Speech, language and communication services

All sessions are provided through home visits or visits to the child’s kindergarten, childcare centre or school (provided the parent(s)/carer(s) attend). This is because communication happens in real life, and as a result has many benefits:

• the child can be more relaxed and comfortable in their natural environment
• it is more convenient for parents/carers to attend
• it can involve staff and/or key workers with the child
• it provides realistic assessment of the child –how they really communicate
• it uses resources and experiences of the environment, so that new strategies and ideas can be applied immediately with real life examples for parents/carers and key workers

Telephone consultation is provided at the time of booking to gather some background information to help tailor the first session.

Initial assessment is usually 1 hour, which includes:

• a detailed case history of the child’s development and current concerns,
• an observation of the child interacting naturally in their setting, and
• a brief formal and informal assessment of the child’s speech, language and communication skills.

From this initial assessment, feedback is provided to parent(s)/carer(s) about the child’s current communication strengths and weaknesses, and a plan is discussed and agreed on what will happen next. Options include:

• follow up, in-depth assessment on specific areas of speech, language and communication
• home program of activities for the family or key workers to carry out
• review session or follow-up phone consultation in an agreed timeframe (e.g. 6 months’ time)
• direct therapy with a speech pathologist to target speech, language and communication targets
• education/advice for parent(s)/carer(s) or training for staff working with the child.

Following assessment, a report is always provided to detail results of testing, advice and recommendations. Materials and resources will be provided by the speech pathologist to target specific needs during therapy and home program delivery.

Areas of Assessment

Concerns with a child’s speech, language and communication can include their:

• attention and listening
• play and interaction
• understanding of spoken language
• use of spoken language
• speech sound development
• fluency (stuttering)
• voice
• phonological awareness (early literacy skills)
• literacy (reading and writing)

Please contact us if you would like to discuss any areas of a child’s speech, language or communication development with a qualified Speech Pathologist.

Read more about Our Services here

Contact Us

For a free over the phone consultation or to book an appointment, contact us on:

phone: 0428004406
email: rachael@greattalking.com.au