What Are You Concerned About?
STUTTERING
Behaviour
When words are repeated, distorted, or seem to get stuck, sometimes with extra facial movements.
Impact
- Frustration at not getting the message out
- Withdrawing from friends
- Losing confidence in all areas of life
We Recommend
A detailed assessment to develop the skills to achieve smooth, clear speech patterns with a Speech Pathologist.
VOICE
Behaviour
The voice can be weak, or hoarse, persistent sore throat, loss of volume, loss of range, croaky or in a job that requires continuous voice usage.
Impact
- Difficulty communicating
- Tired
- Frustrated
- Helpless
- Loss of control
- May withdraw from communication
- May be reducing ability to do job properly
We Recommend
To see a Doctor, an Ear Nose and Throat Specialist and have a voice assessment with a Speech Pathologist.
READING
Behaviour
Slow reading, not able to work out what the words are, not recognising sight words consistently, not making sense of what is being read and not progressing through reading levels at school.
Impact
- Resistance to reading at home
- Not able to do school work
- Frustration
- Withdraws and switches off in the classroom
- Not wanting to go to school
We Recommend
Detailed assessment of language skills to determine if there are underlying language reasons for not being able to “crack the reading code”. Visual assessment with a Behavioural Optometrist.
EARLY LANGUAGE
Behaviour
Not talking, only using 1-2 words together, speech not clear, not following instructions, lots of tantrums, inattentive and doesn’t know the names of things.
Impact
- Frustrating to parents and for the child
- Anxiety or worry about if everything is okay
- Reduced opportunity for learning language skills at this critical language learning time
We Recommend
Hearing test with a qualified Audiologist and speech and language assessment with a Speech Pathologist.
LISTENING AND UNDERSTANDING
Behaviour
Not following instructions, inattentive, often confused about what they are supposed to be doing, forget what they have to do, miss the point in a conversation, confuses directions and gets the wrong message.
Impact
- Misunderstandings
- Frustration
- Arguments
- Loss of self-esteem
- Feeling stupid
- Withdrawing
- Not keeping up at school
We Recommend
A comprehension assessment with a Speech Pathologist and an Auditory Processing Assessment with a specialised Audiologist.
SPEAKING
Behaviour
Speech is not clear, sounds are swapped or distorted, uses incomplete or disorganised sentences, not able to convey meaning easily, can’t think of the right words and speech lacks content.
Impact
- Confusion
- Misunderstandings
- Arguments
- Frustration
- Not able to organise information and not able to write it down
- Could be teased at school or in the workplace
- Feeling inadequate
- Poor spelling due to mispronunciation of sounds
We Recommend
Detailed speech and language assessment by a qualified Speech Pathologist followed by therapy to improve skills.
WRITING
Behaviour
Writing is messy or disorganised, or there is not much of it. Difficulty working out what to write on the paper, poor spelling.
Impact
- Not able to complete schoolwork or fill in forms independently
- Refusal to write, not able to express knowledge in written form
- Frustration
- Withdrawal
- Anxiety
- Loss of self-esteem
We Recommend
A full assessment by a Speech Pathologist to determine any underlying language issues. Referral to an Occupational Therapist for consideration of physical handskills.
SPELLING
Behaviour
Not able to remember how to spell words, confusing the letters in the alphabet, struggles to identify the sounds in the words, makes excuses for not writing.
Impact
- Incomplete or illegible writing
- Frustration
- Refusing to write
- Very limited writing
- Not thriving at school
We Recommend
Speech Pathology assistance to develop the connections between speech sounds, letters and spelling choices.
CONCENTRATION
Behaviour
Doesn’t follow instructions, distracted in class, changes the topic and doesn’t answer the question asked, work is left incomplete and not putting homework into diary.
Impact
- Angry
- Frustrated,
- Limited learning opportunities
- Loss of self-esteem
- Consistently in trouble
We Recommend
Full assessment with a Speech Pathologist to explore listening and comprehension skills and a referral to a Psychologist to consider attention skills.