No matter what people might tell you, if you have questions about your child’s early speech or language development, it is NEVER too early to seek advice or an assessment.

​A few ideas and techniques shown to you may prevent longer term problems down the track!!!!

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​In general terms, a late talker would be considered an 18 month old with no words (other than mum and dad) or a 24 month old child that is saying less than 50 words and/or not saying little sentences.

​As discussed in our blogs Late talking has been shown to be linked with reduce prep readiness, later unclear speech, reduced social skills and reduced performance at school all the way up to 17 years of age! Contact us now rather than waiting for problems to set in.

​Families with young late talkers often first attend an initial assessment to investigate factors that may be impacting on their child’s development. They will then be provided with ideas and techniques specific to their child to boost their communication development.

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ALSO see our GROUP SPEECH THERAPY FOR CHILDREN: First Words & Sentences – developed for all children and not just childen with identified problems - 

​These gropus are great if you feel your child is only a "little bit late" in their milestones or if you are unable to get to a formal speech pathology assessment we have other options. We have play groups that FOCUS on boosting early speech and language skills in relaxed play environments. These are run by qualified Speech Pathologists so you can have the opportunity to informally ask questions and interact with someone that really knows how to boost language and learning. Many people find they are a great supplement to one-on-one therapy to generalise & practise new skills.

​24/7 e-program for parents - get information immediately or supplement your indvidual therapy - online course for presents - lots of videos & information developed and presented by Dr Sandra McMahon, Speech Pathologist.

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​If you want information NOW and don’t want to wait, then go directly to our SpeechNet Shop in the Menu above. Click on the e-PROGRAMS and/or ONLINE ASSESSMENTS speech bubble tabs for help for your child. These online speech therapy resources are also great if you are happy with your child’s development but want to avoid any problems later on or want to extend your child's learning potential. Learn the techniques and tricks used by speech pathologists to get children talking.

​There is the First Spoken Word Counter to see if your child is saying enough words for their age and the FOCUS on FIRST WORDS course to name just two resources. Many parents complete the course even if they are seeing a speech pathologist as the information is so easy to understand and reinforces their understanding of therapy techniques`. The course includes videos of a speech pathologist actually interacting with children. It is a great way to build parent skills. Parents find the online course complements speech therapy.

​Speech sound develop at different ages. A speech assessment will determine which speech sounds are being said correctly and if the errors are OK for their age. Speech clarity develops by learning the rules of putting sounds together to form words (phonological processes). These rules mature with age. An assessment will determine if the rules used are within expected levels for a child's age (e.g., leaving off the ends of words).

​Speech sounds and spelling is closely linked as the both rely on the sound system. Addressing speech delays in the pre-school years can reduce the liklihood of later spelling problems.

​By 2 years of age a child's speech is typically intelligible 75% of the time by someone that does not know them well. If you are interpreting for them a lot - they may need a speech assessment. Most sounds are said correctly by 5 with only a few sounds (e.g., th) still developing to 5-6 years of age.

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DELAYED EXPRESSIVE LANGUAGE: IMMATURE OR SHORT SENTENCES, WORDS ARE MIXED UP, GRAMMAR INCORRECT

​Some children have difficulties getting their message across because their ideas are only partly or poorly expressed. Early grammar errors like using the wrong pronouns (e.g, "me do it";  "he" for "she"), not using tense (eg jumping, jumped), or leaving words out can have more problems once they start reading. Oral talking is closely linked to later reading skills. Strengthen spoken langauge in the preschool years or boost it in early primary to support their learning

There can be a lot of frustrastion for parents, teachers and children when understanding what someone is saying or asking is happening. Delayes in understanding or receptive language skills can have many underlying areas that need to be considered on assessment: auditory processing skills, listening & attention skills, ADD, ADHD.  Understanding or words or vocabulary has been closely linked to IQ and school success. If children is note following directions, miss-understanding or not remember instructions, missing the main ideas in stores or lession, then learning can be affected. This problems can be easlily missed but are best addressed early to lay foundations for later learning.

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​Stuttering is when the child repeats either same sound (sssssssnake), the same word (I, I, I, I WANT...) or the same phrase (Can I have, Can I have, Can I have one)

​​Everyone is bumpy sometimes but if you hear lots of stuttering or if the child is concerned about it - it is best to have a stuttering assessment to help you what is OK for age, to give you ideas of what to do when they do stutter and ways to monitor the stutter so that it is not reinforced.

​​We work with young children that stutter as well as older children. How we work with the different children will depend on each case and their age. We use techniques including Smooth Speech and the Lidcombe program. Our therapists have training and experience in stuttering. We recommend at least an initial consult if you find your child is repeating words or sounds for more that 2-3 months or if it is happening a lot everyday.

​Sometimes an early intervention approach can avoid long term stuttering issues. We can assess what kind of stutter your child is presenting with. Based on this we can investigate whether the stutter is a typical developmental stage or a more serious issue. We can give you ideas of what you can do to help on the first assessment session. It is frequently better not to wait.

​Are you concerned your child is showing early signs of autism?

​We provide private speech therapy for children with autism. We can help with diagnosis and treatment.

​Call us and book an appointment rather than letting the thoughts about autism diagnosis worry you. We work closely with children with a range of late talking issues and langauge problems. Teasing out if autism is a possibility is what we do. We work closely with GPs and Paediatricians in investigating the autism concerns. There is Medicare funding available for diagnosis assessment in regrd to autism so call us and book an appointment.

​If you child has received a diagnosis of Autism or PDD than book with us now for a wholist approach that suits your preferences. We can aim for verbal communication while looking at alternative communication systems (ipads, picture boards/PODS, PECS). We work with children of all ages and all “levels” of Austism everyday in our clinics.

SpeechNet and Pop & Top are Autism Panel Providers so that families eligible for the FaCHSIA autism money can access speech therapy for children services with this funding. We are part of a consortium with Occupational Therapists and Psychologists. All our speech pathologist also have Medicare provider numbers and hence can provide services via the Medicare Autism Plans.

​We also provide group based services and feeding support!

Our staff are experienced with communication difficulties associated with many syndromes, head injuries and other medical based problems. Dr McMahon was the Director of Speech Pathology at a major city children’s hospital demonstrating  knowledge and experience in these complex cases.

​​We are BETTER START PROVIDERS so we can support assessments and therapies via the funding. As we have speech therapy, occupational therapy, psychology & physiotherapy ALL ON SITE we can provide a one-stop clinic.

​We have experience in CP, Down's Syndrome, Cri de Chat, Fragile X syndrome, head injuries and many other areas. 

The Director of SpeechNet, Sandra, conducted her PhD in relation to the early communication development of twins, triplets and higher multiple birth children. The study included investigating later reading and spelling difficulties associated with multiple birth children. In any week we have several families of multiple children attending our clinics. Dr McMahon has been an invited speaker at AMBA conferences and Parent Master Classes.

Click here for more information about the speech & language development of twins & higher multiple birth children.​

SpeechNet Speech Pathologists provide private speech therapy for children with voice issues such as vocal nodules. We work closely with ENT specialists to help avoid surgury or ensure the surgury is a success. It is never too early or too late to discuss your concerns regarding these areas if your child is loosing their voice or if it is frequently croaky

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SPEECH THERAPY FOR CHILDREN WITH ALL FEEDING DIFFICULTIES INCLUDING:

• Difficulties with breast or bottle feeding
• Refusal, spitting or choking when making the transition to first solids
• Problems managing lumpy and hard foods or refusing to mix mix foods together.
• Ineffective biting and chewing. This can reduce what the will eat or results in them taking a extra long time to finish a mouthfult or a meal.
• Swallowing difficulties or choking – including involvement in Modified Barium X-ray Studies and assessments following recurrent chest infections with no apparent causes
• Behaviour related feeding difficulties
• Feeding difficulties relating to medical conditions/situations eg long term naso-gastric tube feeding, PEG feeding, cardiac or respiratory conditions, syndromes
• Gastro-oesphageal reflux issues
• Structural or anatomical problems eg cleft palates

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Research has shown that the early years at school are extremely important. Children quickly get a mind set of whether school is hard or fun. Early internvention is key to keep the love of learning that will be importand for all their schooling. SpeechNet therapists are experienced in working with this age group in relation to; speech and language difficulties, phonological awareness, early reading and spelling development, auditory processing and memory skills – all the necessary components for successful and fun academic achievement. We can help with development of these skills and assist in the liaison with your child’s school to ensure optimum support for your child.

As we have dedicated speech pathologist that work in schools, we have experience in educational settings. Learning support and teaching staff are invited to call us to ask questions or enquire how we can provide support in your schools

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Sometimes difficulties from earlier years are still impact learning and social interactions at high school. Sometimes new problems arise due to the different and increased demands of high school. We can help. We have a particular interest in private Speech Therapy for Children in this age group taking into account their changing perceptions of themselves and their approaches to learning.

HOW CAN PRIVATE SPEECH THERAPY HELP IN HIGH SCHOOL 

We can address the general aspects of speech and language difficulties, phonological awareness, and reading and spelling development, auditory processing and memory concerns. In addition we can work on specific difficulties such as voice issues, problem solving and planning difficulties.  Social skills can also arise in high school.

We have taken students in Year 11 from getting Cs and Ds in English to high Bs and even As. Reading, writing and spelling can impact marks in ALL subjects. We can assess vocabulary and reading skills to see what is holding them back. We can help strengthening reading comprehension and reading for details. This includes text and the questions.

We assist and show students how to work with their assignment sheets to ensure they are putting in what will get the marks. We can work with tutors. However, finding the underlying concerns first can enhance the outcomes of the tutoring.

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