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Our Services

 

Kids in the Hills Speech Pathology provides assessment and treatment of children 0-8 years  to support their development in communication  from the clinic at Ferny Grove. Specific goals are negotiated and then become the focus of therapy for a block of appointments. We take the approach of offering specific goal-based therapy blocks usually scheduled around the school terms, rather then 'ongoing therapy' indefinitely. Intentional breaks are also scheduled to help your child consolidate new skills and maintain their interest and motivation in therapy sessions. 

 

 If your child has difficulties in any of the following areas, please contact us to discuss how we can help. No referral is required. 

Late Talkers

Most children begin to say their first words around 12 months of age and then combine two words together by 2 years old. However some children can experience difficulties in beginning to say sounds and learn words.  This may simply mean your child needs a little extra help with their talking or it may be a sign of an underlying difficulty. If you are concerned, it's never too early to ask questions and 'check' your child is on the right track with their development. 

Language

Language refers to how children comprehend and use words to communicate ideas. A child with a language delay may show some of the following signs:

  • Difficulties putting words together into sentences

  • Difficulties telling clear stories

  • Use lots of vague and non-specific words, such as 'thing', 'umm', 'you know'.

  • Difficulties with grammar eg. confusing he/she, missing out words 

  • Difficulties following directions

  • Difficulties accurately answering questions

  • Forgetting names of objects, people or places 

 

Hearing Difficulties

Hearing is essential for children to learn and develop normal speech, language and literacy skills. Any degree of hearing loss may impact on how your child learns to communicate orally. 

 

If your child has a permanent hearing loss or experiences frequent middle ear infections, then it is recommended their oral communication skills are regularly monitored to ensure they are developing as they should. 

Speech refers to how clearly a child produces different sounds.

  • By 18mths, you should understand about 25% of what your child says

  • By 24mths, understand 50-75%

  • By 3yrs, understand 75-100% 

Some sounds are later developing such as 'r, v, th', however if your child is still producing many errors after 3 years of age, assessment is recommended. 

We have extensive experience in supporting children with speech sound disorders, including:

  • lisps

  • articulation difficulties

  • phonological disorders

  • Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS)

  • general unclear, mumbly speech

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Spelling and Reading
Speech

Spelling and reading, or literacy skills, are simply spoken language written down. Children begin to learn early literacy skills during their kindy years around 3 - 5 years of age.  This continues to develop well into their primary school years. Difficulties in this area may include being able to:

  • Link sounds with letters

  • Identify syllables and rhymes

  • Segment and blend sounds into words

  • Use spelling rules

 

Eating and Drinking

Children may experience a range of difficulties with eating and drinking for a number of reasons. This may include:

  • Difficulties with swallowing

  • Difficulties with starting solids

  • Difficulties with lumpy foods

  • Being a fussy eater 

  • Limited range of foods

At the clinic we are able to support some minor feeding difficulties, but may refer on to other clinics if a team approach would be better suited for your child's development. ​

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