All The Ways We Love To Help
At Speech Therapy Services we provide assessment, therapy and support for children of all ages who have communication difficulties. This covers speech, language, literacy, stuttering and/or central auditory processing problems.
We can help if your child is having difficulty with any of the following (beyond what is expected for their age):
- Swallowing and eating
- Playing appropriately
- Dribbling
- Using first words
- Constructing sentences
- Following directions
- Answering questions
- Understanding stories
- Retelling a story or an event
- Articulating sounds
- Using correct grammar
- Interacting with other children
- Planning and organising themselves
- Reading
- Understanding what they have read
- Spelling
- Writing stories
- Language of maths
We work with many families with autistic children. We can help your child before they are diagnosed, through the assessment process as well continuing to see them once they are funded through NDIS.
Home Visits
We understand that families are busy. It can be hard to get everyone in the car, especially if you have a baby. Your child may be shy and better in their home environment. If this is you, home visits would be a great option to in clinic therapy.
Due to time constraints and scheduling, Ish does not offer home therapy sessions. These sessions can be provided by Paul after school and over the school holidays. These home therapy sessions focus on functional skills such as cooking, getting organised and comprehension skills.
School Support
Often it can be hard to know how to support your child once they have started school. We like to build a bridge between what is happening at school, in therapy and at home. School sessions are a great way that we can support both you and the teacher to get the best outcomes and success for your child.
These sessions are provided weekly by Paul. Ish and Paul create a therapy plan for your child each term focusing on the key areas that support your child’s skill development. After each session, Paul will email you, the teachers and the team with an update. Paul and Ish will also liaise continuously to ensure that your child is well supported with the strategies that they need to be successful.
Telehealth
Telehealth is a great solution for those families that live further away or are having trouble accessing Speech Therapy. With the advancement in technology, it is now easier than ever to get therapy at home via your smartphone, ipad or laptop. With our secure platform to provide assessment and therapy as well as features such as a waiting room, white-board, document and screen sharing all make it feel like we are all in the same room. All you need is a good internet connection. To find out more, send us a message.
Assessment
We use the assessment time to determine if there is a difficulty or delay in your child’s communication and to identify any areas of weakness. It’s also a time where we start to plan a roadmap for your child’s therapy. The assessment session is usually made up of a mix of informal observation, play, as well as a specific test. After the assessment we will discuss with you the need for ongoing therapy sessions and what the goals will be.
We will then work collaboratively with you in weekly therapy sessions to not only upskill your child but give you the tools to support them at home and to advocate for their needs.
Therapy
Therapy sessions usually run for 60 minutes. During this time parents can choose to join in on the session or to wait in the waiting room. Sessions are booked at the same day and time throughout the school term. This provides great continuity and helps children who are especially routine orientated. The therapy itself is done through play. We play various games, each one targeting a specific goal we are working on. If the child finds it hard, we can make the tasks easier. After the therapy, we debrief with you on how your child went and how you can best support them and consolidate their newfound skills at home.
Therapy sessions are weekly.
In therapy sessions with Ish, you will be involved in unpacking any difficulties that are coming up at home. We will work to put strategies in place so that everyone is well supported. Ish will also work 1:1 with your child and will show you the strategies that you can use to follow up at home.
For sessions with Paul, as they will be at school, you will receive an email with updates on what has happened in the session, including what was successful and what may need follow up with the teacher or at home. Your input will always be welcomed so that we can work collaboratively with you to support your child in all the environments they are in.
Support
We also support teachers, support workers, therapists and other professionals working with your child.