About Me
My name is Kate Biss and I am a Private Speech and Language Therapist based in the Highlands of Scotland. I work with children and adults who have a wide variety of speech, language and communication difficulties, offering face to face therapy carefully designed for every client.
I am dedicated to helping people access the right amount of speech therapy to meet their needs. This may be in remote and rural communities (like my own), or English speakers living in foreign countries.
Using teletherapy/Zoom to provide online face-to-face therapy is my special interest. Working in this way gives clients the opportunity to receive regular therapy that is just as effective as in a clinic environment.
Through my career, I have been fortunate to work with a variety of young people, adults and their families; at home, in schools, hospitals and nursing homes. I have extensive experience in treating a wide range of communication problems.
My background
I began my career in 1996, working in Scotland with pre-school and school aged children with speech and language delay. I also provided a service to children who had complex speech and language/learning needs. This was the beginning of my journey towards a specialism in complex communication difficulties, Autism and swallowing difficulties. Moving down to Worcestershire; I worked in a Specialist Multidisciplinary Assessment Centre, a school for children with Learning Difficulties, along with a busy community caseload.
In South Devon I continued to work with special needs and had my sights on a specialism in children with swallowing problems (paediatric dysphagia). In 2001 my career turned a corner. I took the opportunity to develop my swallowing expertise with adults in the District General Hospital. This included patients who had speech and communication difficulties following a stroke.
After my daughter was born, I was asked to take on a post as a Community Speech Therapist on the edge of Dartmoor. My experience in the hospital meant that I could provide a service to the Community Hospital, alongside a caseload of children with a variety of needs. In addition to this, I provided support and training to nursing homes and schools. During this time I began to take on a few private speech therapy clients.
My private speech therapy practice grew when I moved back to my childhood home in the West Highlands; also giving me more flexibility to bring up my children. In 2008 I worked as a Locum Speech and Language Therapist for the NHS Speech and Language Therapy Adult Team. This gave me an insight into the provision for families in the Highlands and has fuelled my passion to provide what the client needs, not what a service can offer.
Communication and interaction are key to a child’s development and learning. Communication is at the centre of our relationships and our communities. Without effective communication, we reduce our social activities, become isolated, putting our well-being and happiness at risk.
I am privileged to offer a private speech therapy service where you are at the centre and you set the goals. We work together as a team; to achieve the best outcome and enable you to enjoy the best possible quality of life.
Qualifications/Registrations
- Bachelor of Science (with Honours) in Speech Sciences (BScHons), University College London (1996).
- Registration with Health and Care Professions Council (RegHCPC)
- Member of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (mRCSLT)
- Member of the Association of Independent Speech and Language Therapists (mASLTIP)
- Enhanced Disclosure Scotland certificate.
- Member of the British Aphasiology Society
Specialist further qualifications/training
- Hanen ‘It Takes Two to Talk’
- Hanen ‘More Than Words’
- Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) (2 day course.)
- The Treatment and Education of Autistic and Communication Handicapped Children.(TEAACH) (4 day course)
- Intensive Interaction training (Dave Hewitt)
- Sensory Integration (Approaches to children with Neurodevelopmental Disorder.) (2 day Course, Hospscotch Therapy Centre, London)
- Makaton Signing, Level 1&2
- Childhood Apraxia of Speech (Dyspraxia) training. (2 day Course. Specialist Speech and Language Therapist Kay Giesecke.)
- Sound Reasoning. (Speech Sound Disorders, Dr Caroline Bowen. 2 day course)
- The Shape Coding System Part 1 (Moor House Research and Training Institute)
- Delivering Speech Therapy by Skype (Dr Rebecca Matthews)
- Aphasia and technology, Online Therapy and EVAPark (City, University of London)
- Solution Focussed Brief Therapy (Willie Botterill, Kidge Burns. 2 day course.)
- Advanced Clinical Supervision for Professional Educators. (Marjon University. 2 day course, )
- Coaching Skills (Social Enterprise Academy. 2 day course)
- Care Aims (Kate Malcomess. 2 day course)
- Dysphagia Training, Post graduate (Masters level) Sheffield University.
- Eating and Drinking Difficulties in Children: Post Graduate Level, University College London.
- Award in Leadership SCQF level 9. The Institute of Leadership and Management.