss your results with one of our specialists in a free consultation call. They’ll help you schedule a speech therapy evaluation, if needed.

Many speech and language issues in children go undiagnosed

Underidentification of speech, language, and communication disorders is a big problem. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) , 1 in 12 children has a communication disorder. But almost half of them aren’t receiving the treatment and support they need, such as speech therapy.

Many parents might assume their child is a late talker. They might take a “wait-and-see” approach. But early diagnosis and intervention is important. Many children don’t “grow out” of their speech or language disorder. And the longer a child waits to start treatment, the harder it becomes to correct speech problems.

1 in 12 children has a communication disorder. But almost half of them aren’t receiving the treatment they need, such as speech therapy.

Early intervention helps children make faster progress and meet their developmental milestones more quickly. It also leads to better school success and overall quality of life.

An evaluation by a licensed speech therapist can determine whether your child needs speech therapy. And our screener lets you know if an evaluation is recommended.

Teens and adults can benefit from speech therapy, too

Our speech and language screener is for people of all ages. Any person who wants help with their communication abilities can benefit from speech therapy. For example, speech therapy for articulation helps people learn to pronounce sounds that they’re struggling with. A teenager or adult can have trouble with a lisp , or with pronouncing other speech sounds. Some of the trickier errors that can linger if not properly treated in childhood occur with the /s/, /r/, and /l/ sounds.

Social pragmatics is another major area where some teens and adults need help. Social pragmatics refers to the social aspect of language and communication. This includes social rules during conversations, such as:

Maintaining eye contact 

Not standing too close to the person with whom you’re speaking

Staying on topic

Having a two-way, rather than a one-sided, conversation

Even the ability to understand sarcasm can be a challenge for people who struggle with social communication.

Treatment for social language can help people become the best communicators they can be at school, at work, and socially.

Trust your instincts. If you’re worried your child might have a speech delay or isn’t reaching milestones typical for their age, take our screener . Listen to your gut, and don’t wait to take the next step.

Discuss your communication needs with a specialist for free

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How to tell if your toddler needs speech therapy?

Every child develops at their own pace, and that includes learning to speak. Yet, there are guidelines to help determine if there might be a problem, like a speech delay, or something more serious. Referring to these guidelines and milestones, speech language pathologists can determine if further testing, or online speech therapy services, may be recommended.

We’ve created an online quiz to help you determine which language milestones your child has achieved, or if you might want to consider consulting with a speech language pathologist about your child’s speech development. Click the link below to start the quiz:

How old is your child?

What should you, the parent, look for?

Listed here are some milestones which can help you gauge your child’s language progress:

By the end of 6 months, your child should:

Smile at you

Make cooing sounds

Get quiet or smile when spoken to

Seem as though they recognize a parent's voice

Make different crying sounds for different needs

By the end of 12 months, your child should:

Giggles and laughs

Babble or make other sounds

Use their voice to show pleasure/displeasure

Look in the direction of sounds

Respond to changes in tone of voice from an adult

Pay attention to sounds made by objects/toys/music

By the end of 18 months, your child should:

Attempt to imitate speech sounds

Begin saying everyday words including, but not limited to, “mama,” “dada,” “doggie,” “baby,” and “go”

Respond to simple directions, such as "Come here"

Recognize common items, like "doggie"

Look when you point

By the end of 24 months, your child should:

Use P, B, M, H, and W in words

Follow simple directions, like “give me the ball,” or “push the (toy) car”

Put 2 words together when talking, or when asking questions, like “more apple,” or “where doggy?”

Respond to simple questions, like “where is your hat?” or “who is that?”

Name pictures in books, or point to them when you name what is in the picture

By their 3rd birthday, your child should:

Use K, G, F, T, D, and N in words

Ask “why?” and put 3 words together to talk

Follow simple, but compound directions, like “get the spoon, and put it on the table”

Say about 50 or more words, and be understood by others about 50% or more

Talk about things that are not in the room

By their 4th birthday, your child should:

Respond when you call from another room

Answer simple “WH” questions, like who, what, and where

Say plural words, and rhyming words, like “hat-cat”

Understand words for family, like brother, grandmother, and aunt

Talk about what happened during the day, and use about 4 sentences at a time

By their 5th birthday, your child should:

Understand words for order, like first, next, and last

Respond to “What did you say?”

Follow longer sentences

Use a variety of sentences when they speak

Be understood by others almost all the time

Can others understand what your child is saying?

One of the things we hear most often from parents of young children is that someone – a distant cousin, a new neighbor, the pediatrician – doesn’t understand what their child is saying. Without meeting the child, it’s hard for a speech therapist to determine what that means and what recommendations to make to the parent. Should you schedule a speech evaluation? Is it normal for people not to understand your child?

One of the formulas we often recommend to parents who want to quickly determine if their child’s intelligibility (or speech clarity) in conversation with unfamiliar listeners (or “strangers”) is normal, is as follows:

AGE IN YEARS / 4 x 100 = % UNDERSTOOD BY STRANGERS

Child aged 1 = 1/4 or 25% intelligible to strangers

Child aged 2 = 2/4 or 50% intelligible to strangers

Child aged 3 = 3/4 or 75% intelligible to strangers

Child aged 4 = 4/4 or 100% intelligible to strangers

( Source: Flipsen, 2006 )

What this means is that, for example, a 2-year-old in conversation with an unfamiliar listener (i.e. a distant relative, or a pediatrician who sees the child only twice a year) would only have 50% of what they say understood.

This formula gives parents a starting point to determine if their child’s speech is progressing typically or if they should consider an evaluation by a speech therapist.

Of course, a speech therapist goes into much more detail to determine if a child’s speech is developing on track or if treatment is warranted. For example, we use normative data that looks at each speech sound they make (“t” sound, “k” sound etc.) to determine if they are producing all of the sounds appropriate for their age.

If you or the people your child lives with still don’t understand what your child is saying, then intervention might be a good idea. Remember, speech therapy does no harm. To your child it’s just another opportunity to play.

Are you wondering what speech sounds your child should be saying at their age?  Download our free and simple chart here .

What is the definition of a "late talker"?

We define a late talker as a toddler (between 18-30 months), with a good understanding of language (receptive language) and with typically developed motor/play/cognitive/social skills, but with a limited spoken vocabulary for this age. These toddlers have difficulty with spoken or expressive language . 

Since late talker toddlers are oftentimes doing well in other areas, like social skills or receptive language, parents and pediatricians might assume that they will catch up on their own. Actually, many of these kids do outgrow their "late talking" on their own. But unfortunately, some of them do not catch up to other kids their age.

In fact 20-30% of kids do not outgrow "late talking" on their own.

What are the signs that my toddler might have a speech delay?

Below we list some signs that have been identified to help determine if a child is likely to have continuing language problems. These factors help make it easier to assess whether a late talker will be one of the 30% of children who do not outgrow their language struggles on their own.

Signs a child might be experiencing a language delay:

They are quiet as an infant, with little babbling

They have a history of ear infections

They are limited in the number of consonant sounds they can make (e.g. p, b, m, t, d, n, y, k, g, etc.)

They do not link pretend ideas and actions together while playing

They do not imitate or copy words

They use mostly nouns (names of people, places, things) and few verbs (action words)

They have difficulty playing with peers (underdeveloped social skills)

They have a family history of communication delay, or learning/academic difficulties

They have a mild comprehension (understanding) delay for their age

They use few gestures to communicate

Current research strongly suggests that a "wait-and-see" approach with late talkers is outdated and it can also delay treatment, which can make a big difference for the child.

What to do if your toddler is a late talker

If you've noticed your child has a limited vocabulary as well as any of these risk factors, consulting a speech-language pathologist may be a good idea. Research has shown that kids with the last three risk factors (family history, comprehension problems, or few gestures) have the greatest risk for a persistent language delay. If you are a busy parent,  online speech therapy services may be the most convenient option for your child.

What if your child catches up on their own?

At Better Speech, we recommend that even kids who seem to catch up on their own get speech therapy intervention. Why? Because even though many of these toddlers catch up by the time they start school, studies have shown that they continue to have problems with some aspects of language (e.g. grammar).  

Do you need some ideas for what to work on with your child? We have a free download with ideas for every day of the month! Get the calendar here.

At Better Speech we know you deserve speech therapy that works. 

We have experts in speech delay therapy at home and we work hard to assign the right therapist for you; not just the therapist that happens to be in your area. If you want to find out more about our services,  contact us to schedule a free consultation . 

References:

Ellis, E. & Thal, D. (2008). Early Language Delay and Risk for Language Impairment. Perspectives on Language Learning and Education, 15: 93-100.Telethon Institute for Child Health Research (2008, May 16). Mixed Results For Late-talking Toddlers. ScienceDaily. 16 May 2008. Web. 10 Jun. 2011.Rice, M. L., Taylor, C. L., & Zubrick, S.R. (2008). Language  outcomes of 7-year-old children with or without a history of late  language emergence at 24 months. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 51, 394-407.Olswang, L.B., Rodriguez, B. & Timler, G. (1998).  Recommending Intervention for Toddlers With Specific Language Learning  Difficulties: We May Not Have All the Answers, But We Know a Lot. American Journal of Speech Language Pathology, 7, 23 - 32.

UCL Psychology and Language Sciences

MSc Speech and Language Therapy FAQs

• Why do I need experience of speech and language therapy and/or with people with communication difficulties?
• What type of experience do you look for?
• How much experience do I need to have of speech and language therapy and/or with people with communication difficulties?
• How many weeks of teaching and placements are there on the programme?
• When do the placements take place?
• Can you choose your placements?
• How far will I need to travel for my placement?
• How do you choose your final year research project?
• Is assessment more coursework based or more exam based?
• How long should my personal statement be?
• My undergraduate degree is in an unrelated area can I apply?
• What is the start date for this programme?
• Do I have to have an interview for this programme?
• How many applications do you normally receive?
• How many days a week will I need to come into college?
• Are there any options for studying this programme part-time?
• I'm a parent.  Will I be able to fit studying for this programme around my childcare responsibilities?
• It will be difficult for me to get two academic references.  Is it possible to send non-academic references?
• I'm a mature applicant and I don’t have a degree but I have relevant experience can I apply?
• I'm worried about the science content of the programme as I haven't done Biology since GCSE
• Do I need to show evidence of recent study?
• I'm still studying my undergraduate degree can I apply?
• I am an international applicant but I have been living in the UK for many years.  Will I have to pay overseas fees?
• What is the starting salary for a Speech and Language Therapist ?

We're looking for people who are really committed to becoming speech and language therapists, as this is key to success on the programme.  We also want to be sure that you have made the right career choice before starting the course.  Gaining relevant work or voluntary experience will help to develop your confidence and comfort in interacting and working with people who have difficulty communicating.  It will also enable you to show us that you really understand the role of the speech and language therapist in one or more settings.

We look for candidates who have done work experience/voluntary work with a speech and language therapist (SLT) or with people with communication difficulties.  This work can be paid or voluntary and can be full-time or part-time.  It should have been completed within the previous 24 months.  Ideally you should try to get some experience with both children and adults.  We recognise that it can be difficult to secure direct SLT experience so please look for alternatives such as working or volunteering in schools, clubs, support organisations and combine this with some SLT experience e.g. attending an SLT taster day at an NHS Trust, shadowing a local SLT for a day. 

Good places to ask are: your local speech and language therapy service (NHS, local authority or independent practice), schools, charitable organisations such as The Stroke Association, Parkinson’s UK, Headway, The National Autistic Society.  The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) website has some useful information about gaining relevant experience.

We encourage you to seek as much experience as possible to ensure that you are clear about what the profession involves.  Ideally, we recommend at least 25 days of full-time or part-time experience which may include; paid or voluntary work with people with communication or swallowing difficulties, observation of a speech and language therapist at work and/ or time spent talking with a SLT (for example at an open day).  It is not only the number of days, but also the quality of the experiences and the way you have reflected on the experience that are important.  Make sure you show us this in your application.  If you have fewer opportunities, it remains very important that you reflect on these to ensure you are getting the most out of each one.

The programme is full time over 25 months, with 7 weeks of holiday per year (2 weeks at Christmas, 2 weeks at Easter and 3 weeks in the Summer). Term dates vary and the programme doesn’t follow the typical UCL term patterns.

In terms 1 and 2 there are 10 weeks of teaching (including one day a week on placement). In term 3 there is less direct teaching as you are given some private study time to revise for exams. There are 2-3 post-exam teaching weeks in late June/early July in both years.

Overall you will attend 532 hours of placement across the two years. These will be a mixture of one day a week ongoing placements (terms 1 & 2) and block placements in spring and summer (see below). Employers have told us that the high number of placement hours is a key strength of the programme, as placements really prepare you well for your future career.

Clinical placements start in the first term and carry on throughout the programme. The placements are closely linked to classroom learning. You will have weekly placements that you attend one day a week over terms 1 and 2 of both years (November to March). These placements allow you to see changes in clients over a period of time and to develop your skills gradually over a longer period of time, supported by your university clinical tutorials and clinical tutors. You will also have block placements which you attend between 3 and 5 days per week over a number of weeks. These take place in spring (4-5 week block end of March to mid-May) and in summer (2-3 week block in July). The block placements are an opportunity to really focus on your clinical and professional skills development, supported by experienced SLTs and college tutors.

You will be able to give some preferences but these can’t always be guaranteed. Placements are allocated by the placements team, with the main aim of making sure that each student gets experience in a range of different settings over the course. Our excellent links with a large number of placement providers in the London area enables us to do this. However the offers from placement providers vary from year to year, so we cannot guarantee a specific placement will be available. Factors such as health needs or caring responsibilities are also taken into consideration in the placement allocations process.  For quality control purposes, all placements are with providers who have a placement contract with UCL and who have undergone our Practice Educator training.  This means that students are not able to organise their own placements or opt for placements in another geographical area.

Placements are located in and around the London area.  We aim for a maximum journey time of 90 minutes which reflects average journey times in London.  However, there may be occasions when students have a longer journey time for a placement which meets needs.  Students living some way out of London may also have longer journey times.  Factors such as health needs or caring responsiblities can be taken into consideration when planning journey times.  Students can apply for funding for excess travel costs (due to travelling further for placement than the usual journey into UCL) from the NHS Learning Support Fund or from the department (for those not eligable for the Learning Support Fund).

In the second year you will carry out a research project. We have a wide range of projects and students can list their three top choices of project. In general students get their first or second choice. There are research facilities in the building and on the UCL campus and we have links with NHS partners and are sometimes able to offer joint projects. As you progress through the course you will get more idea of what you would like to do.

Assessments are spread out over the year and are in a range of formats including coursework, multiple choice tests, exams, oral tests and vivas.  Where possible the programme team have made the assessments similar to tasks you would do in an SLT job role e.g. service presentations, case reports, case based exam questions.  The assessments aim to test how you apply the knowledge gained from teaching to a case or clinical scenario.

We advise you to use the 3000 characters provided, alternatively one side of A4 no smaller than point 12 in your chosen font, with no characters counting.

Yes. We have students who have successfully completed the course with undergraduate degrees in many different subjects, including archaeology, law, anthropology, and geography. You can apply if you hold any UK honours degree at a 2.1 or above, or an equivalent qualification from an overseas institution.

If you are applying with a qualification from overseas, please look at the UCL website for international students for information on equivalent qualifications.

The start date can fall in the last week of August or the first week of September depending on the academic calendar.

Yes. We interview shortlisted applicants online, usually in the first week of January each year.

In past years we have received around 300 applications for approximately 60 places on the course.

You must be able to commit 5 full days a week for this programme.  Where possible the timetable is arranged to allow private study days but the timetable varies throughout the year. 

During terms 1 and 2, you can expect to be in college 9am – 5pm for 3 days per week (with 1 hour for lunch), and on placement for another whole day in most weeks. There is one full day of private study most weeks, which you will need to prepare for your placement and coursework assignments and carry out any additional reading.

You’ll probably also need to do some work in your own time, in the evenings or at weekends.

At this time we don't offer a part-time route for this programme.  However, this is something we are looking at for the future.

We have had several successful graduates from the programme who are parents, so that in itself should not put you off.  However, the programme is intensive, and you must be able to commit 5 full days a week, plus study time in the evenings or weekends.  The key thing to consider is what support you have to help look after your children on a regular basis.  Remember also that our terms are quite long and you might have to attend placements during typical school holiday periods (eg Easter).  We do try to take childcare and other caring responsibilities into consideration when allocating placements.

We prefer to have academic references where possible but if you have been out of education for some time you can send two non-academic references e.g. from work or a work placement.

To be eligible to apply for the course, you have to hold an honours degree at a 2.1 or above (or the equivalent if you are an overseas applicant).

We accept applications from those in their final year, who are on course for a 2:1 or above (or the equivalent if you are an overseas applicant).

There will be lots of support on the course. You don’t need to worry as long as you are a motivated learner. There will be strengths and weaknesses across the cohort.

No, but you do have to be motivated to get back into study and you may want to do an A-level, or other relevant qualifications, to help with that.

Your fee status will be determined by the UCL Admissions Office depending on your length of stay in the UK and your residency status.  It is often not possible to determine your fee status until the Admissions Office receive your application form and copies of your passport and any other documents needed to make a formal assessment of your fee status.

The international office website may have information on sources of funding for international students.

As a newly qualified therapist you can expect to start on band 5 in an NHS job .  There is information about the salary for NHS band 5 on this webpage . 

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Innovative Speech Language Therapy programme undergoes professional accreditation site visit

Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Massey University’s Speech Language Therapy programme has gone through a professional accreditation site visit by the New Zealand Speech-language Therapists’ Association.

Massey's Speech Language Therapy staff.

It's an exciting time for speech-language therapy (SLT) here at Massey, as the undergraduate bachelor’s programme has recently completed a successful site visit, part of the professional accreditation process. The team are eagerly awaiting the full outcome in October.

The site visit for the accreditation of the Bachelor of Speech Language Therapy with Honours (BSpchLngThHons) was an arduous week for staff involved in the programme. It included compiling a report that detailed the programme’s academic standards, how tauira (students) reach clinical competency to graduate and how graduates are prepared to be Speech-language Therapists in New Zealand.

As Speech Language Therapy in New Zealand is not regulated under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act, the New Zealand Speech-language Therapists’ Association performs regulatory duties such as issuing annual practicing certificates and accrediting tertiary programmes that prepare therapists for the workforce.

The accreditation panel who led the site visit included representatives from Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga Ministry of Education, Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand and Charles Sturt University (Australia). The panel spent four days at Massey, interviewing the teaching team, field educators who support students on placement and students from different stages of the programme.

It is the second accreditation site visit in two years for the programme, following the course moving completely online in 2023 to increase accessibility for students around the motu, and to help combat the dire shortage of Speech-language Therapists in New Zealand. The change to having the programme completely online meant that re-accreditation was required as it was considered a new programme.

Work-Integrated Learning Coordinator and Co-President of the New Zealand Speech-language Therapists’ Association Emma Quigan, Kāi Tahu, says when the option to study by distance was initially offered in 2021, there was an immediate change in the makeup of students.

“The average age went up by about seven years and students who joined the programme were telling us things like, ‘I’ve wanted to study this for years and years but had no intention of moving to Auckland or Christchurch. I’m finally getting to study what I’ve always wanted’.”

Massey is one of three providers of Speech Language Therapy education in New Zealand. As the course can be done online from anywhere in the country, current students are based from Kerikeri to Dunedin. The BSpchLngThHons is also the only bachelor’s level distance SLT programme in the world.

Ms Quigan says accessibility is a key value of the programme and its staff.

“Many of our tauira have young children to care for and other whānau commitments. Accessibility is one of our key strategies to address this country’s workforce challenge. From a Te Tiriti o Waitangi lens, the mode of learning is incredibly important too. If we want more diversity in the field, we needed to change our curriculum and how it was delivered.”

New Zealand has about 20 Speech-language Therapists per 100,000 people. They work with individuals who have communication challenges with their speech, language or voice or swallowing disorders, often as a result of brain injury, stroke, degenerative disease or diagnosis of autism. They also work with transgender clients, helping their pitch align with the gender they identify with.

Programme Director Dr Mershen Pillay says the recent accreditation process is a testament to the team’s hard work and innovative approach.

“Our distance learning option is truly groundbreaking, making SLT education more accessible across Aotearoa. We’re not just addressing workforce shortages; we’re reshaping the profession to be more diverse and inclusive. This aligns perfectly with our commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi principals and our goal of better serving all communities in New Zealand. “We can look forward to seeing the continued growth and impact of our programme in the years to come. What an exciting time!”

Kaiakiaki Māori Advisor and Speech-language Therapist Tracy Karanui-Golf, Te Rarawa, says the site visit is recognition of the unique programme Massey offers.

“We have continued to develop a kaupapa that challenges the status quo and builds a profession of clinicians who can safely and responsively provide service to those in Aotearoa who need specialists in swallowing and communication – two of the things that sustain life and hauora. We are the only bachelor’s level distance SLT kaupapa in the world – how absolutely pioneering is that.”

College of Humanities and Social Science Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Cynthia White says, "I would like to congratulate the Speech Language Therapy team for their ongoing innovation within the programme to meet the needs of all of Aotearoa in terms of access to training and registration as a therapist. The current national shortage of speech language therapists means significant challenges within many communities, and Massey University appreciates the strong support for the programme by the  Speech-language Therapists’ Association and other professional bodies.”  

The Bachelor of Speech Language Therapy with Honours accreditation would be valid for seven years.

Interested in a career in Speech Language Therapy?

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