PARENT HANDBOOK 2011 Welcome to our Clinic!

Learning to Talk & Talking to Learn

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We look forward to working together with you to develop your child’s communication and literacy abilities!

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Our Mission Statement ………………………...………… 4 Our Staff ……………………………………………………. 5 Psychologists ……………………………………………..... 6 Occupational Therapists ………………………………... 8 Hearing and Vision Professionals ……..………………...9 Tutors ……………………………………………………….10 Our Clinic ………………………………………………….11 Fees …………..………………………...…………………..14 Rebates and Allowances ……………………………... 16 Cancellation Policy…………………………..…………. 18 2010 Star Clients ………………………………………... 20 How long will this take? ………………………………… 22 Causes ………………………………………………….… 23 Grief …………………………………………………….… 24 Managing Behaviour ………………………………….. 25 Types of Problems ………………..…………………...… 26 Speech Sound Disorders ………………………….…… 27 Language Disorders ……………………………….…… 29 Reading and Spelling Problems …………………..… 32 Stuttering ………………………………………………..... 34 Voice Disorders ………………..……………………...… 34 What might happen in a therapy session?...........… 35 What parents can do at home? …………………..… 36 Resources for parents ………………..………………... 38 Our Privacy Act ………………………………………….. 39 Contact Us …………………………………………..…… 40

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OUR MISSION STATEMENT

Therapy Matters is committed to: 

the highest quality speech pathology services

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dedicated, fulfilled and experienced staff

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a welcoming and family-friendly workplace

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being supportive, respectful and understanding to children and parents

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acknowledging that parents have expert knowledge on their child

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helping parents to understand their child’s communication disorder, why it is happening, how it can be helped and the value of speech therapy in this process

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passionate advocacy in the wider community for the important role that speech and language skills have in learning, relationships and life.

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OUR DIRECTOR

Director/ Senior Speech Pathologist Tania Teitzel OUR SPEECH PATHOLOGISTS

Tania Blunden

Amanda Clancy

Jenna Feros

Jacqui Sullivan

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Emma Dougherty

Sarah Tyack

OUR OFFICE STAFF

Denise de Ruyter (Office Manager)

Sharon Russell (Receptionist)

OUR PSYCHOLOGIST

Rachel Fanning

Ph: 0424944761 Rachel has over 15 years experience supporting children, adolescents and their families. Rachel can help with difficulties in the areas of anxiety, phobias, bed wetting, bullying, sleep difficulties, anger management issues, ADD/ADHD, depression, fears, grief and loss, self esteem issues and behavioural difficulties.

She can also assess a child’s learning

strengths and weaknesses through testing of their intellectual abilities. Rachel consults at our West Burleigh Clinic on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. All visits by appointment only and can be arranged by phoning the clinic.

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OTHER PSYCHOLOGISTS Therapy Matters’ speech pathologists often work together with a range of other psychologists in our local area. We often work together with the following psychologists because of their dedicated interest in specialty areas such as learning difficulties, dyslexia, autism spectrum disorders and other disabilities.

Dr Karen Plant (Clinical Psychologist) Ph: 0412055736

Tweed Heads

Understanding Minds (Team of Psychologists) Ph: (07) 55261516 Mermaid Beach

Dr Christine Salisbury Kids Inc (Clinical Psychologist) Ph: 55991032

Coolangatta

Lakeside Rooms (Team of Psychologists) Ph: (07) 55620466

Robina

F.A.B.I.C (Behaviour Practitioner and a Psychologist) Ph: (07) 55261516 Mermaid Beach

Stephen Underwood (Psychologist) Ph: (07) 55702899 Bundall

Minds and Hearts (Team of Psychologists) Ph: (07) 3844 9466 West End (Brisbane) Psychologists can help children with problems in the areas of:  behaviour  social skills  emotions  learning  intellectual development

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OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS

Some children may have other difficulties in addition to their speech and language problems that require investigation and intervention. Occupational Therapists work with people who have difficulties with:  fine motor skills  handwriting skills,  cutting and drawing,  balance and co-ordination difficulties,  ball skills,  sensory processing  attention  memory, planning and organisation  visual perception  play skills and  independent living skills like dressing, using cutlery and toileting We often work together with the following occupational therapists:

Charmaine Owen Ph:

0411057587 Burleigh Heads

Fiona Andersen

Ph: 0431306016

Jenny Hosking

Ph: 0412730306

Burleigh Heads Kingscliff

Louise Hunt - Kidability Ph: 07 55764688

Adele Suda

Ph: 07 55782000

Burleigh Heads Nerang

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AUDIOLOGISTS

We often refer children to have their hearing tested to determine if poor hearing or middle ear dysfunction may be the cause for the child’s speech, language or learning difficulties. We typically recommend the following diagnostic tests: audiogram and tympanometery to assess middle ear status. We only recommend Central Auditory Processing Testing as a last resort when all other avenues of speech, language, attention, memory, social skills and intellectual skills have been excluded as a cause for a child’s difficulties. We recommend the following audiology clinics:

Neurosensory Unit Ph: Ph:

07 55992799 07 55278722

Tugun Ashmore

Sunshine Sleep and Hearing Ph:

07 55361420

Coolangatta

BEHAVIOURAL OPTOMETRISTS Behavioural Optometrist have experience in investigating whether any problems in the child’s vision may be impacting their development and learning. We recommend the following behavioural optometry clinic:

Harmony Vision Care Ph: 07 55205900

Varsity Lakes

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EDUCATIONAL TUTORS While the speech pathologists at Therapy Matters provide research based specialist treatments for a range of speech, language and learning difficulties, sometimes a more regular generic educational tutoring service maybe all that is deemed necessary to meet a child’s needs or may supplement what the child is doing in speech therapy. We encourage parents to do their own research and seek educational tutors that are in their local area. The following are a list of local tutoring services that may be of assistance:

Literate Kids

Ph: 0413044224

Nerang

Jill McDonald Tuition Ph: 0417639259

Mermaid Waters

Tweed Valley Learning and Counselling Centre Ph: 02 66724 746

Murwillumbah NSW

Reading and Spelling Clinic Ph: 07 5576 5045

Burleigh Waters

Free Minds In Home Educational Tuition Ph: 0410531710

Gold Coast

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OUR CLINIC

Opening Hours: 8.30 - 5.00 (Monday—Friday) Our reception staff are available to take your calls and handle any enquiries 9.00—4.00 (Mon—Fri) Parking: Off street parking and visitor parking are available in our building complex in the designated areas. Waiting Room and Reception Area: Our waiting room and reception areas can often be very busy and sometimes noisy places so we kindly ask parents to respect the following guidelines:  As we value the privacy of our clients, we ask that you conduct any conversations with your child’s therapist in their treatment room rather than in the waiting room or reception area  No mobile phones in the reception area. Please conduct calls in the waiting room or on the balcony outside so as not to disturb clients or reception staff.  Please be considerate of other clients having therapy sessions and keep disruptive noises to a minimum when you are visiting our clinic. No running, shouting or boisterous play in the wait room.  Please kindly ask your child to pack away toys and books from the waiting room as you leave for your therapy session.  We understand that some families may need to attend sessions with a number of other siblings or younger toddlers. These families are welcome to request the use of our family room in the adjacent office but all children must be supervised in this room

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OUR CLINIC

Appointments: Clients are generally allocated a regular day and time for their child’s therapy session. They will typically attend weekly or fortnightly. While we try and accommodate each family’s request for a preferred appointment time, this is not always possible in our popular morning and after school times. Priority will be given to weekly clients, clients with a history of exemplary attendance and clients with extenuating family circumstances. After School Times: Appointments after school will be primarily reserved for clients in Grade 1 upwards. Children in Prep or Kindergarten can struggle to attend and participate in therapy sessions after a long day at school. It is our clinic’s preference for these children to attend either an early morning appointment and arrive at school later or be withdrawn during school hours. Sick Children: Please do not bring your child to speech therapy if they are sick. As we often work in close proximity with children and certain therapy techniques (e.g. PROMPT) require us to touch your child’s face, infections can easily spread. Sick children are not usually that responsive to therapy so please feel free to contact our clinic to cancel your child’s session if they are unwell with sneezing, coughing, a cold or other illnesses. In general, cancelling a therapy session before 8.30 on the morning of the appointment will not incur a cancellation fee.

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TESTIMONIALS

Be in the draw to win a Therapy Matters Homework Book Bag and one reference book of your choice* Let us know in 150 words of less what Therapy Matters Speech Pathology services have meant for your child and your family.

_________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ Your First Name _________________________________

All entries will be placed in the draw and five entries drawn randomly and awarded a Therapy Matters Book Bag and a reference book of their choice each term. I consent to my testimonial being published in the Therapy Matters Clinic Handbook for 2011. Signed ___________________________________ Date ___________ I consent to my testimonial being published on the Therapy Matters Website. Signed ___________________________________ Date _____________

Only Parents and Children’s first names, surname initial and ages (if specified) will be included in these publications.

*Complete Guide to Asperger’s Syndrome *Australian Parent Handbook Autism *Speech and Language Disorders *Helping your Child to Read

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2011 FEES SCHEDULE

Standard Fees Schedule (Effective 1/7/2010 – 30/6/2011) Initial Assessment (1.5 hours) $250 – Toddlers and Preschool Children $350 – School Aged Children Subsequent Assessment (45 minutes) $150 Therapy Sessions (45 minutes) $90 West Burleigh Clinic

Pay in advance Parents who pay for 5 – 10 sessions in advance are eligible for a 5% discount

GST Exempt All Speech Pathology services are exempt from GST with the exception of speech pathology services paid for by a third party such as a school or charity organisation.

Methods of payment Payment is expected for all services at the time of the appointment. Payments can be made by cash, cheque or EFTPOS. Our clinic has electronic health claiming facilities so those clients with private health fund coverage need only pay the gap amount.

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2011 FEES SCHEDULE

Higher fees Apply to all off-site services, complex diagnostic assessments (any age) and services covered under the FaHCSIA Helping Children with Autism Initiative.

Special Fees Schedule Clients with Autism Spectrum Disorders on FaHCSIA funding (Effective 1/7/2010 – 30/6/2011) Initial Assessment $250/hr (on-site) $320/hr (off-site) Subsequent Assessment $250/hr (on-site) $320/hr (off-site) Therapy sessions and Parent Planning sessions $160/hr (on-site) $125/45min (on-site) $230/hr (off-site) $172.50/45min (off-site) Parent Mini Workshops (2 hours) $95/family Hanen More Than Words Group Parent Training $1800—$2700/family

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REBATES & ALLOWANCES

Families may be assisted with the cost of private speech therapy through the following avenues. Please note that private health and medicare rebates rarely cover the full cost of a speech pathology session. Private Health Fund Rebates Many Private Health Funds offer a rebate for Speech Pathology services on their extras tables. Rebates vary considerably between funds as do annual limits. Electronic health claiming is available at our clinic for most private funds so clients need only pay the gap amount. Tax break : Medical Benefit Tax Offset You may receive a tax offset on your gross payable tax bill if your out of pocket medical expenses exceed $1,500.00. The Medical Benefit Tax Offset contributes 20% of your out-of-pocket medical expenses that exceed $1,500. Clients need to have been referred by a medical professional to include any Speech Pathology fees in this calculation Carer’s Allowance This Centrelink allowance is available to carers or parents who care for a child with a disability This allowance may be available for some families with children identified with speech and language difficulties Medicare Rebates – Chronic Disease Management Clients with chronic conditions and needing team care may be deemed eligible for this program by their local Doctor. A rebate for only 5 sessions per calendar year is available.

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REBATES & ALLOWANCES

Medicare Rebates – Follow up Speech Pathology Services for People of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Descent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients may be deemed eligible for this program by their local Doctor. A rebate for a further 5 sessions per calendar year is available. Medicare Rebates – Children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder Clients with Autistic Disorder, Asperger’s Disorder or another pervasive developmental disorder (e.g. PDDNOS) may be deemed eligible for this program by their local treating paediatrician. A rebate for up to 4 assessment sessions and 20 treatment sessions is available. Federal Government Funding (FaHCSIA)- Children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder and other disabilities Students under 7 years of age with an Autistic disorder, Asperger’s Disorder or another pervasive developmental disorder (e.g. PDD-NOS) who have a Letter of Introduction from the Autism Advisor in their state are eligible for up to $12000 of therapy services (to a maximum of $6000 per year). In mid 2011, this Federal Government Initiative is proposed to also apply to children with hearing impairment, visual impairment, cerebral palsy, fragile X syndrome and Down syndrome.

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CANCELLATION POLICY

We understand that family life can be busy and at times unexpected and as a result children may not be able to attend scheduled appointments. Families are encouraged to contact us at their earliest convenience to advise us when they cannot attend a scheduled therapy session time. This allows us to make alternative arrangements to help other needy children on our ever increasing wait lists. When families do not attend appointments and we are not notified within a reasonable time frame, cancellation fees will apply. Contact us before 8.30am on the day of your appointment (or before 3.30pm on the working day before the appointment for early morning appointments (i.e. 8.30, 8.45. 9.00 or 9.15) to avoid these cancellation fees. We recognise that there may be exceptional circumstances where these fees may seem unfair. The decision as to whether or not a fee will be waived rests solely with the Centre Director. Our administrative staff and associate speech pathologists do not have the authority to waive cancellation fees. If a cancellation fee has been charged, it must be paid prior to the provision of any further services. These cancellation fees apply to all clients of Therapy Matters and will need to be paid personally by families as organisations such as FaHCSIA, Medicare, Private Health funds, Charities and Government agencies will not pay these fees.

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CANCELLATION POLICY

CANCEL BEFORE 8:30am*

Thanks *8:30, 8:45, 9:00 and 9:15am appointments

Surcharges will apply to the following cancellations and missed appointments:

PLEASE Cancel BEFORE 3:30pm on the working day prior to the appointment

10% CANCEL AFTER Surcharge next ap8:30am* (on pointment) MISS your APPOINTMENT & there is no notification from you

MISS 3 APPOINTMENTS IN A ROW

20% Surcharge (on next appointment)

50% Deposit (non-refundable) to resume therapy

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2010 STAR CLIENTS

Star of the Year and Annual Awards At the end of each year Therapy Matters celebrates the success of a number of our STAR clients who have impressed their therapists with their persistence, achievements and enthusiasm. STAR OF THE YEAR 2010 : Tyler H Tyler is a seven year old boy who was first seen at our clinic three years ago and diagnosed with severe childhood apraxia of speech and a severe language disorder. Over the past three years Tyler has rarely missed a day of practice and he is a diligent participant in therapy. His hard work and the persistence of his family and therapist have paid off and at his most recent review he presented as a clear and confident speaker and a talented reader. Congratulations Tyler!!

Exceptional Attendance Award Clients who have attended regularly throughout the year, always attend with a smile on their face ready to work and have worked solidly in each and every session.     

Flynn H with Emma Dougherty Connor S-D with Amanda Clancy Luke G with Jenna Feros Malakai R with Jacqui Sullivan Natalie F with Tania Teitzel

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2010 STAR CLIENTS

Hard Worker Award Clients who are very diligent with their home practice and always try of their best at each and every session.    

Xavier W with Tania Blunden Michael C with Amanda Clancy Ryan B with Jacqui Sullivan Tom H with Tania Teitzel

Wow Award Clients who have dazzled their therapist with their improvements this year.    

Mitchell H with Tania Blunden Sam S with Amanda Clancy Mitchell D G with Jenna Feros Lucas P with Tania Teitzel

Look Who’s Talking Award Clients who have begun to talk in words this year after a lot of hard work from the therapist and family   

Thomas S with Tania Blunden Jaden S with Tania Teitzel Cameron C with Tania Teitzel

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OUR AWARD WINNERS. WE HOPE YOU ENJOY YOUR MEDAL AND GIFT VOUCHERS!

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HOW LONG WILL THIS TAKE?

While we are able to give approximate timelines based on the typical response to treatment for specific types of communication difficulties, there are so many other factors which influence a child’s progress in therapy which are equally as important. Factors such as: the frequency of treatment, the number of communication areas affected, the nature of the recommended treatment, the diligence of the family in home practice, the child’s temperament and enthusiasm, the child’s age and the support of the extended family and school. While we always set high expectations for all children to be discharged with their “problem fixed” or with age appropriate speech, language and literacy difficulties. Some children have on-going, lifelong communication difficulties for which many blocks of speech therapy intervention maybe needed over time. Other children may have one communication difficulty successfully treated at a younger age only to experience later difficulties at an older age (e.g. in reading and spelling) that require treatment. As a general rule the earlier communication difficulties are identified then the earlier they can be treated and the risk of developing later learning difficulties is lessened. At Therapy Matters we see children with speech and language difficulties from 18 months of age, sometimes earlier, if there are feeding difficulties or other identified disabilities (e.g. Down syndrome). However, if a communication difficulties is still present in the later school years and a number of areas of communication are affected then there is a greater risk that the child

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CAUSES Many communication disorders have no definite cause. Communication disorders can tend to “run in families” with a family history of speech, language or literacy difficulties commonly reported. Communication disorders more typically occur in boys. Common recognized causes for communication difficulties include:  infections such as persisting middle ear infections,  hearing impairment,  syndromes and chromosomal abnormalities (e.g. Down syndrome),  global developmental delay or intellectual disability,  exposure during pregnancy to toxins,  low birth weight,  malnutrition,  brain injury,  cerebral palsy,  ADHD  autism spectrum disorders and  environmental factors such as abuse and/or neglect. It is often the interacting nature of these and other factors including the child’s temperament and environment which may result in a communication disorder.

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GRIEF

We understand that finding out that your child has a communication difficulty may be difficult to accept and understand. Some families may react to this news with a feeling of loss or grief about the future that they had envisioned for their child or grief as they become concerned about the difficulties and challenges that may lay ahead for their child. These feelings and reactions are normal and common. However, should these feelings begin to have long-term effects on a parent’s emotional well-being and relationships, it is important to seek help from families, friends and professionals such as psychologists. Emotions that often accompany grief include:  shock, disbelief and denial  sorrow and sadness  anger, irritability and resentment  numbness  fear and guilt  a sense of loss of control, powerlessness, or hopelessness  despair, depression and isolation  I’m over it – I’m feeling much, much better  acceptance. Our staff are always happy to support parents to understand their child’s communication difficulties and the implications of this difficulty for the child’s future as parents come to terms with their child’s diagnosis.

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MANAGING BEHAVIOUR

Some children with communication difficulties may experience frustration, anger, withdrawal and aggression while coping with their difficulties. Other children may have a limited attention span and be easily distracted. Children with limited communication skills or poor emotional regulation may use a range of challenging or undesirable behaviours in order to communicate a message (e.g. pushing, biting, hitting or throwing). While our therapists do have expertise in supporting children’s behaviour and attention to ensure optimal participation in Speech Therapy, we may seek guidance from a Psychologist to support us in more advanced behaviour management plans. At time, we may also have a joint session with the Psychologist to work together to support the child and their family. Our clinic prohibits the use of physical discipline but we do use rewards (such as stickers, stamps or a fun game) to entice children to comply with the task at hand. We design activities which are motivating and interesting for the child and we build routines into our sessions that are predictable for the child so they clearly know what is expected of them in sessions including the rules they need to follow when playing in our rooms. We often use visual support aids to show children what is expected in the therapy room.

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TYPES OF PROBLEMS Speech Pathologists help children with a range of communication problems:

Speech: the pronunciation of sounds Stuttering: disruptions to speech fluency Voice: Unusual voice quality Expressive Language (talking): using a diverse vocabulary of words in grammatically correct sentences to communicate with others.

Receptive

Language (understanding): understanding what others are saying. Comprehending the meaning of words, concepts, questions and directions.

Pragmatics : Being sociable and conversing

Speech Pathologists also help children who have oral language based difficulties that affect their learning at school:

Reading difficulties Spelling difficulties Written expression Phonological awareness:

the awareness of sounds in words in order to read and spell

As speech pathologists have a great deal of knowledge about the muscles and nerves of the head and neck they are also called upon to help children with difficulties in:

Eating, drinking and swallowing.

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SPEECH SOUND DISORDERS The term speech refers to the physical production of sounds or pronunciation — how we use our teeth, lips, tongue to make sounds. A child’s speech should be clear and intelligible to a stranger or unfamiliar person by four years of age even if a few speech sound errors persist. A speech sound disorder occurs when a child is unable to say or use sounds in speech that are expected to be clear for their age (see table next page) Types of Speech Sound Disorders

Articulation impairment : can’t say a sound Delayed phonological development : using sound error patterns typical of younger children’s speech (e.g. titten for kitten)

Disordered consistent phonological development :

using unusual speech error patterns rarely seen in typical children’s speech (e.g. iken for kitten)

Disordered

inconsistent phonological development: variable use of sounds in words (e.g. tien, tiky and tiden all said for kitten)

Childhood apraxia

of speech : Difficulty planning and sequencing motor movements for speech

Dysarthria : Weak muscles for speech

Certain speech sound disorders are associated with later reading and spelling difficulties even after successful treatment so it is important that children’s early phonological awareness skills for reading and spelling are supported and literacy learning closely monitored.

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AGES FOR SPEECH SOUNDS

The following outlines the ages at which 75% of Australian children produce sounds correctly in single words (Kilminster and Laird, 1978). 

By 3 years: m, n, h, p, ng, w, d, t, y, b, k, c & g

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By 3 ½ years: f

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By 4 years: l, sh and ch

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By 4 ½ years: s, z, and j

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By 5 years: r

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By 6 years: v and consonant blends (e.g. tr, pl & sl)

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By 8 ½ years: th

I’m learning these h y w ng m n p k t b g d f

I’m learning these l sh ch

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I’m learning these r v th

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LANGUAGE DISORDERS

Language is the words, word order, and word usage for social communication, and speech is simply the pronunciation of the sounds in words. It is important not to confuse language skills with speech skills. Language disorders happen when children have trouble understanding what others say or they have trouble expressing themselves. Children may be delayed or slow to learn their language skills or they may develop their language skills in an unusual or disordered fashion. Types of Language Disorders

Receptive Language Disorder : Understanding Children have difficulty:  Understanding and pointing for words  Understanding actions (e.g. sit down, come here or get the.. )  Following directions  Understanding questions (e.g. what, where, who and why questions)  Understanding concepts (e.g. up/down, big/little, fast/slow, first/last)  Understanding colour and number concepts  Listening to stories and comprehending them, making inferences, associations and predictions  Understanding language requiring reasoning and problem solving (e.g. what would happen if? why did it happen?)  Understanding the different meaning of words in jokes, humour, sarcasm and idioms

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LANGUAGE DISORDERS

Expressive Language Disorders—talking Children have difficulty:  Learning to talk using single words then later early word combinations  Expressing themselves by putting words together in the right order with the right small words and word endings (grammar)  Saying longer and more complex sentences with joining words such as ‘and’, ‘then’, ‘but’ ‘because’ and ‘so’  Saying a large vocabulary of words  Quickly, accurately and fluently finding the words to express yourself  Talking about the meaning of words, what groups they belong to and how they are the same and different  Asking questions  Telling logical, detailed stories with all the important elements 10-15% of children under five and 3-7% of school aged children are reported to have a language delay or disorder. Language difficulties are much more common in boys than girls. Early oral language difficulties can also be associated with later difficulties in learning to read and write.

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LANGUAGE DISORDERS

Pragmatic Language Disorders— being social Children have difficulty:  with the desire to share communication moments with others to build relationships  using language for social purposes (e.g. greeting, farewelling, requesting, commenting, protesting and answering)  being social, playing & conversing with others.  following the rules of conversation (e.g. how to take turns, how to interrupt, how to start conversing, how to change topics)  Interpreting and using appropriate eye contact, tone of voice, body language and facial expressions  understanding that other people have different perspectives Some children with severe language disorders may be eligible for additional assistance in Queensland schools and NSW Catholic and Independent Schools. This additional assistance is typically used to employ teacher aides who may help the child in the classroom or work with the child 1:1 or in small groups to reinforce the goals of speech therapy as well as implement activities that will assist the child to better engage with the school curriculum. Our therapists are familiar with the criteria for the different funding programs in QLD and NSW and we can help families and schools with this process.

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READING AND SPELLING PROBLEMS

Speech Pathologists have expert knowledge in the field of oral or spoken language development and disorders. Oral language skills include the ability to comprehend or understand what others are saying as well as the ability to use words and sentences to communicate effectively. Oral language skills are a crucial foundation skill for later literacy learning. More and more schools are recognising the need to partner with speech pathologists to identify and support oral language skills as a key to learning success, particularly in the early primary school years. If oral language difficulties can be identified early then they can be remediated quickly and any impact on a child’s academic learning minimised. Research estimates suggest that a significant proportion of students with learning difficulties in reading, writing, spelling and maths have such difficulties because of an underlying impairment in their oral language skills. Many of these difficulties can be identified before the child enters school or during the first year of school. The speech pathologist’s role is to identify these underlying difficulties, provide intervention to remediate them and link intervention to written language (reading, spelling and writing) and wider learning in the classroom. Many children who experienced speech and language difficulties in their preschool years will be at risk of later reading and spelling difficulties even if their speech and language difficulties were successfully treated before they started school.

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READING AND SPELLING PROBLEMS

What oral language problems affect reading & spelling?

 Speech

– children need to be able to pronounce sounds correctly to read and spell.

 Phonological

awareness (awareness of sounds and sound patterns in words) – children need to be able to break up and blend sounds and syllables in the correct order of words (e.g. cat = c – a – t, caterpillar = cat – er – pill- ar), be aware of rhyme patterns (e.g. cat, hat), and be able to discriminate different sounds in words.

 Vocabulary - children need to know and understand

a huge variety of words as well as associative links between words.

 Rapid naming and word retrieval— children need to

be able to quickly recall words, name them and express themselves fluently.

 Story

telling (narrative) skills—children need to be able to tell a story and understand a story structure in order to read and write a story.

 Comprehension

skills—children need to be able to understand, process and remember what others are saying, follow directions and process questions.

 Grammar—children need

to be able to understand and talk in grammatically correct sentences in order to read and write them.

 Reasoning – children need to problem solve, predict and infer meanings from language.

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 

STUTTERING

Stuttering happens when the fluency of speech is disrupted. The child may stretch out speech sounds or they may repeat a sound many times. The cause for stuttering is still unknown. However researchers do believe children may inherit a predisposition to stutter if other family members stutter. Typically stuttering can emerge as a child has difficulty learning to use the grammar of the language. When the child starts to use more than two words in sentences after the age of 2 years they may have difficulty forming the sentence and therefore start to stutter. Stuttering is a problem with motor speech coordination and timing. It is not typically caused by emotional triggers although emotional issues may have an impact on maintaining a stutter or emotional issues may develop as a result of having to deal with the long term implications of disrupted communication.

VOICE DISORDERS

Children can present with a hoarse voice quality and communicate in a whisper due to voice strain or underlying conditions such as vocal nodules. While it is important to have these conditions investigated by an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist there are many techniques a Speech Pathologist can trial to help a child to use their voice more efficiently and minimise any voice behaviours that may damage or harm their vocal cords.

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WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN IN A THERAPY SESSION

Speech Pathologists plan unique treatment for each child with a communication difficulty. The procedures used in therapy are ALWAYS individual for each child. There is no “cook book” or off the rack remedies for children’s speech and language problems. The Speech Pathologist will only plan therapy for a child after careful and indepth assessment of the child’s strengths and weaknesses. The most effective therapy comes from a clear understanding of what the child’s problems are, matched with therapy techniques that are proven through research and experience to improve these problems. The Speech Pathologists will set goals for the child that map out the steps along the way to fix the child’s problem. These goals will be regularly reviewed to ensure the child is making progress and therapy is working. Each session the Speech Pathologists use a variety of activities including: toys, games, book viewing, stories, singing, rhyming, worksheets, role plays, drills and tasks. Materials for intervention activities are often “home-made” or specially designed for each child. They may also involve the adaptation of ordinary toys and games for the purpose of communication enhancement. As a general rule, attendance at Speech Therapy should be fun, interesting and motivating as this leads to the most productive learning opportunities. Activities will be designed to challenge the child a little bit more than their current abilities but not too much. Sessions will typically involve a lot of positive reinforcement and an error-less learning environment!

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WHAT CAN PARENTS DO AT HOME

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As a parent you are your child’s first and most important teacher. You know your child’s personality, strengths and interests. You are the one who has the unique position of conversing and interacting with your child in everyday situations. For Speech Therapy to be successful we need to work in partnership with you to assist a child to take the skills learnt in therapy sessions into their everyday interactions with others.

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All families are unique in their dynamics, relationships and time resources. We always try to suggest activities and strategies that may work for each individual family situation to reinforce work done in therapy sessions. Some families may prefer to complete worksheets, others may prefer games, and others may prefer to build activities into their daily routines and interactions. No one method is more effective than another.

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Keep home practice short and keep the child’s interest high. Short bursts of daily practice are more effective and lead to better long term results compared to long periods of once a week practice or practice just before you attend the speech therapy session.

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Make learning fun through play and humour. Don’t turn Speech Therapy homework into a chore as the child may become disinterested and be reluctant to engage in any communication.

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WHAT CAN PARENTS DO AT HOME

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If the child makes a mistake, don’t dwell on it . Let your child know that making mistakes is an important part of learning. Offer them reassurance and revisit the task again. Do not persevere with tasks that seem too difficult and await guidance from your Speech Pathologist at the next session.

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Be patient. Don’t pressure your child beyond their limits. If the child is frustrated, acknowledge their feelings and stop the task.

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Offer as much praise and encouragement and acknowledge your child’s achievements. SEARCH OUR WEBSITE FOR MORE INFORMATION

www.therapymatters.com.au

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RESOURCES FOR PARENTS

See you child’s speech therapist about purchasing these resources.

Sound Waves Charts

Thrass Charts

Computer Software

Computer Software

Story-telling helpers

Social Skills DVDs

PECS communication books

Flash cards & Visuals

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OUR PRIVACY ACT Therapy Matters regards your privacy very seriously and ensures that your child’s personal details remain within the clinic and are not disclosed to people other your child’s therapist. Why do we collect personal details? Our clinic collects personal details regarding name, birth date, address and contact details in order to identify, track and record progress of our clients. Do you disclose the details to other people? We do not disclose your child’s personal details to anyone other than the therapists in our clinic. We will ask for your permission and signature on a consent form if your child’s details are to be disclosed to any other parties. Why do we need current details? It is important for our clinic to have up to date personal details in order to have accurate files for our clients. If you have a change of details please address staff so we can make this change for you. Will the record remain anonymous to other people? Your child’s details and file will remain anonymous in the respect that your personal details will not be disclosed to people other than those specified. What do we do with your child’s details? Our clinic records your child’s details and they remain in the individual client file within the office as well as in our database on the main reception computer.

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CONTACT US

PHONE: 07 55207860 FAX: 07 55207902 EMAIL: [email protected] WEBSITE: www.therapymatters.com.au

http://www.facebook.com/ home.php#!/pages/TherapyMatters/131969683500899

We thank you for placing your child’s communication in our care. We are open to answering any of your questions and helping you to understand fully the nature of your child’s communication difficulties. Please do not hesitate to discuss any concerns or worries you have about your child’s therapy service. If at any time you have a complaint or feedback about our service please feel free to discuss the issue with your child’s therapist, our office manager or the centre director.

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