Speech Assistant Program

Are you looking for a cost effective way to have weekly individualised support for you child targeted to their unique and specific needs? Speech assistant sessions provide an affordable alternative for families who do not have speech pathology cover included in their private health insurance. The speech assistant sessions are provided weekly during school terms to children who have needs that are best met by consistent and frequent repetition of skills. Speech assistants are provided with goals set by a speech pathologist, with goals reviewed and reset each term in a session with the speech pathologist. The speech pathology session is claimable on "extras cover" or Medicare rebates are applicable on this session for those who are eligible. No rebates are available on the speech assistant component of the package.

Speech assistants are experienced in working with children with speech, language and literacy difficulties including developmental delay, speech delay and disorders, language delay and disorders, autism, Asperger's syndrome, dyslexia and auditory processing disorders.

Children in the speech assistant program benefit from:

• A program specifically written for them by a professional speech pathologist
• Working with speech assistants who have ongoing training to ensure they are offering the best possible outcomes
• Weekly sessions that won't break the bank
• After school or Saturday sessions to fit in with the family's routine
• Working with proffesionals that care about their progress and are committed to making learning fun.

*Please note, some children have complex needs that are best met by a speech pathologist. All children in the program need an initial assessment and are moitored regularly by a speech pathologist to ensure the program is always relevant to the skills the child needs assistance with. 

There is more information on the speech assistant program in this leaflet. 

Information about the costs of the speech assistant program can be found here.

To see if this program is suitable for your child just contact us and book an initial assessment.

Ready to Read Program

Would you like your preschool child to develop the skills needed to succeed with literacy when they begin school?  Do you have a junior primary child who is struggling to develop early reading and writing skills?  The ready to read program (pdf) may be help your child learn the skills they need.  

The Ready to Read program was developed to assist families to prevent literacy difficulties in their children before they occur.  Children who experienced delays in their speech and or language development  before starting school are more likely to have difficulties with learning to read and write when they start school.  Research has also shown that when provided with structured teaching about books, sounds and matching letters to sounds when young, that children are able to learn these skills relatively quickly and have improved literacy as a result.  The Ready to Read group is a fun way for your child to get a head start in learning the early skills that are vital for success in literacy.  The groups are fun, activity based and were developed using speech pathologists specialist knowledge about how children learn to read.

The groups aim to develop pre-literacy skills vital for children to learn to read and write when they are at school. The pre-literacy skills targeted include:

• Book and print awareness
• Phonological awareness, which includes:
  • Being able to recognise syllables in words
  • Identifying rhyming words
  • Separating words into individual sounds
  • Identifying the first sound in words
  • Beginning to match sounds to written letters.
  • The groups also aim to develop listening skills and turn-taking skills.

 Your child would benefit from this group if they:

• experienced a delay in their speech or language as a toddler
• have a family history of language learning difficulties or dyslexia
• had hearing difficulties in the past, including recurring ear infections
• are aged between 4 years 6 months and 6 years of age
• are not yet showing an understanding of rhyme, syllables or the first sounds in words (e.g. they are unable to play 'I spy with my little eye, something that starts with a ........."

We are currently taking enrolments for next term.  To register your interest please call our office on Ph 8255 7137.   Ready to Read Program information (pdf)  is available on this leaflet.

Please complete Ready to Read Program Parent Background Form (pdf)  and contact us to register your interest in this program.  

Please note, not all children are suitable for this program. Children with behavioural or significant attentional difficulties are best catered for with individual sessions where they can be provided with one to one assistance.

Information regarding fees can be found under Costs, on the Other Programs page.

 Succeeding with Reading

Does your child struggle with reading?  Do you have a child who has been diagnosed with dyslexia?  Children who have a history of speech and language difficulties often experience difficulties with reading and need some extra specialised help to be succesful.  Children diagnosed with dyslexia also benefit from support targeted at their areas of need. Good reading and comprehension skills are vital for children to get the most out of their learning opportunities.  Early intervention for reading helps children with reading difficulties to have the best chance of having the same rich language experiences as children who are strong readers.

In "Succeeding with reading (pdf)" children experiencing difficulties with reading receive individualised support to help them learn to read.  The program runs on a Saturday morning throughout each school term. It begins with a 45 minute individualised assessment for new students so each student's strengths, and areas which need support can be identified. An individualised learning plan that is relevant to your child's specific needs is then put together. For the rest of the term your child has individual half hour sessions specifically targeted towards their particular needs.

The program includes reading tuition and practice, as well as activities and games to develop knowledge of letters, letter and sound patterns, familiar sight words and use of reading strategies, as relevant to your child. It will also include some oral and written language activities. The reading tutor is happy to provide parents with activities to practice at home with their child because regular practice when learning to read is so very important.

Download a Succeeding with Reading brochure (pdf) to begin helping your child to succeed with reading. 

To register your interest in these sessions, please contact Talking Matters.

Information regarding fees can be found under Costs, on the Other Programs page.