More About Speech Pathology
Speech
By four years of age, children should be at least 50 per cent intelligible (understandable).* Difficulty in being understood at this age can result in frustration at preschool and, of course, in the classroom and playground and social isolation.
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​​Speech and language assessments earlier in childhood can help establish risks for persistent speech difficulties, as well as language and literacy difficulties later on, allowing for targeted interventions.**
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​I can assess speech - and treat difficulties with clarity or intelligibility.
​​​​​​​*Husted et al, 2021
**Lewis et al., 2019
Language
Oral language is the foundation of academic language. However, at least seven per cent of children have a difficulty with understanding and using their home language in daily life. That’s about two children in every average classroom. This difficulty is called Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) and it can occur alongside other conditions such as ADHD.
​It has been called the "Cinderella" of developmental disabilities because it is a hidden condition that can go undetected.* Children with DLD can appear to be oppositional and are at higher risk of suffering anxiety – and speech pathologists can assess these children's language and provide therapy and adjustments to support them.
​​Language difficulties, while unseen, may underlie problem behaviours such as:
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failure to follow instruction at school
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emotional self-regulation
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inattention
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social anxiety
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poor reading and writing.
​I can provide "functional" assessments to help educators and carers understand the needs of the child, as well as "standardised" assessment to help advocate to institutions.
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​*Professor Dorothy Bishop Professor of Developmental Neuropsychology, University of Oxford.
Reading
There are two important things to know about difficulty with reading: it is often possible to overcome reading difficulties and the definition of dyslexia is much-debated. Simply put, dyslexia is a term that refers to difficulties with accurate and fluent reading. There are a number of definitions for difficulties with reading. Between five and 10 % of people are thought to be dyslexic.* However, many more children have difficulty learning to read and may have dyslexic traits and almost 40 % of children need explicit instruction to be proficient readers.
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It is important to know that reading is a skill that all humans learn. It is not an inherent ability like speaking. Since reading is the main way children develop their language once at school, speech pathologists have a professional role in ensuring their clients are learning to read.
According to the most current understanding of reading, the “simple” view of reading, a person must be able to “decode” the sound from the letter (learned in phonics instruction) and comprehend the language. Many children struggle to keep up with the pace of phonics instruction at school and benefit from learning the skill at a pace they can manage. I offer highly effective and supportive phonics assessment and instruction in addition to language therapy.
Please inquire about small group phonics and language lessons.
​​​​​​​​​*SPELD NSW, 2025
Stuttering
Anxiety and avoidance of speaking situations is commonly reported by those who stutter.* Treatment is most effective at a younger age and it is difficult to predict whether a child will outgrow a stutter.
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​I am experienced in delivering the Lidcombe program, an ffective program for children under the age of six years of age.
​​​​​​*Onslow, 2025
