The Stockport NHS team which supports children with their speech and language needs has won a Special Recognition Honour for their innovative support for neurodivergent children.

The Children’s Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) team received this honour as a SEND Best Practice award from NHS England, which rewards best practice in the positive experiences for children and young people with special education needs and disabilities. 

 The team were recognised for their use of a new ‘identification tool’ known as ‘SACS-R’, which helps them recognise behaviours of young children (aged between 9-20 months) which can indicate neurodiversity.

 As well as recognising neurodivergent children at an early age to give them the support they need, the tool can also help with families where children may have been wrongly identified as neurodiverse. 

 If neurodiversity is identified, the SLT team then work with parents to deliver an evidence-based, parent-mediated therapy programme which uses video feedback known as ‘iBASIS’ to help to enhance an infant’s communication potential through supporting parent-child interactions.

 Parents and carers have praised the team for the additional support this has meant for them and their young children.

 The team were presented with their Special Recognition Honour from NHS England following a presentation on their work at NHS England’s SEND BEST Practice in Health 2025 Event at the Mecure Hotel in Sheffield.

Carol Sperring Children’s Therapy Manager said “Using these new identification tools and therapy programmes has been an excellent way for the health visitors and the speech and language therapy team to help and reassure families.

This provision also gives neurodivergent infants the support they need with their communication skills before 2 years of life. We have worked closely with the Start Well Health Visiting team to ensure all children who need support receive timely assessment and intervention.

Feedback from parents has been really positive, they say it puts them in a better place and gives them important reassurance. Everyone in the team is very proud to have received this honour from NHS England which recognises this extra support.”