Our Prep Easy program is suitable for Prep students who struggle with reading and spelling. This group targets skills that are required to learn to read and spell in Prep. Our Prep Easy includes activities that help build the following skills: oral language, phonological awareness, phonics, and vocabulary. This blog explains what each of these skills are and why they are important in developing reading and spelling skills in Prep.

Oral Language

It is estimated that starting Prep, most children know approximately 6,000 words. By the end of Year 2, this number will have increased to around 20,000 words. It is therefore evident that the development of oral language skills is integral to a child’s ability to read independently and spell correctly. Furthermore, children who have strong oral language abilities are better able to comprehend what they read and are more likely to become proficient readers.

In order to develop strong oral language skills, children need opportunities to listen to and engage in conversations with others. They also need opportunities to practice using new words and structures in a variety of contexts. Providing children with such opportunities helps them build their vocabulary and understand how spoken language works. This, in turn, lays the foundations for effective reading and spelling. Therefore, it is clear that oral language development is essential for starting school with the skills required for success in learning to read and spell.

Phonological Awareness

Phonological awareness is hearing, identifying, and manipulating individual sounds, or phonemes, in spoken language. It is an important foundation for learning to read and spell. When children start Prep, they have usually had a lot of exposure to spoken language and are starting to develop phonological awareness naturally. However, some children may need extra support to develop this important skill. Many games and activities can help children develop phonological awareness, and it is never too late to start. Learning phonological awareness can help children to become better readers and spellers, so it is well worth the effort.

Phonics

There are many reasons why phonics is important for Prep students to learn to read and spell. Firstly, phonics help students understand the relationship between letters and sounds. This is essential for being able to read words correctly. Secondly, phonics help students identify the different sounds that makeup words. This is important for being able to spell words correctly. Finally, phonics helps students to read faster and with greater fluency. This is because they can use their knowledge of letter-sound relationships to ‘sound out’ unknown words. In summary, phonics is essential for learning to read and spell. without a strong foundation in phonics, students will struggle with these important skills.

Vocabulary

Prep is a time of great learning and growth. We want kids to continue to develop a “mature” vocabulary as they progress through school. A strong vocabulary is important for two key reasons. Firstly, it helps children with reading comprehension. If they are familiar with the words used in a text, they are more likely to understand what they are reading. Secondly, a strong vocabulary helps children with spelling. When they know the meaning of words, they are more likely to be able to spell them correctly. So, starting Prep with a strong vocabulary will set your child up for success in both reading and writing.

What’s involved in the Prep Easy groups?

Each of our groups runs for 1 hour each day for 4 days. It is important that your child attends each day of the groups.  Groups run for 4 days.

Do parents sit in the sessions as well?

Parents will wait in the reception. At the 50-minute mark, the speech pathologist will bring the children out to the parents and explain what was covered in the group. Because of confidentiality, specific feedback about your child’s performances is shared via the See Saw app. This is a REALLY important feature of the groups. A big component of speech pathology is coaching parents (and kids) on how to use particular techniques to help build and strengthen specific skills. These ten-minute daily tricks/tips in the family home make a world of difference to your child’s reading and spelling.

How many children are in each group?

We only allow 3-4 children per group to maximise learning.

How do I enrol in the groups?

Contact Us here and our support services team will be in touch to add your child to the group. Alternatively, click this link and you will be taken to our online booking system. and you can select the location and time that suits you. For private paying clients, we require a deposit of $96. Once enrolled in the group, we will send you a confirmation email, case history and payment details.

What if the groups are already full?

You can register your expression of interest. We will contact you when the next round of groups becomes available. To ensure your child’s place, we recommend paying a deposit.

How much does group therapy cost?

Each session costs $96. This includes a $10 non-refundable administration fee.

How much is the deposit?

The deposit is $96, payable at the time of booking. NDIA-funded clients will need to submit a completed service agreement to secure their child’s place.

What if my child can’t attend the group?

We understand that life happens and plans can suddenly change. You must contact us to let us know you cannot attend. Your child can attend a group at a later date.

If you are no longer interested in attending the groups, you will receive a refund of $86.

Written by Julie Sexton, Senior SLP and CEO of TalkHQ

The post Prep Easy Group Therapy appeared first on TalkHQ.

If you’re looking for an opportunity to help your child build their communication AND friendships, book into TalkHQ’s Building Buddies group therapy program. This blog will explain what this group is about, who it is most suitable for and why it benefits our clients. I will also address some of our FAQs that we get asked!

What is Building Buddies?

Our Building Buddies program is run by experienced speech pathologists who are passionate about helping neurodiverse children reach their full potential. We believe that every child deserves the opportunity to thrive in an inclusive environment!

The program was designed from Lego Therapy principles.  It uses Lego building to support building friendships. These groups support neurodiverse interactions within a natural group setting. It will also help your child develop communication abilities and problem-solving skills.

For some children, social situations can be daunting. From noisy classrooms to crowded supermarkets, the challenges of everyday life can be overwhelming. However, there is one activity that so many kids (and adults!) love: Lego therapy.

Lego therapy is a form of play-based intervention that uses Lego bricks to help neurodiverse kids develop social communication. The therapist-led sessions help kids with turn-taking, sharing and cooperative play skills. In addition, the use of Lego bricks encourages creative thinking and problem-solving. As a result, Lego therapy can help neurodiverse individuals to develop essential life skills.

In addition to Lego Therapy principles, we also incorporate additional strategies and resources depending on the age and skill level of the group, such as: 

• Emotional vocabulary
• Emotional regulation
• Perspective-taking tasks 
• If… then discussions 

For the younger four to five-year-old group. The following targets MAY be chosen: 

• Asking/ offering/ refusing help from other team members 
• Sharing with peers 
• Identifying how they are feeling and others are feeling 
• Self-regulation (PS We love Zones of Regulation)
• Early skills in recognising our own perspectives and other’s perspectives 

For the older six to eleven-year-old group. The following targets MAY be chosen in addition to the social communication abilities: 

• Negotiating roles and decisions within the group 
• Collaborating and problem solving independently 
• Self-advocacy
• Identifying our own and others’ perspectives to allow compromising 

What’s involved in the Building Buddies groups?

Each of our groups runs for 1 hour each day for 4 days. It is important that your child attends each day of the groups. Children are placed in groups with children of similar age. Groups run for 4 days. Some families enjoy the group sessions so much that they have also signed up for a second consecutive group!

The speech pathologist will facilitate your child’s communication during different social situations in the group. Following this, they will send you a short vlog about how you can help support these social communication skills also.

Parents of children who attended reported feeling very EMPOWERED following the group. The kids love Building Buddies. They love the social use of language while building Lego AND friendships!

Do parents sit in the sessions as well?

Parents will wait in the reception. At the 50-minute mark, the speech pathologist will bring the children out to the parents and explain what was covered in the group. Because of confidentiality, specific feedback about your child’s performances is shared via the See Saw app. This is a REALLY important feature of the groups. A big component of speech pathology is coaching parents (and kids) on how to use particular techniques to help build and strengthen specific skills. These ten-minute daily tricks/tips in the family home make a world of difference to your child’s reading and spelling.

What does neurodiversity mean?

Neurodiversity is a broad term describing people’s brains that do not follow typical neuro-normative development. This means that neurodivergent brains process thinking, sensory and language information differently. The latest research has debunked previous beliefs that neurodivergent children need to be “taught social skills”. At TalkHQ, we are promoting neuro-affirming practices and neuro-affirming language. We love the way this neuro-affirming letter is written! A must-read for all families!

Some neurodiverse conditions include:

• Autism (ASD)
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• Developmental Language Disorder (DLD)
• Dyspraxia
• Tourette’s Syndrome
• Dyslexia
• Dysgraphia
• Dyscalculia

How many children are in each Building Buddies group?

We only allow 3-4 children per group to maximise learning.

How do I enrol in the groups?

Contact Us here and our support services team will be in touch to add your child to the group. Alternatively, click these links for 4-5-year olds or 6-11-year-olds. You will be taken to our online booking system. and you can select the location and time that suits you. For private paying clients, we require a deposit of $96. Once enrolled in the group, we will send you a confirmation email, case history and payment details.

If there is no availability for this group at your location, let us know here! We will contact you again when the group becomes available.

What if the Building Buddies groups are already full?

You can register your expression of interest. We will contact you when the next round of groups becomes available. To ensure your child’s place, we recommend paying a deposit.

How much does group therapy cost?

Each session costs $96. This includes a $10 non-refundable administration fee.

How much is the deposit?

The deposit is $96, payable at the time of booking. NDIA-funded clients will need to submit a completed service agreement to secure their child’s place.

What if my child can’t attend Building Buddies?

We understand that life happens and plans can suddenly change. You must contact us to let us know you cannot attend. Your child can attend a group at a later date.

If you are no longer interested in attending the groups, you will receive a refund of $86.

Written by Jordan Wellington, Senior SLP,  and Julie Sexton, Senior SLP and CEO of TalkHQ

The post Building Buddies – Building Lego AND Friendships! appeared first on TalkHQ.

NDIS Goal setting and Speech Pathology

When you first apply for an NDIS plan, you share your yearly goals with the NDIS planner. These goals will influence what supports you receive.

Similarly, when you meet with your speech pathologist, you share what your communication goals are for your child. Together, you and your speech pathologist work out what the highest priority is for your family. This helps focus the therapy approaches that are used. 

Depending on the nature of the disabilty, some communication difficulties may be life-long. Evidently, NDIS won’t fund speech pathology visits weekly for a life-time. The nature of speech pathology and the NDIS is to help the individual participate in everyday activities. How the individual communicates in these daily activities will look different from person to person.

Talk HQ speech pathologists regularly review communication goals with parents. This ensures that the therapy is helping to progress the child’s participation in everyday activities. We welcome parents’ and carers’ input in the goal setting sessions. It is vital that therapy goals align with how the child is functioning in their home, community and schooling environment.

Another important aspect of a child’s speech pathology intervention is to empower the child’s carers to advance  the child’s ability to communicate. Carers may include parents, teachers, relatives, family friends, support workers or other community workers.  This is known as capacity building.

Capacity Building, Speech Pathology and the NDIS

One of the funding buckets of the NDIS is called “capacity building”. Capacity building refers to building the skills of the child to become more independent. In terms of speech pathology for children, it also refers to building the skills of parents and carers so they can independently nurture the communication skills and independence of their children.

Research shows that parent/carer training is so important to achieve greater outcomes. In a therapy session, this may mean that the speech pathologist coaches the parent in how to practice strategies at home. When the parent is at home, they use the communication strategy in the natural home environment where it is more meaningful to the child.

For children with alternative and augmentative communication, this may mean that therapy sessions focus more on coaching family members and support workers about how to model language. This enables the child to continue to have opportunities to communicate beyond the four walls of the therapy room. This truly helps the child participate in everyday activities like using their device to request McDonalds instead of going home.

Parent training/coaching makes sense. After all, your child spends most of their day with you and their other carers (such as teachers).  This is why capacity building is so important and great value for money.  

When we include capacity building goals into our speech pathology sessions we are providing evidence based practice. It also avoids the potential for co-dependence between the speech pathologist and the family. The family and other supports are better equipped to continue to provide support for the child without lifelong input from the speech pathologist. 

Supports must be value for money

Another key feature of NDIS funding is that funded services are value for money. As speech pathologists, we need to ensure that our therapy intervention meets the “reasonable and necessary criteria” outlined by the NDIS.

As health professionals, we want to ensure we provide value for your money.  It all comes down to goal setting and measuring outcomes. If we find that we are not getting the expected progress, the speech pathologist will need to make some clinical decisions:

• Perhaps the therapy approach needs to change.
• Maybe the child needs a break from therapy.
• Maybe the child needs to stop speech pathology and use funds to access a different type of support at that stage of their life.
• Alternatively, the family may need to access other supports or therapies to address other priorities first before speech pathology can commence/continue.  Other supports may include psychology or occupational therapy for example.

Ethically, the speech pathologist needs to make the decision whether the current speech pathology supports are value for money. They need to use their clinical reasoning skills to make the decision.

The NDIS requires the allied health provider to report on the outcomes relating to the therapy goals. Speech pathologists also have to report if there is no progress.

Bootcamp Talk Blocks

TalkHQ offers Bootcamp Talk Blocks.  This model encourages capacity building therapy. A Bootcamp Talk Block consists of 12 weekly therapy sessions. This is followed by a 12 week consolidation period. Agreed goals are established at the start of the Talk Block. These goals are evaluated at the end of the 12 weeks. 

During the consolidation period, the family uses the time to put the strategies into practice. This is what capacity building is. 

Many TalkHQ families have trialled the Bootcamp Talk Blocks and have found it has worked well for them. Their child continues to progress as therapy has focussed on capacity building as well as focussing on the child’s communication difficulty. 

This has been a very useful option for families who have had their NDIS funding reduced. 

Speech Pathology Group Therapy and the NDIS

Group therapy may also be another therapeutic support that would be suitable for your child. The NDIS funds group therapy. It is a great way for your child to build communication skills within a more naturalistic and social setting. 

In each of our group therapy sessions, the speech pathologist shares strategies with the parents and carers so they can help with capacity building of the child’s supports.

For more information about the type of therapy groups, click here.

Allied Health Assistants

NDIS also funds allied health assistant (AHA) services. In some circumstances, the speech pathologist may decide that AHA sessions would be a more appropriate choice of support. Speech Pathologists develop the treatment program and AHAs implement the program with the child.

For more information about accessing AHA services, read this blog and talk to your speech pathologist.

Next Step

The key features of speech pathology and NDIS is goal setting, outcome measurement and capacity building.

Speak to your speech pathologist to get more individual insights into your child’s therapy journey and progression.

written by Julie Sexton.

The post Speech Pathology and the NDIS appeared first on TalkHQ.