Paediatric Clients

An initial Speech Pathology assessment of 1-1.5 hours is completed to gain in-depth information about your child and their needs. The length of the initial assessment will be determined by the Speech Pathologist, according to your child’s individual needs.

Following this, Speech Pathology sessions are 30, 45 or 60 mins in length, on a weekly or fortnightly basis (this will be determined by your Speech Pathologist according to your child’s needs). We pride ourselves on going above and beyond your expectations by frequently liaising with schools, kindergartens, childcare centres etc as required, recognizing the importance of training other professionals/staff who work with your child using our intervention strategies. We strongly advocate for Early Intervention.

Speech/Articulation

Speech is a complex and automatic process in which sounds are generated to form words, phrases, sentences and conversation.
Speech sound/articulation/phonological disorders relate to difficulty in forming sounds with the articulators (i.e. mouth, teeth, jaw, tongue, palate). We work with children who have difficulties with not being able to produce certain sounds, as well as lisps and various other sound substitutions. Being able to articulate clearly is essential for your child across a variety of social situations with peers, teachers and family members. Not being understood often results in poor social development, literacy difficulties and can lead to behavioural difficulties. A comprehensive articulation assessment informs the Speech Pathologist to determine the appropriate plan of action for your child.

Language Development

Language is a term used to describe the process of putting words together to understand and create meaning. There are 2 areas of language: Receptive Language and Expressive Language. Receptive Language is about your child’s ability to understand language and follow instructions. Expressive Language is about your child’s ability to use language to form grammatical sentences and ensure their message is understood by others. We address both areas in our therapy.

Social Skills (Pragmatics)

Social skills (pragmatics) are an essential part of life. Children with conditions such as Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) often have social skill delays which create a negative impact on their ability to form relationships with peers and this can, in turn, affect psychological health. We work on teaching social skills in an intensive manner, using role plays, visual strategies and conversational techniques. Social skills that are often targeted include: turn taking, greetings, initiating conversation, maintaining conversation and using non verbal cues to express emotions. We also address understanding other people’s non verbal communication. We liaise regularly with professionals such as teachers, in order to gain a thorough understanding of your child’s ability to interact with their peers.

Literacy

Literacy (reading and writing) is a fundamental life skill. We assist children with dyslexia, decoding and spelling difficulties. Children who have difficulties with reading often have poor academic performance and suffer from low self-confidence. We teach literacy in a systematic manner, using an evidence based technique called Synthetic Phonics.

Stuttering

Stuttering is a type of fluency disorder, in which children may repeat a sound, part of a word, a full word, phrase or sentence. They may also stretch out or prolong sounds and, in some cases, be unable to produce a sound at a particular time. We are trained in well known therapies including The Lidcombe Program, developed in New South Wales, Australia and Smooth Speech techniques. The Lidcombe Program is mainly used to treat children with stuttering, while Smooth Speech is often used in adolescents and adults. Stuttering often causes social embarrassment and can lead to self consciousness and bullying.