Families across Portadown and the surrounding area are set to benefit from the arrival of a new specialist speech and language therapy service, with experienced therapist Michelle McKee opening a clinic within the recently developed William Street Dental premises.
Michelle McKee is a Specialist Speech and Language Therapist with more than 18 years of experience supporting children with speech, language and communication needs. After graduating from the University of Ulster in 2007, she has worked extensively with children presenting with a wide range of communication difficulties across healthcare, educational and community settings.
Having established her own independent practice, Let’s Communicate Speech and Language Therapy, in the Mid-Ulster area in 2023, Michelle has now expanded her services with the opening of a new clinic at William Street Dental, Portadown.
The new clinic will provide assessment, advice and therapy for children with a wide range of speech, language and communication needs, offering families access to specialist support in a calm, welcoming and nurturing environment.
Michelle works with children who present with a variety of communication difficulties, including attention and listening difficulties, speech sound delays and disorders, stammering, voice difficulties, and both receptive and expressive language difficulties. She provides individualised assessment and therapy tailored to each child’s unique strengths and needs.
A key feature of the service is its child-centred approach. Therapy sessions are play- based and designed to be engaging and enjoyable, helping children to develop their communication skills naturally while building confidence and self-esteem.
In addition to speech and language therapy, Michelle is a certified ADOS practitioner and provides private autism assessments. Her specialist training, combined with extensive clinical experience, gives her a strong understanding of autism, early identification and the support needs of autistic children and their families.
The expansion comes at a time when many families are seeking timely access to speech and language therapy services, with increasing demand for assessment and support across Northern Ireland.
Speaking about the expansion into Portadown, Michelle said:
“I am passionate about helping children develop the confidence and skills they need to communicate effectively. Communication plays such an important role in every aspect of a child’s life, from learning and friendships to emotional wellbeing. I am delighted to be bringing this service to Portadown and look forward to supporting local children and families.”
The arrival of Let’s Communicate Speech and Language Therapy forms part of the wider vision for the newly expanded William Street premises, which aims to bring together a range of healthcare professionals under one roof to better serve the local community.
Co-owners Dr James McKee and Dr Pádraic Conroy welcomed Michelle to the growing healthcare hub. They said:
“One of our ambitions for the new premises has always been to create a centre where a range of healthcare professionals can work together to support the needs of our community. We are delighted to welcome Michelle and Let’s Communicate Speech and Language Therapy to William Street.
“Access to speech and language therapy can make a significant difference to children and families, and we are pleased to be able to provide a modern and accessible setting for this important service. Michelle’s extensive experience and child-centred approach will be a tremendous asset to local families, and her arrival represents another important step in developing a healthcare hub that offers high- quality services for the wider community.”
Parents, schools, health visitors, GPs and other healthcare professionals are encouraged to get in touch if they would like further information about the service or to discuss support for a child with speech, language or communication needs.
Click here to visit William Street’s website
