Social media for speech and language therapists: a practical guide

A private speech and language therapist usually serves several groups at once: parents worried about a toddler's talking, families of children with a stammer or a diagnosis, adults recovering from a stroke or living with a progressive condition, and schools, nurseries, case managers and solicitors who refer. Each wants different answers, so give each a regular place in your plan.

Parents in particular search late at night with a specific worry. A clear, kind post that explains what is typical, what to try at home and when to ask for an assessment is the content they save and share.

Two or three posts a week is enough. Write captions in short, plain sentences, add captions to every video and describe images in alt text so your own content is easy to access.

• Monday: a home activity parents can try today, such as a turn-taking game or book-sharing tip.
• Wednesday: an explainer, such as the difference between speech and language, or what a stammer is.
• Friday: practical details, such as availability, areas you cover, prices or online sessions.
• Monthly: a post for referrers, such as training you offer schools or how you write reports.
• Never: a real client's story, video or progress without written consent.

UK titles: the HCPC lists "speech and language therapist" and "speech therapist" as protected titles. Only use them in your page name, bio and posts if you are on the HCPC Register.

UK conduct: the HCPC's social media guidance says you must make reasonable checks that information you share is accurate, true and does not mislead the public (standard 2.11), must protect service user privacy (2.12) and must take reasonable steps to make sure any promotional activities you are involved in are accurate and not likely to mislead (9.3). It says that if information could allow a service user to be identified, including images relating to their care, you must not post it without their permission.

US: the ASHA Code of Ethics says members may make a reasonable statement of prognosis but shall not guarantee, directly or by implication, the results of any treatment. It also says statements to the public shall not contain misrepresentations when advertising or promoting services, and members shall not misrepresent their credentials, competence, education, training or experience.

This is general information, not legal or clinical advice. Rules differ by country and change, so check with your regulator, professional body or a lawyer before you post claims, prices or photos of the people you serve.

1. Check your page name and bio use a protected title only if you are registered.
2. Replace phrases like "talking in six weeks" with what you actually do and what families can expect.
3. List the qualifications, memberships and training you hold, and keep them current.
4. Separate general advice posts from anything that sounds like a diagnosis.

Sources: HCPC: The professions we regulate and their protected titles, checked 15 October 2026; HCPC: Guidance on use of social media, checked 15 October 2026; ASHA: Code of Ethics (effective 1 March 2023), checked 15 October 2026

Most speech and language therapy content involves children, and a video of a child in a session reveals both who they are and that they have a communication need. The ICO says data concerning health is special category data.

NSPCC Learning says children should always be consulted and give consent before their photo or video is used, and that for under 16s you should also get parental consent. It recommends recording consent in writing, explaining how to withdraw it, and removing location data and metadata before uploading.

In the US, HHS says the HIPAA Privacy Rule generally requires written authorization before protected health information is used for marketing, where that rule applies to your practice.

1. Use a written consent form that names the platforms and explains how to withdraw.
2. Ask the child as well as the parent, in words the child understands.
3. Film hands, toys and resources rather than faces where you can.
4. Leave out names, school uniforms, home details and location tags.
5. Take a post down promptly if a family changes their mind.

Sources: ICO: What is special category data?, checked 15 October 2026; NSPCC Learning: Photography and sharing images and films, checked 15 October 2026; HHS: HIPAA Privacy Rule, marketing, checked 15 October 2026

Families will message you with detailed worries about their child. Thank them, move the conversation to email or a phone call and avoid giving advice about a specific child in comments or direct messages. The HCPC suggests using a professional channel, such as a professional email account, when you follow up contact from service users.

Ask every family for a review the same way at the end of a block of sessions. Google's review policy bans incentives for reviews and selectively asking happy customers, and the FTC's 2024 rule in the US bans fake reviews.

Sources: HCPC: Guidance on use of social media, checked 15 October 2026; Google Maps user-generated content policy: fake engagement, checked 15 October 2026; FTC: Final rule banning fake reviews and testimonials (August 2024), checked 15 October 2026

Enquiries tend to follow the school year: settling-in worries in autumn, reports and reviews in spring, transition to a new school in summer. Plan posts a few weeks ahead of each.

Disclosure: this guide is published by Zolyp, an AI social media manager. Zolyp plans a calendar around your content pillars, writes and designs each post, and schedules it to Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google Business, X, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, and Threads. You start in review-everything mode, so nothing goes live without your approval. Brand Brain can hold words you never want used, such as "guaranteed" or "cure". Zolyp does not check posts against HCPC or ASHA standards, so read every post before you approve it. Everything in this guide works just as well done by hand.

• Week 1: check your bio, titles, areas covered and Google profile.
• Week 2: write two home activity posts and one explainer.
• Week 3: one post for referrers and one practical update.
• Week 4: reply to reviews, note which posts brought enquiries and plan next month.