Literacy

Literacy is the ability to read and write one's own name and further for knowledge and interest, write coherently, and think critically about the written word. Speech pathologists can help you improve your literacy.

What to focus on when teaching your child to read and write

May 14, 2018 By Ashleigh Fattah

What to focus on when teaching your child to read and write When teaching your child how to read, there are so many things to focus on and it may seem like an overwhelming task if they have no awareness of any sounds or are constantly making mistakes. Below I will go through some good places to start and some key points to focus on. Know the sounds not the names Many parents start to teach the alphabet letters by their names. While the … [Read more...]

Improving literacy comprehension through Visualization

April 2, 2018 By Ashleigh Fattah

Comprehension difficulties have a significant impact on a child or adults school, home or work life. If an individual is unable to comprehend a passage or story this impacts their ability to learn from text books or manuals, process and retain stories told by colleagues or friends, complete simple instructions or follow along with a series or novel with long plot lines. This ability is required over a number of different tasks in life for both … [Read more...]

When to start speech therapy and how long does it take?

March 19, 2018 By Ashleigh Fattah

Two of the most commonly asked questions in paediatric speech pathology are: When or at what age is a good time to start speech therapy?And how long does it normally take? The answer to both these questions are as you may have guessed, dependent on the child, however many parents may be left wondering without any idea as to how long they may be coming for speech therapy. So to give a bit of an indication of how long therapy may be required, … [Read more...]

What is the NDIS and how can it help adults with speech difficulties

March 5, 2018 By Ashleigh Fattah

What is the NDIS? The NDIS is a national scheme, which is being implemented across Australia to provide targeted support and better coordination and access to services for people with a disability. The scheme is a single national system catering people with any kind of disability anywhere in Australia with the aim of providing equal access to existing health care services across the country. For children on the current Better Start and HCWA … [Read more...]

Who can refer you to a speech pathologist?

February 5, 2018 By Ashleigh Fattah

This is a common question for many people looking to book a speech pathology appointment. The real answer to this question is actually anyone. If you have a concern regarding your child or yourself, you can call a speech pathology clinic to book an appointment without a referral from another profession. While there are referrals you can get for speech pathology which entitle you to Medicare rebates, you do not need a referral to see a speech … [Read more...]

The impact of language delay at school

December 4, 2017 By Ashleigh Fattah

One of the most popular misconceptions about children with speech and language delay is that taking a ‘wait and see’ approach cannot hurt. While this approach may not lead to anything life threatening, it can have serious repercussions for a child’s entire future following poor performance at school leading to decreased opportunities in further education, career and employment. Here are a few examples of a child’s delayed language skills … [Read more...]

How speech delay can impact reading and spelling

November 6, 2017 By Ashleigh Fattah

There are a number or speech errors, also know as phonological processes, that normally developing children produce. These include substitutions of back sounds, which are harder to produce, e.g. K and G sounds, for front sounds, e.g. T and D sound, causing them to say a word like ‘cat’ as ‘tat’. Children may also voice a sound, which does not require voicing, e.g. the ‘k’ in ‘dock’ when voiced may sound like ‘dog’. Another common error is … [Read more...]

Resource Review – Nessy Learning Programme and Resources

October 30, 2017 By Ashleigh Fattah

In a previous blog, I reviewed the Spalding program for literacy. This teaching method has been used successfully for half a decade and is very effective for students that struggle to read and write. The traditional method is excellent for older students that have greater levels of concentration. However it can be somewhat dry and unengaging when used with younger children, especially those with dyslexia or struggle with working memory and … [Read more...]

How to Make Speech Therapy Effective

October 11, 2017 By Ashleigh Fattah

From time to time, I come across parents of children that have shopped around to different speech pathologists after finding that their child does not seem to be making progress with their communication or feeding concerns. There are many reasons why this may be the case and even times where progress has been made however not perceived. There are a few things to keep in mind when gauging progress in speech therapy and finding the right treatment … [Read more...]

Conversational Flow and Discourse

September 25, 2017 By Ashleigh Fattah

A person’s discourse and the way their conversation flows can sometimes be overlooked when assessing for communication difficulties. This may be because the child’s verbal language understanding, grammar and vocabulary may be quite strong, which can mask difficulties with discourse. Signs of difficulties with discourse include: Jumbled up or illogical flow of conversation. Missing references to key characters within a story. Mixing up … [Read more...]