Jemma Nelson is a Speech and Language Therapist and Expert Witness with over twelve years of clinical experience working across health, education and community settings. Her practice is centred on paediatric speech, language and communication needs, providing a strong foundation for expert evidence in cases involving developmental, neurological and complex communication presentations.

Jemma brings extensive expertise in assessing and supporting children and young people with a wide range of communication needs, including speech sound disorders, language disorders, social communication difficulties and stammering. Her clinical experience spans both organic and acquired conditions, including cleft lip and palate, cerebral palsy, learning disabilities and complex neurological profiles, enabling a comprehensive and clinically grounded approach to expert evidence.

Her practice is grounded in detailed diagnostic assessment and the development of evidence-based intervention programmes focused on functional communication outcomes. She has significant experience in dynamic assessment and the implementation of Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC), ensuring recommendations are tailored to the individual’s developmental stage and communication environment. Her work also incorporates cases where communication is impacted by social, emotional and mental health needs, requiring integrated and multidisciplinary approaches.

Jemma has extensive experience working across a wide range of settings, including clinics, nurseries, mainstream and specialist schools, resource bases and community services. She regularly contributes to Education, Health and Care assessments and plans, ensuring that clinical evidence is clearly articulated to support appropriate provision and long-term outcomes.

Her leadership experience includes a Clinical Lead role within a Children’s Speech and Language Therapy service, where she oversaw clinical pathways, service consistency and workforce development, alongside engagement with commissioners to shape service delivery. This provides a strong foundation for her expert opinion on care, therapy provision and long-term communication needs in paediatric cases.

Fully trained in the Civil Procedure Rules, Jemma provides independent expert evidence across both claimant and defendant instructions. Her reports are objective, clinically robust and focused on delivering clear, reasoned opinions to assist the Court in determining matters of communication, development and long-term functional outcomes in children and young people.

Specialisms

• Neurological conditions & injuries
• Cerebral palsy & Genetic disorders
• Cognitive disability
• Sensory Impairment
• Deafness
• Multi-sensory Impairment
• Cleft Lip and Palate condition
• Mental health & learning disability
• Learning Disability
• Autism Spectrum Disorder
• ADHD
• Down’s syndrome
• Challenging behaviour
• Developmental delay

Age Group

• Peadiatrics
• Children and Young Persons

View Full Profile

• View Jemma Nelson’s full Expert Witness profile

Contact

Contact us at enquiries@harrison.associates