Carol Reffin has worked as a Speech and Language Therapist since 1989. She worked for 15 years, in the NHS, as a specialist with young people with specific language impairment, within mainstream education. She has worked at St Andrew’s Healthcare for the last three years, in the Adolescent Service. Her area of specialism is working with adolescents with speech, language and communication needs, with associated mental health issues.

She completed an MA in Applied Health Studies in 2006. Her dissertation was a qualitative study to explore the perceptions of speech and language impaired adolescents towards leaving school and entering adulthood. Carol is particularly interested in developing awareness of the role of Speech and Language Therapy within the multi-disciplinary team and in helping others to understand the nature and overall developmental significance of language acquisition and communication, in childhood and adolescence. Her aim is to give the young people she works with a voice.