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Hearing in children can change gradually over time so it’s important to monitor their hearing, even if they have passed tests previously like the newborn hearing screen. If children do have a hearing loss, it can impact their speech and language development.
Hear and Say’s qualified audiologists are here to help – come and see the team for a hearing test. We work with babies, children and adults and can make recommendations suited to your or your childs individual needs.
Hear and Say has quite a unique set up in that we are a one-stop-shop for hearing and speech therapy services for children and adults. You can book an appointment with our qualified speech therapists for a speech and language assessment. This will help you get a better understanding of your child’s current developmental level and any communication challenges they may be having.
For children who may be experiencing speech and language developmental delays there are a few signs to watch for. Sometimes it can be hard to know whether a child is taking slightly longer to hit a milestone than their peers or if they're possibly experiencing communication difficulties. Below are some key signs of speech and language delay to look out for in their first two years:
Not saying individual words by 15 months of age
Not saying two words together by the time they're two
Has trouble when following instructions
Finds it difficult to put words together in a sentence
Leaves some words out of sentences
Finding it hard to articular or understand what is being said to them, even basic instructions
Any speech is unclear or hard to understand
At Hear and Say, we work with children who have been diagnosed with a hearing loss and also children who may be experiencing speech or language difficulties and don’t have a hearing loss. This includes:
Children who are late talkers or not talking
Any middle ear concerns
A delay in speech (clarity or articulation in their speech)
Before staring speech therapy with children, Hear and Say's paediatric speech pathologist will undertake a speech and language assessment to ensure they have all of the informality available. The speech and language assessment uses standardised tests to look at a childs developmental level and how they communicate and interact with others around them.
Babies and children may have their hearing loss picked up at different stages – from being diagnosed at birth to when they’re a toddler or in school.
Via a combination of hearing technology and specialist speech therpay (known as listening and spoken language therapy), kids can grow up to hear and speak and reach milestones like their siblings and friends.
Hear and Say runs group speech therapy or group social skills programs to help babies, children and young adults work on their social and communication skill. This is led by our experienced speech pathologists and audiologists with a range of age-appropriate activities.
We offer online speech therapy appointments no matter where you live. Some people even opt to have a hybrid approach by having a combination of in-centre and online appointments.
Hear and Say’s unique approach to speech therapy works with families to tech children to learn to speak through listening. Our team of qualified speech pathologists guide and coach parents so they have the skills and age-appropriate strategies to carry out in an everyday environment, for example interactive play, reading books or singing songs.
Our services are tailored to each individual child and their family so everyone can reach their own unique goals and potential.
Sunshine Coast
Each referral pathway can be quite different depending on your unique circumstances. If your child was born with hearing loss and picked up via the newborn hearing screen, you may be referred to our Early Intervention program via your Family Support Facilitator.
If your child is having possibly speech and language delays your GP or even school teacher may recommend a referral. If you have any concerns, you can also self-refer, just give us a call!
You can request an appointment for speech therapy online or you can phone our team to book your appointment.
Before your speech therapy or speech and language assessment appointment, our friendly team will email a link through to gather some background information.
Each appointment at Hear and Say is individually tailored to yours and your childs needs by our qualified speech pathologists.
Before any speech therapy begins, our team will undertake a speech and language assessment to get the full picture of the child’s current developmental level as well as how they interact with people.
Our team of qualified speech pathologists will work with children and families to develop a child’s speech through listening which closely aligns with a child’s natural development across listening, speech, literacy, cognition and social skills.
Whilst you don’t need a referral for speech therapy you can get a Team Care Plan or GP management Plan (GPMP) to access some Medicare rebates. If you have private health cover you may also be able to use some of your extras cover for speech therapy services.
If you’re interested in getting speech therapy for your child you can request an appointment online or phone our team via 07 3850 2111.
The cost of speech therapy ranges depending on how many therapy sessions are required and the duration of these sessions.
Speech therapy is not completely covered by Medicare. You might be able to get a Team Care Plan or GPMP plan or you could be eligible for NDIS funding for a speech therapist.
Hear and Say’s speech therapists use evidence-based and individualised strategies for children and families to carry out in their home setting. This means the overall effectiveness of speech therapy is reliant upon the amount of practice that is undertaken outside of the appointment itself.
Speech therapy sessions generally go for somewhere between 30 and 45 minutes on a regular cycle. The frequency is largely dependent on the goals identified in the child’s speech and language assessment.
The specific age where a child should begin speech therapy varies from child to child depending on the types of delays they may be having, and when they begin. As soon as you have a concern about a speech and language delay, a speech and language assessment is a great starting point. Early identification and intervention is key to outcomes.
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We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of all the lands on which we meet, work and live, and pay our respect to Elders, past, present and emerging. We respect their continuing culture and the contributions Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples make through their resilience and strength.
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We acknowledge the traditional custodians of all the lands on which we meet, work and live and recognise that this land has always been and always will be Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander land.
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