By

Comprehension difficulties have a significant impact on a child or adults school, home or work life. If an individual is unable to comprehend a passage or story this impacts their ability to learn from text books or manuals, process and retain stories told by colleagues or friends, complete simple instructions or follow along with a series or novel with long plot lines. This ability is required over a number of different tasks in life for both work and pleasure.

There are a number of programs that have been developed by speech pathologists and psychologist to assist with language comprehension.

One key skill in processing and remembering different elements within a story is visualization.

Visualizing and verbalizing in particular, as the name states focuses on the elements of visualization and verbalizing what an individual has heard or read to aid them in recalling key details required to comprehend language. The program teaches individuals to create a picture in their mind to help remember the key details within a story. For some this skill of visualization comes naturally however for others it is a part of the brain, which requires training to be able to utilize.

The program starts with simpler tasks such as just visualizing an object or character and works up to incorporate visualization of multiple paragraphs within a story. The more vivid the picture, the easier it is to recall the details which make up the object, scene or story. The verbalization element encourages individuals to say back what they have heard which engages multiple faculties of the brain to help with information retention.

These general principles can all help to assist an individual in improving their comprehension. For the most accurate and holistic approach it is important to seek advice from a speech pathologist that has completed a comprehensive assessment of the individuals, keeping in mind their strengths and weaknesses. This ensures that the individual is receiving a healthy amount of challenges without becoming overloaded.

Contact us for results focused speech therapy

This article was written by our Speech Pathologist Ashleigh Fattah who is a Speech Pathology Australia member. If you have questions about language activities, make an appointment. We‘ll provide you with simple and effective therapy targeted to your concerns. Contact us today.

The post Improving literacy comprehension through Visualization appeared first on ENT Wellbeing Sydney.

By

Two of the most commonly asked questions in paediatric speech pathology are:

When or at what age is a good time to start speech therapy?
And how long does it normally take?

The answer to both these questions are as you may have guessed, dependent on the child, however many parents may be left wondering without any idea as to how long they may be coming for speech therapy. So to give a bit of an indication of how long therapy may be required, here is a rough guide.

Children with a mild speech or language delay would likely need speech therapy for a few months.

Children with moderate to severe delays may require speech therapy in some form such as suggested strategies put in place at school, weekly one to one or group therapy sessions.

To answer the question of when a child should start speech therapy, this again is difficult to answer without taking into consideration the child’s needs. The general rule is to start sooner rather than later however I will give a few examples which are commonly seen in a speech pathology clinic and when to be concerned and seek out a speech therapist.

Children who have not yet produced any words are a common case. The general rule is that children should produce their first word around 12 months of age.

If your child is over the age of 12 months it may be worth while visiting a speech pathologist to get a few tips and pointers to help boost your child’s language along.

Some parents like to wait and give their child a chance to catch up in the case of late starter. You generally don’t want to wait longer than a few months as toddlers around 18 months should be producing around 50 words so catching up is a big task if your child does not produce any words yet at this age. The same can be said about the first two-word sentence, which is expected around 24 months of age.

If your child is past the age of two years and is still only using a handful of single words, an assessment by a speech pathologist can give you an indication of whether your child looks as though they are about to start producing two word utterance. They may also be able to tell you if they don’t look to be producing sentences any time soon and give you tips on how to help them along.

One of the most important stages to be assessing and treating a child for speech or language delay is during late preschool when the child is preparing to enter into primary school.Early intervention is key at this stage as the child will soon require their speech and language skills as a foundation for learning literacy and absorbing academic information. Without sufficient speech and language skills, your child begins school with a handicap, which may set them behind for the rest of their continued education.

If you feel unsure about your child’s communication skills, book in for an assessment to get an idea if your child is on track to meet their communication requirement to start school.

Contact us for results focused speech therapy

This article was written by our Speech Pathologist Ashleigh Fattah who is a Speech Pathology Australia member. If you have questions about language activities, make an appointment. We‘ll provide you with simple and effective therapy targeted to your concerns. Contact us today.

The post When to start speech therapy and how long does it take? appeared first on ENT Wellbeing Sydney.

By

1. Repeat, repeat, repeat!

Repetition is truly the key when it comes to picking up a language. Just as we need to hear a new word a few times before we truly understand what it means and how to use it, children require the same. Using the same word in a different context such as identifying a car outside and a picture of a car will help your child to solidify the concept of the word, especially with children who struggle with attention and may need to see the object physically in a form that attracts them.

2. Take turns and build on what has already been said

When we are hoping to get a child to interact, we often bombard them with questions, this can be overwhelming and most likely lead to a stunned silence. Instead wait for your child to point out something interesting to them and build on what they say e.g. if your child says car when they see a toy car you can model back a slightly longer phrase like ‘red car’ or push the car and say ‘car go’.

3. Use, interpret and respond to non verbal language

We can do the same for children who don’t yet speak by interpreting their body language e.g if your child points to the car, we build on this communicative intent by elaborating on the gesture and saying ‘car’. It is important to not only lookout for this communicative intent but also model with gesture by pointing and showing the object to the child as we say the word.

4. Slow down and stress key words

When using longer sentences especially, slow down your speech and stress the words that are important within the sentence. They may not necessarily be the most important words in the sentence; instead, they are the words that you are trying to teach. For instance in the example where the child says ‘car’ and you say ‘red car’, you want to stress the word red as the child is already familiar with the word car.

Most importantly, make it fun, so your child enjoys the experience and wants to interact with you more. This ensures that the learning continues and their language will flourish.

Contact us for results focused speech therapy

This article was written by our Speech Pathologist Ashleigh Fattah who is a Speech Pathology Australia member. If you have questions about language activities, make an appointment. We‘ll provide you with simple and effective therapy targeted to your concerns. Contact us today.

The post If you are using these 4 strategies then you are modelling language well for your child appeared first on ENT Wellbeing Sydney.

By

The powerhouse museum will be holding an exhibition from now until the 28th of January where you can learn about the human voice, how it locates us socially, geographically and psychologically. This interactive exhibit combines performance, video, visuals and sound to present works by artists and vocalists and incorporated paintings, manuscripts, medical illustrations and ethnographic objects to take you on an acoustic journey. Learn about how the voice is so flexible that it can be altered with treatment and training, much like what occurs in Speech Pathology intervention. The exhibition will take you on an interactive tour showing you through the vocal tracts as well as speech devices to see how we convey meaning and emotion through voice patterns of rhythm, stress and intonation. This exhibit is a fantastic way for older children, especially those who have difficulties with their voice, to discover the power of voice beyond the words that make up our communication and understand the human voice.

Understand language through Chinese whispers

Chinse whispers is a great way for children to understand how volume plays a significant role in effective communication and how a message can be changed completely just by one sound being distorted. The game starts with everyone sitting in a circle and one person thinks of a short phrase. This person whispers it in the ear of the person to their right and that person then does the same and passes the message to the person on their right until the it comes around full circle. The last person then says the message out aloud and everyone has a laugh at how different the phrase has become.

Send messages through a DIY telephone

This activity is a nice way to get kids together to have a closer listen to how their speech sounds through a fun crafting activity. All you need is two cups, a piece of string, a pair of scissors and a needle or sharp pencil. First, poke a hole with the needle in the centre of the bottom of each cup just big enough to fit the string through it. Place the string though each hole, a few metres of string between each cup and tie a knot so it sits inside each cup to hold the string in place between the cups. Now the phone is ready for some talking. Make sure the sting is tight and the two speakers are far from each other. Place one cup over your mouth and the other person places their cup to their ear. Now talk loudly into the cup and the other person should be able to hear your message on the other end. This activity is great for listening and practicing speech sounds as well. Take turns making sounds and the other person has to guess what sound it is and make it back. This activity is also great for teaching children how the voice causes vibrations in the air, which travel in waves down the string the out the other end so our ears can interpret the message.

Contact us for results focused speech therapy

This article was written by our Speech Pathologist Ashleigh Fattah who is a Speech Pathology Australia member. If you require speech therapy, make an appointment. We‘ll provide you with simple and effective treatment targeted to your concerns. Contact us today.

The post This is a Voice Exhibition at the Powerhouse Museum Sydney appeared first on ENT Wellbeing Sydney.

By

One of the most popular misconceptions about children with speech and language delay is that taking a ‘wait and see’ approach cannot hurt. While this approach may not lead to anything life threatening, it can have serious repercussions for a child’s entire future following poor performance at school leading to decreased opportunities in further education, career and employment.

Here are a few examples of a child’s delayed language skills influencing their performance at school:

  • If a child is unable to understand basic concepts (e.g. before, after, then, same, different, or, between), they will have difficulties following a number of instructions given by their teachers and educators in the classroom and on the playground
  • e.g. “Put your books away before you get a test paper” or “Make sure to pick up a question sheet that is the same colour as your answer sheet”.
  • In both these cases, not understanding the instruction can lead to having a book open while completing a test, which may be misconstrued as cheating, and while this may not have been intentional, this means the child will already present in a negative light.
  • A child who is unable to follow multiple step instructions may have difficulty completing their schoolwork. They may complete the first step however, they be unaware that there is more work to be done. This inability to complete their work will affect the child’s grades. These kids are often the ones who are seen as disruptive as they become bored once they have “completed” the task, then wander off to do something else and distract others around them.
  • Those children who have difficulty answering ‘wh’ questions will often be unable to answer simple questions their teacher asks them, such as “whose bag is this?” or “Where did you put your book?” They will also be unable to answer questions in tests such as “Who is the main character or “If I have two apples and you have three apples, how many apples we have together?”.

These are just a few of the many difficulties a child with language delay may experience in the classroom and although they may not intend to be the disruptive child, it is a slippery slope for a child that is unable to participate in class due to these setbacks.  Early intervention is the key to bridging the gap and ensuring your child is able to learn and develop at school and socially with others to their best ability.

Contact us for results focused speech therapy

This article was written by our Speech Pathologist Ashleigh Fattah who is a Speech Pathology Australia member. If you have speech pathology related questions, make an appointment. We‘ll provide you with simple and effective therapy targeted to your concerns. Contact us today.

The post The impact of language delay at school appeared first on ENT Wellbeing Sydney.

Call (02) 8188 2570
or our local call number 1300 123 368

Stay Connected

Contact Us

    Your Name (required)

    Your Email (required)

    Your Message

    [recaptcha]

     

    Translate

    ENT Clinic Sydney - Suite 70B, Royal Randwick Shopping Centre, 73 Belmore Road, Randwick, Sydney, Australia

    FRACS
    ASOHNS
    DAA
    MUH
    university-of-newcastle
    university-of-sydney
    university-of-queensland
    university-of-oxford
    australasian-college-of-dermatologists
    nutrition-blog-network
    speech-pathology-australia