Warwick clinic that helps children with speech and language therapy gets donation boost

Children who receive specialist speech and language therapy at a clinic at Warwick will now have access to more help thanks to a donation.

The therapy is provided by the South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust and now the clinic has five new iPads thanks to the CareTech Foundation.

Rebecca Sherrington, speech and language therapist at the Cape Road Clinic in Warwick, applied for a grant of £2,500 to help support children with difficulties communicating.

Previously the department only had one iPad, their most valuable and used resource, amongst the equipment the department owned for Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC).

With five new iPads, the Cape Road Clinic now has the latest technology to hand that can support the specialist Smartbox Alternative and Augmentative Communication software for children to access.

The electronic symbol and text-based communication software will allow children to develop their language and communication by empowering them with the tools to make communication easier.

Rebecca Sherrington, Speech and Language Therapist said: “The new iPads really are a life changer for so many children and their families.

"Our mission is to enhance the life chances of children in Warwickshire by working with families and professionals to improve skills and breakdown barriers to communication.

"With this new technology we are able to provide the children we support the opportunity to lead a more independent life.”

CareTech Foundation CEO, Jonathan Freeman MBE, said: “It is incredibly important that we are all enabled with the ability to communicate.

"We know how frustrating it can be when our communication is misunderstood.

"For these children, having the opportunity to access assistive technology really is an opportunity to lead a more independent life.

"We couldn’t be happier knowing our grant is going to such good use.”