Finding a name is only the start. This checklist helps you compare services and prepare a useful first conversation. It is an editorial organising aid, not an assessment of your child or an endorsement of a provider.
Start with the help your child needs
Write down one or two things you want to make easier, such as communicating a need or joining a classroom activity. Include what your child enjoys, how they communicate and what helps them feel comfortable. You can discuss these with a professional without having decided which therapy is needed.
Ask about NHS and school routes in your part of Kent too. If you are considering private support, explain what support is already in place so you can ask how the services will work together.
Check who will actually work with your child
Ask for the clinician's full professional name, role, qualifications and registration number where applicable. Check the named individual, as well as reading the clinic's website. The HCPC register lets you search by surname or registration number and profession. Use the register relevant to the person's role; not every service in a broad SEND directory comes under the same regulator.
A public listing, professional membership or positive review does not by itself tell you whether someone has the right experience for your child's needs. Read what SENDPath checks.
Seven questions for the first conversation
- Age and needs: Do you currently work with children of this age and with the difficulties we have described?
- Approach: What would the first appointment involve, and how would my child take part in decisions?
- Comfort: How do you adapt communication, the environment and the pace? What happens if my child needs a break or wants to stop?
- Location: Are appointments at a clinic, online, at home or in school? Are travel and school visits included?
- Availability: Are you accepting new clients, when could we start, and what happens if the named therapist is unavailable?
- Progress: What would we agree to work towards, how would we review it, and when might you recommend stopping or changing the plan?
- Coordination: With our agreement, can you work with our school or existing clinical team? What information would you share?
Ask for the full price in writing
Request an itemised quote before committing. Ask about the initial assessment, session length and frequency, written reports, travel, school meetings, equipment, cancellations and any minimum block of sessions. Clarify whether follow-up advice costs extra.
Use our therapy cost planner to compare your own quotes. A higher price or a longer package does not demonstrate a better fit. If you need a report for an education decision, explain the question it should address and check its scope. No private report guarantees a particular EHCP decision or outcome.
A message you can adapt
Hello, we are looking for support for a child aged [age] in [town]. The main thing we want help with is [brief description]. Do you currently support children with these needs? Please could you tell us who would see our child, their professional registration where applicable, your current availability, how the first appointment works and the total initial cost, including any report or travel? We would also like to understand how you involve the child and work with school or existing services.
Keep an initial enquiry brief. Ask the provider for its secure process before sending reports or detailed information about your child.
Compare before deciding
Use the same questions for each shortlisted service. Note what is confirmed, what remains unclear, and whether you and your child feel comfortable with the proposed approach. You can ask for clarification or choose not to proceed.
Browse speech and language therapists, occupational therapists or educational psychologists. Check current details with the provider: services, age ranges and availability can change.
Sources and keeping this page current
Original sources are linked beside the relevant information. Checked on 7 September 2026; next scheduled editorial review: 7 October 2026. Service criteria may change sooner. Tell us about a correction.
Help while waiting · Choosing a therapist · Kent therapist directory