Becky Baxter

BSc (Hons) Speech Sciences, Stage 2 British Sign Language

Roles

• Speech and Language Therapist

Responsibilities

Becky is involved in the Early Development Groups held at Down Syndrome Education International. She runs individual sessions during these groups which focus on demonstrating early intervention and specific speech and language activities, and provide ideas and activities for practice at home. 

Becky is responsible for the outreach service to local mainstream schools. She provides information, training and support to families and school staff on inclusion and related issues. Becky provides training and consultancy on a range of topics for children of all ages, through in house workshops, training days and our Down Syndrome Education Conferences. She also takes part in the Advice Open Days, and is involved in several of the research projects that the charity is currently running.

Background

Becky has worked with children with Down syndrome since 1999. Initially she worked as a Nursery Nurse before becoming a support assistant in a mainstream infant school supporting a child with Down syndrome. Becky then decided to pursue a career in the profession by studying a degree course at UCL in Speech Sciences. This four year course has enabled Becky to supplement the practical working knowledge and experience she initially gained with a strong academic and more theoretically based understanding. The degree course also included long term work placements working with children at Great Ormond Street Hospital and a Speech and Language Impairment (SLI) unit attached to a mainstream school.

Becky qualified as a Speech and Language Therapist in June 2007. For her final year at UCL she commenced a longitudinal research project on speech and language development in children with Down syndrome here at the charity. With the support of the charity and the Psychology Department at UCL, Becky is continuing this research as part of her role at the charity. Becky is currently studying for a Masters degree in Language and Communication Impairments in Children. Becky has also completed her British Sign Language level 2 and received training in MAKATON.