Name: Helen Sim

Profession: HCPC registered Speech & Language Therapist

HCPC Registration number: SL08757  

Helen has been a Speech and Language Therapist for 28 years, initially starting out in the NHS, working in community clinics and SEN schools, including specialist language units. Here, Helen gained a particular interest in autism and social communication difficulties.

Helen moved to a specialist autism education provision for students aged between 5 and 25 years.  Helen worked here for 22 years gaining a huge wealth of knowledge and experience of autism and its varying presentations. Helen enjoyed working closely with other professionals as part an MDT.  She also worked with many education and care staff as well as families, ensuring that communication advice and strategies were consistently applied throughout all the young person’s settings. Helen loved working with students of all ages, providing group and individual therapy, alongside ongoing informal and formal assessments.

In 2021, Helen decided to move into the diagnostic side of autism and took on a role within a charity organisation as part of an MDT offering autism assessments. Helen enjoyed working as part of the team and using her expertise and knowledge to participate in differential diagnosis discussions and autism diagnosis decisions.

Helen is currently conducting autism diagnostic assessments as well as providing Speech and Language Therapy input to young people with Social, Emotional and Mental Health needs and/or autism within their educational settings. Helen feels privileged to have such a role within these services and enjoys the opportunity to be involved in diagnostic assessments as well as therapeutic intervention.