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Building Better Communication: Speech Pathology for Children and Young Adults

Effective communication can transform lives. The ability to communicate clearly is essential not only for building relationships but also for success in everyday activities.

 

What is Speech Pathology?

Speech therapy, or speech pathology, is a specialized area of allied health that supports children and young adults who experience speech and language delays. Whether your child is facing difficulties in speaking clearly, being understood, or navigating social interactions, speech therapy can play a pivotal role in their development.

 

How Can Speech Therapy Help?

Our skilled speech therapists focus on addressing a range of common challenges:

  • Correcting pronunciation for clearer speech
  • Helping your child be understood by others
  • Overcoming stuttering and articulation disorders to promote fluent speech
  • Supporting literacy and addressing reading and writing difficulties
  • Ensuring safe consumption of food and beverages
Personalized Treatment Plans

Using evidence-based strategies, our speech therapists create personalized treatment programs tailored to your child’s unique needs. We focus not only on improving language and communication but also on enhancing social skills, helping your child thrive in various settings.

The Benefits of Speech Therapy

Speech therapists, or speech pathologists, are highly trained and qualified health professionals, dedicated to helping children overcome challenges with communication and related skills.

 

At Playfull Progress, our speech pathologists use a variety of evidence-based strategies to help your child in areas such as:

  • Language development
  • Social skills and interaction
  • Literacy and academic progress
  • Biomechanics of the jaw and mouth to improve both speaking and eating
Tailored to Your Child’s Needs

We understand that every child is unique, which is why we create personalized treatment programs based on your child’s individual needs and the specific goals you’ve identified for them.

Some common therapy goals include:
  • Making friends and improving social interactions
  • Developing clear and confident speech
  • Building self-confidence and assertiveness
  • Enhancing comprehension and understanding
  • Boosting academic performance and increasing school participation

Partnering with Families

 

At Playfull Progress, we work closely with you and your family to achieve meaningful outcomes for your child. Our collaborative approach ensures that the strategies we use in therapy are effective and continue to be applied at home and in other settings.

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How Speech Therapy Works

Speech pathologists use a range of formal and informal assessment tools to identify specific areas where your child may be facing difficulties. From there, they apply evidence-based therapies to improve communication, literacy, and social skills in everyday settings.

 

At Playfull Progress, our speech pathologists are equipped with advanced training in specialized approaches, including:

  • SOS Feeding
  • DIR Floortime
  • Early Start Denver Model (ESDM)
  • Secret Agent Society
  • Hanen Program
  • PEERS, and more

These specialized techniques allow us to offer tailored support for your child’s unique needs.

 

Collaborative Care

Our speech pathologists work closely with your child’s caregivers, educators, and other health professionals to ensure that they receive the most consistent and holistic care possible. This team-based approach maximizes the effectiveness of therapy across all areas of your child’s life.

 

Empowering Parents and Caregivers

Parent coaching is a vital part of our approach. During sessions, we guide parents and caregivers on how to implement effective strategies at home, ensuring that progress continues beyond the clinic.

why Choose us

Speech Therapy Programs

As part of your therapy journey your Speech Pathologist may recommend some therapy programs to assist in achieving your goals including:

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • Q. At what age should my child get speech therapy?
    You should seek advice from a speech pathologist as soon as you have any concerns about your child’s speech, language, communication or feeding development. They can be assessed from as early as birth. It’s never too early. Or if you have had a recent diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, down syndrome, cerebral palsy, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD), Dyslexia, articulation disorders and Hearing impairment
  • Q. What are some of the key indicators to know if my child needs a speech therapist?
    If you have any concerns, it is always best to seek advice. Some key indicators for needing a speech therapist to help a child’s speech include:
    • Either you or other people find your child difficult to understand
    • Your child doesn’t talk or sound like other kids their age
    • Your child is getting frustrated by not being heard or understood
    • Your child struggles in social settings and/or has difficulty making friends
    • Your child is struggling in the classroom or is behind at school
    • Your child has a very limited diet or doesn’t eat like other children their age
    • Your child’s teacher or early childhood educator, or other caregiver has concerns about your child
    • Your GP or paediatrician suggests a speech assessment
    • Your child has very specific interests and is fixed or rigid in their thinking
    • Your child has problem-solving and other executive functioning difficulties
    • Your child has a diagnosis that impacts their speech and language development
  • Q. What are some of the key milestones that might indicate a child should see a speech pathologist?
    Key milestones can be helpful in understanding where your child should be at for their age and whether you should think about booking an appointment with a speech therapist.
      By two years old -
    • Have a vocabulary of approximately 50 to 75 words
    • Produce vowel sounds and ‘m’, ‘n’, ‘p’, ‘t’ and ‘w’ sounds correctly
    • Join two words together, such as ‘bear eat’ and ‘bubble pop’
    • Point to objects when they say the object’s name
    • Follow simple instructions, such as ‘wave goodbye’
      By three years old -
    • Have a vocabulary of approximately 200+ words
    • Follow simple instructions, such as ‘brush bear’s hair’
    • Use 3-to-4-word sentences, such as “daddy go outside”
    • Produce ‘m’, ‘n’, ‘p’, ‘b’, ‘t’, ‘w’, ‘h’, ‘d’, ‘k’ and ‘g’ sounds
      By four years old -
    • Have a vocabulary of more than 1,000+ words
    • Use 4-to-5-word sentences, such as ‘grandma likes tea, doesn’t she?’
    • Ask and answer who, what and where questions
    • Be more than 90% understood by others
      By five years old -
    • Be 100% understood by others
    • Speak in long and detailed sentences
    • Use the correct form of verbs to talk about past and future events.
    • Start to understand some concepts of time, such as night, day and yesterday
    • Produce all speech sounds correctly except some consonant blends, such as ‘r’ and ‘th’
  • Q. How can speech therapy help kids?
    Speech pathologists use a range of evidence-based strategies to work on challenges your child may have with language, social skills, literacy, feeding or speaking. Therapy can be delivered in your home, your child’s school or childcare centre, or one of our therapy clinics. At Playful Progress Australia, we make sure therapy is fun for your child by using a play-based approach.
  • Q. How can I improve my child’s speech at home?
    Your speech pathologist can create a home program for you based on their assessment and understanding of your child’s needs and goals. At Playful Progress, we also use a parent coaching approach to empower you and your family to implement strategies at home.
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