What is a Speech Pathologist?

Speech pathologists study, diagnose and treat communication disorders, including difficulties with speech, language, literacy, fluency and voice.

They work with people of all ages who have difficulty communicating because of developmental delays, stroke, brain injuries, learning disability, intellectual disability, cerebral palsy, dementia and hearing loss, as well as other problems that can affect speech and language.

People who experience difficulties swallowing food and drink safely can also be helped by a speech pathologist.

Source: Speech Pathology Australia Fact Sheet

Language disorders and delays:

We can help with:

Comprehension (receptive language):

  • Developing joint attention
  • Developing memory
  • Developing listening skills (auditory processing)
  • Following directions
  • Understanding questions and language concepts
  • Reducing Echolalia (repeating back what is said or asked of them)

Expression:

  • Expanding vocabulary
  • Using grammar
  • Answering questions effectively
  • Using sentences (reducing jargon)
  • Holding a conversation
  • Telling stories and re-telling events

Social interaction:

  • Understanding the social aspects of communication such as greeting, getting someone's attention, making eye contact, turn taking, protesting.
  • Communicating effectively in a social contexts

Language delay due to hearing loss

  • Improving speech and language difficulties due to hearing loss

Literacy:

Written language:

We can help your child with:

  • Spelling
  • Writing sentences
  • Writing narratives, reports and other text types

Reading: (to understand meaning from print)

We can help, if your child:

  • Mispronounces words or letters
  • Does not understand what they have read
  • Does not remember what they have read
  • Guesses a word based on its first letter or the shape of the word

 We can also assess your pre-literate child to determine if they are at risk for developing a literacy impairment .

Speech:

Articulation:

Different sounds are expected to develop at different ages. A speech sound delay exists when a child continues to make these mistakes past the age expected.

We can help your child say the individual speech sounds correctly and clearly

Phonology:

We can help with a phonological process disorder: which involves a pattern of sound errors. For example replacing sounds that are made in the back of the mouth (e.g. the “k”and “g”) with sounds made in the front of the mouth (e.g. “t” and “d”).

Stuttering (a speech motor difficulty):

We can help your child speak more fluently/ smoothly. For example reducing sound and word repetitions, prolongations (stretching out of sounds) and blocking (inability to say a sound due to a stoppage of airflow).

 Other:

  • Childhood Apraxia of Speech

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

We can help with the development of social communication skills through improving speech and language as well as non-verbal communication using techniques and technologies such as:

  • PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System)
  • Keyword Signing
  • Tablets (e.g. iPad)

Adult Speech Pathology services:

We can help you with:

  • Language difficulties ( difficulty understanding others and expressing yourself) due to a stroke (CVA), brain tumour, head injury, surgery, dementia or a progressive neurological disorder.
  • Articulation difficulties such as a 'lisp'
  • Stuttering
  • Swallowing difficulties