Children’s Speech Therapy
What Is A Paediatric Speech Pathologist?
Speech pathologists assess, diagnose and treat individuals with communication difficulties, including those related to speech, language, literacy and social communication. Speech pathologists also support individuals who have swallowing and/or feeding difficulties.
If your child is having trouble with pronunciation, stuttering, language-use or communication, a paediatric speech therapist is the best-placed specialist to help them improve. We work with kids of all ages to determine the cause of their speech problem, before devising an individually-tailored treatment plan to effectively support their communication development.
Your child’s speech and communication is important – good speech and language skills will see them flourish throughout their early years, at school, and into adult life. At Redlands Children’s Therapy Centre, we take a holistic approach to allied health, making sure that kids receive the right combination of therapies to stimulate language development and help them thrive in the long-term. Regardless of their current communication difficulties, we are here to support positive growth across all areas of life.
To differentiate between the two terms, a speech disorder refers to an individual’s ability to use sounds appropriately within their speech. For some children, this will involve inaccurate sound productions (e.g. producing the “s” sound as “th”). For other children, this may involve deleting particular sounds or substituting one sound for another.
On the other hand, a language disorder refers to difficulty either understanding (receptive) or using (expressive) language. A receptive language difficulty may include trouble understanding new words or concepts, following instructions, or comprehending written or spoken text. An expressive language difficulty may include being unable to ask or answer questions appropriately, using accurate grammar, or structuring spoken or written communication.
What Happens At Kids’ Speech Therapy?
At Redlands Children’s Therapy Centre, we provide assessment and intervention for individuals experiencing difficulties in the following areas:
- Speech (articulation)
- Expressive and receptive language (how we use and understand language)
- Alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) systems
- Literacy (reading and writing)
- Stuttering
- Social skills
- Voice
- Feeding and swallowing
What Are The Benefits Of Speech Therapy For Kids?
Your child may benefit from speech language pathology if he/she:
- Has difficulty saying particular sounds or words correctly
- Has difficulty being understood by others
- Has difficulty following instructions or understanding others
- Is stuttering
- Is having difficulty learning to read
- Is frequently frustrated when trying to communicate with others
- Is experiencing feeding or swallowing difficulties
- Requires access to an alternative or augmentative communication (AAC) system to supplement or replace spoken communication
If your child is experiencing any of these concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us to see how our speech therapists can help.
Speech Pathology Services
In order to fully understand your child’s skills and abilities, and determine how best to support them, a comprehensive assessment will be conducted by a highly qualified Speech Pathologist.
An initial assessment session typically lasts approximately 60 minutes. During this first appointment, we will discuss any areas of concerns in-depth, and will then assess your child using both formal and informal assessment techniques appropriate for your child. After your appointment, the Speech Pathologist will be able to provide you with recommendations regarding the path forward.
All of our therapists are experienced working with children and young people. First and foremost, our approach is always determined based on the needs of your child, and we are very focused on creating an environment that is both comforting and fun for your little one.
Individual speech language therapy sessions typically last between 45 – 60 minutes, depending on your child’s goals. Each session is carefully planned and tailored to meet the needs of the individual child, and incorporate a range of strategies and activities to engage and motivate your child.
The number and frequency of therapy sessions is entirely dependent on your child’s needs, individual goals, and progress.
At Redlands Children’s Therapy Centre, our multidisciplinary advantage allows our therapists to work collaboratively to support your child. We offer joint therapy sessions with other disciplines, such as Occupational Therapy, where appropriate. For more information regarding multidisciplinary therapy sessions and whether this may be suitable for your child, please chat with your child’s therapist or contact our support team.
From time to time, our team of experienced Speech Pathologists conduct various group programs designed to support your child’s development. To register your interest in any of the following groups, please contact our support team.
- Prep-readiness groups
- Social skills groups
- Preschool language groups
We offer a mobile speech therapist service, visiting individuals within their home, childcare centre, school or community.
We are able to provide high quality paediatric speech therapy intervention via videoconferencing to support you and your child. Please contact our support team if you would like to organise a telehealth consultation.
Hanen It Takes Two to Talk ®
It Takes Two to Talk ® is a program for parents of children (birth to 5) who have language delays. It Takes Two to Talk recognizes the importance of involving parents in their child’s early language intervention, and the need to help children and families as early as possible in a child’s life. This evidence-based program, which was developed by The Hanen Centre, is well-known around the world. Studies on the It Takes Two to Talk Program have shown that it is effective and that, when parents learn to use the program’s strategies, their children’s communication skills improve. It Takes Two to Talk is led by a Hanen Certified Speech-Language Pathologist/Therapist who has received specialised training from The Hanen Centre
To register your interest in a Hanen It Takes Two to Talk ® Program, please contact our support team.
Hanen More Than Words® Program
More Than Words is a program that provides parents of young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or social communication difficulties with practical tools to help their children communicate. This unique program was developed by expert speech-language pathologists at The Hanen Centre. More Than Words is offered to parents around the world by Hanen Certified Speech Language Pathologists/Therapists who have received specialised training from The Hanen Centre. For more information, click here (link to MTW parent brochure).
To register your interest in a Hanen More Than Words ® Program, please contact our support team.
Key Word Sign training
Our Speech Pathologists are able to conduct training in the use of key word sign, including conducting training for both parents and other professionals. To register your interest in attending, please contact our team here.
