It is often thought that when young people start High School, they have fully developed their communication skills. However, these skills continue to develop throughout their teenage years. It may also be thought that by this time, all young people are on track with their spoken and written language. However, sometimes this is not the case, and difficulties can be … Read More
When is early speech intervention appropriate?
Many parents contact our clinic, concerned about their child’s speech and language, and are unsure if early intervention is appropriate. Our recommendation is always to come in and have an assessment, so then we will know if their child’s skills are appropriate for their age or not. Some families know early on that their child has a developmental delay and/or … Read More
When should a child start speech therapy?
This is an excellent question, and one that many parents ask when they contact our clinic about their child’s speech and language. The great thing is that speech and language development in children is highly researched, and we have clear guidelines about the developmental milestones that they should be reaching by particular ages. Here is a link which gives a … Read More
How do I know if my 2 year old needs speech therapy?
Children’s speech under the age of 3 is extremely variable. Some 2 year olds have amazing speech and communication skills, others do not. The best way to work out if you should have your two year old child’s speech and language reviewed by a speech pathologist is to know what most 2 year olds can do. Here is a guide. … Read More
Telehealth FAQs
Before COVID-19 many of us at Eastside Speech had used telehealth for our rural and remote clients, but the pandemic has taken our telehealth skills to the “next level”! A number of our clients now prefer to have speech therapy via telehealth. Here are some of the FAQs asked by clients and families who inquire about telehealth: What is Telehelath? … Read More
Did you know that Eastside Speech Solutions uses Telehealth?
In the context of speech therapy, telehealth is therapy using Skype, FaceTime, Zoom or another online platform. Telehealth was initially used for rural and remote communities but recently has been used for families who are not able to physically get to a speech therapy clinic for whatever reason. COVID19 has meant that we need to change how we work and … Read More
How can speech therapy help people who are hard of hearing or deaf?
Some clients who are hard of hearing or who are deaf choose not to use speech as a means of communication; they use Auslan, which is the sign language we use in Australia. However, for those clients who wish to use speech as a means of communication, speech therapy is extremely beneficial & helpful in enabling them learn how to … Read More
What is involved in helping me with my accent?
It is important to first establish what sounds are challenging for you and have the greatest impact on how well you are understood. A comprehensive assessment of your speech is necessary so goals and priorities can be set. An assessment of your speech sounds, your speaking rate, and how you emphasise words is important. After this is done it will … Read More
Why should I try & improve my accent?
Not everyone needs to improve their accent- but if your pronunciation means that people can’t understand you, then that might be a sign that you would benefit from some help. Not being understood is frustrating for you, frustrating for your listeners, and can have a serious impact on your ability to pass your degree or progress in your career. We … Read More
How long will it take for my child to learn new sounds and improve their pronunciation?
When parents bring their children in to our clinic to have help with their speech pronunciation, a common (and important!) question they ask is: ”How long will it take for my child’s speech to improve?” There are a number of factors that affect how quickly new sounds can be learnt: How quickly your child can learn to make the new … Read More