During your initial appointment your Speech Pathologist will get to you and your child while exploring your child’s development, strengths and areas of difficulty. The initial assessment will include the following:

· A Comprehensive Case History – Prior to your initial appointment, your Speech Pathologist will arrange a phone call to gather key background information about your child’s development.

· Informal Assessment – Where appropriate, play based activities may be used to observe skills such as turn taking, answering questions, understanding of vocab, following instructions and social interaction.

· Formal Assessment – In many instances, a formal standardised assessment may be recommended to assess your child’s abilities. These types of assessments include your child looking at some pictures with the Speech Pathologist, and being asked to undergo activities that involve labelling, describing, following instructions and formulating sentences. These assessments provide a score that the therapist will use to gain an understanding of your child’s skills and abilities compared to children of a similar age.

· Play, Observe and Interact – We understand that meeting new people can be daunting for many children. To build trust and support your child to feel comfortable in session your Speech Pathologist will engage with your child through play and conversation to observe preferred communication methods and play preferences. This may look like a structured get to know you activity or game, joining in with their play and/or asking about their interests to find a commonality.

At the end of your initial assessment, your Speech Pathologist will discuss possible next steps for your child. You may be given some referrals for additional services such as an audiologist, Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) specialist, occupational therapist, Behaviour support, and/or and airway focused orthodontist.

Please note, the number of assessment sessions required will be discussed with you and negotiated after the Initial Consultation. Simple assessments generally require 1 session. More comprehensive assessments for language and literacy may require 2 to 3 sessions.

Once your child’s assessment has been completed, your treating Speech Pathologist will complete a comprehensive assessment report with all the findings.

At Little Growers Paediatric Therapy, we provide personalised support across a wider range of developmental areas, including:

· Speech sound production

· Early intervention strategies

· Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)

· Play skills

· Understanding language

· Use of Language

· Fluency (stuttering)

· Literacy Development

· Social Communication and Connection

Once your initial assessment is completed, our expert team will develop a tailored plan to support your child’s growth and communication abilities. At Little Growers, we recognise that no two journeys are the same. That is why we offer neuro-affirming, child-led therapy that supports the whole child — nurturing their growth, strengths, and communication in ways that are meaningful to them.

Ongoing review of goals and intervention approaches will occur in collaboration with your child’s support network and a summary of our session notes will be sent to you after each therapy session!

Allied Health Assistant (AHA) sessions are a great option for children who would benefit from more frequent therapy, are currently on a waitlist to see a Speech Pathologist, need support as soon as possible or are looking for a more cost effective way to access therapy.

AHA sessions are available to both private paying families and NDIS clients.

Our AHA currently has capacity on a Friday (days are subject to change depending on university placement allocations).

What is Orofacial Myology?

Orofacial Myology is a specialised area of therapy that focuses on the muscles of the face and mouth. These muscles play an essential role in speech, eating, sleeping, breathing, dental development and overall oral function. Our therapists have undergone specialised training to better support your child’s oral and facial health

The goals of Myofunctional Therapy:

· Improve Muscle Function: To improve the strength and coordination of facial muscles to support speech develop and swallowing.

· Correct Oral Habits: address oral habits such as thumb sucking, prolonged dummy use, nail and/or lip biting and lip licking that can interfere with optimal oral development.

· Promote Healthy Growth: Supporting the development of oral structures to promote healthy and optimal growth. This includes, encouraging correct tongue posture, lip seal and establishing nasal breathing.

· Improve Swallowing Pattern: remediate tongue thrust and develop a mature swallow pattern to support optimal dentition and function.

Signs your child may benefit from Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy:

· Frequent nasal congestion and habitual mouth breathing

· Thumb sucking or other persistent oral habits

· Muscle imbalances

· Misaligned teeth

· Challenges with chewing and swallowing

· Poor speech sound clarity

· Jaw tension or teeth clenching

·. Snoring, sleep apnoea or sign of sleep-disordered breathing

Little Growers Paediatric Therapy is now offering therapy services via Telehealth.

If you are unable to make your in-person appointment or live outside of our travel zone, telehealth appointments, are just for you! Our team is skilled in telehealth delivery sessions are well versed in conducting therapy sessions this way via Zoom and Microsoft Teams! A link for your upcoming telehealth appointment will be emailed to you 24 hours prior to your appointment time.

Please notify your therapist as soon as possible if you have any difficulty accessing the link to your appointment!