Speech and Language Therapy Service
The Sunflower Clinic Paediatric Speech and Language Therapy Service supports children and young people of all ages who have speech, language and communication difficulties. We are a team of qualified CORU registered Speech and Language Therapists that provide assessment and intervention for children of all ages. We work with the following speech, language and communication clinical areas:
- ‘Late Talkers’
- Stammering
- Speech Disorders
- Expressive Language difficulties
- Receptive Language difficulties
- Developmental Language Disorder
- Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Down Syndrome
- Social Communication difficulties
Assessments
Assessments are an essential part of the speech and language therapy process; they allow the speech and language therapist to gather information about your child’s skills and the difficulties that they are experiencing.
The type of assessment used will depend on the child’s developmental level and the nature of the presenting difficulty. Assessment of preschool children is often informal and play-based. Older children may require a formal assessment of their speech and language skills on a standardised test.
Assessment can be carried out in a single session or spread across sessions according to the child’s development, attention, and other factors. Referrals to other healthcare professionals e.g., Audiology may be required to complete the assessment.
Initial consultation
This appointment involves the Speech and Language Therapist screening you child’s speech, language and communication skills and gaining an understanding of your child’s needs. For younger children this may be through play, or observing them playing with you. For older children the SLT may administer screening tests. The SLT will advise you if a more comprehensive standardised assessment is required following the initial consultation.
Formal Speech and Language Therapy Assessment
Formal assessments are standardised tests that provide information on how a child progresses over time and provides information on how their skills compare to their average age group. They are also useful in identifying whether a child may have a delay or a disorder in comparison to their age group. A formal standardised assessment may take two sessions, involve consultation with other professionals, and an observation in your child’s setting. A detailed report is written which includes any relevant recommendations and feedback is provided to the parent.
Therapy
The team works with children with a variety of speech, language and communication difficulties including late talkers, speech delay or disorder, receptive language difficulties (i.e. understanding of language), expressive language difficulties, stammering, and communication difficulties associated with learning disability, and Autism Spectrum Disorders. Intervention may take the form of one- to-one therapy sessions or home/school therapy programmes.
If you are concerned about your child’s speech, language and communication development, please contact our clinic on 021 4321 729 or alternatively you can fill in the inquiry form on our website.
Possible reasons for Referral:
- Slow to start talking
- Not using a lot of words for their age
- Unclear or hard to understand
- Getting frustrated and having difficulty understanding or expressing emotions
- Not following directions and instructions
- Frequent grammatical errors or using words in the wrong order
- Difficulty remembering the right words when they need them
- Difficulty responding to questions
- Struggling with reading, spelling or comprehension
- Finding it hard to engage with others and play with their peers
- Having difficulty with conversations (e.g. talking about own interests only)
