Thoughtfully Tailored Paediatric Speech Therapy

By the age of 3 years, a stranger should be able to understand 75% of what a child is saying. If your child is unclear in their speech or experiencing difficulties with saying particular sounds like 'k' and 'g' or they are dropping sounds off, then we can help. We also work with children who are unintelligible and may have Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS).

Children may experience difficulties understanding or processing language and struggle with comprehending what is said to them or following instructions  (i.e. receptive language). 

They may  also experience difficulties using correct vocabulary, formulating correct grammatical sentences expected for their age and or expressing their thoughts and feelings (i.e. expressive language).

Stuttering involves the interruption to the fluency (smoothness) of speech and can be very frustrating for children as they can't get out what they want to say. When a child stutters, they may use repetitions (part word: da,da,daddy); (whole word: mum mum mum); (phrase: can I go, can I go, can I go to the park), or prolongations (stretch out the vowel in the word daaaaady) or have blocks and struggles (physically cannot get the word out and their is tension in the face, mouth, neck etc). Stuttering can be hereditary. SenseAbility Speech Therapy uses a range of best practice models of therapy such as the Lidcombe Stuttering Program.

Voice disorders can result when a child engages in vocal abuse such as constant yelling and screaming, making car and aeroplane noises when playing and or speaking too loudly, resulting in a husky sounding voice. Other areas of voice may be difficulties managing pitch or issues with resonance e.g. speaking like you have a permanent cold in the nose.

Social skills involves understanding the unwritten rules of play and socialising, knowing how and when to take turns in conversation, reading body language, sharing, etc. It also involves knowing what to say and do to keep conversations going as well as how to repair conversation. Social skills underpins friendships; building and making friends as well as keeping friends.

Knowing if your child is ready for school can be a difficult and daunting time. When a child is 'school ready' we want to know that they have the skills that will give them a solid foundation for their future education, e.g. language, speech, social skills, play, pre-literacy skills, attention and concentration, memory etc.

Support is offered in building children's early literacy skills such as understanding letter sound knowledge, being able to segment and decode words, understanding syllable and rhyme, first and final sounds of words as well as manipulating words to create new words. These skills are often described as phonological awareness and they underpin success in developing literacy (i.e. reading and writing).

Play is often thought of, as something children 'just do'. In fact, play is quite a complex area of development and many children require help to learn how to share space and toys, read others signals, take turns, generate play ideas as well as being able to build on others ideas. Through play, children learn social skills and make friends.

At different ages of development, we expect different skills, this too applies to attention and concentration skills. If a child is at preschool and struggling to sit still and pay attention, then they may need support in this area. Attention and concentration skills are also impacted by a child's body and posture, {i.e trunk control}, so further investigation maybe required.

It can be normal for children to experience fussiness in eating when they are younger however some children may develop very restricted diets because of the difficulties they have with eating and thus need ongoing professional support. At SenseAbility Speech Therapy, the SOS Feeding Program is used to support children with feeding difficulties.

At SenseAbility Speech Therapy, both Therapeutic Listening and the Soundsory Program are used to support client's emotional regulation, attention and concentration, language, social skills development as well as play.

Understanding the impact of difficulties in sensory processing and sensory motor development, enables us to best support our client's development and individual needs.