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When you hear the term “communication”, most people immediately think of the words we say in conversation or on the phone, or what we read in books or through technology. But what about those of us who cannot speak or have difficulty speaking to people around them? How do they communicate their wants and needs … Read more
by Kylie Ward | Aug 2020 When a child has speech, language or other developmental delays, often one of the first things we hear from parents is ‘I just want him to say Mum (or Dad)’. It’s a goal that’s full of meaning, and intent, and it’s an utterance that is so special to a … Read more
By Stephanie Der Children are born with the capacity to learn the language(s) that they are exposed to. They are able to attend to the different speech sounds they hear around them, and learn to produce these sounds. The majority of children will have no difficulty learning more than one language as they grow and … Read more
By Hayley Tippets While playing with a baby, you press the button on a pop-up box, the baby looks at the box with delight, giggles and looks back at you, such as to suggest, “that was exciting, do that again!”. This look by the baby from the pop-up box to the adult, to gain the … Read more
By Laura Harding What is Parkinson’s Disease? Parkinson’s Disease is a progressive nervous system disorder that affects movement. Nerve cells in the Basil Ganglia (an area in the brain) are responsible for the coordination of movements and maintaining good posture. When the brain starts a movement, the basal ganglia uses chemicals to send ‘electric impulse … Read more
Vocal Abuse Voice misuse/vocal abuse is vocal behaviours leading to traumatic tissue changes of the vocal folds. Our voice is generated from the vibrations of the vocal folds. The vibrations which move these folds is powered by breath support. Vocal trauma can be caused by life stresses, reflux disease, psychosocial issues (i.e. anxiety, depression), environmental … Read more
By Marie Tsilimos What is the difference between a child with a language disorder and a child who is in the process of acquiring a second language? This can be a difficult question to answer for parents and teachers of children who speak more than one language. Here are some useful tips for parents, teachers … Read more
By Marie Tsilimos What is Selective Mutism? Selective Mutism (SM) is a relatively rare anxiety disorder that causes children to experience difficulties when communicating in certain social situations such as at school, with relatives or friends. Children with Selective Mutism typically speak in situations where they are comfortable, such as at home with family members … Read more
What is Imitation and why is it important? Imitation involves a child’s ability to copy others’: actions with objects (such as banging on a drum, pushing a car) gestures and body movements (such as clapping hands or waving) vocalizations (sounds) or words Typically-developing children learn to imitate in infancy, and has been noted as early … Read more
Phonowodital Pwocesses Dey tant be as twicky as you tink! What are they? Some big words to mean patterns of errors children make when learning to speak, to make speaking easier. These errors reflect a difficulty in organising the patterns of speech sounds in the brain. What do they sound like? When a child goes … Read more