Speech & Language Skills

Speech and language assessment SydneyLanguage delays are often diagnosed prior to school as they are frequently the most obvious developmental delay along with motor delays. Early intervention often focuses on basic expressive and articulation issues as these are often the most noticeable and obvious issues. Receptive language (ie. language comprehension) is a major factor in success in the classroom, and if a child is having trouble understanding the teacher, this will significantly impact learning. Our neurocognitive assessment examines basic language skills such as vocabulary, verbal reasoning and verbal abstract concept formation. If issues are noted in any of these areas a more comprehensive language assessment will be recommended, with speech therapy as a potential treatment to improve these skills.

What areas can a language assessment test?

Expressive language:

  • Formulated Sentences
  • Recalling Sentences
  • Sentence Assembly

Receptive language:

  • Word Classes
  • Following Directions
  • Semantic Relationships

Language content:

  • Word Classes
  • Understanding Spoken Paragraphs
  • Word Definitions

Language memory

Articulation

 

What can speech therapy treat?

Speech therapy is aimed at improving speech and language skills, social communication and oral motor abilities. After assessing and identifying the precise issues your child is exhibiting, an individualised plan can be made to address the noted weaknesses in speech, language or literacy. A speech therapy program may address issues with articulation, problems with general communication (such as vocabulary, grammar and sentence construction) or the ability to comprehend language. If issues are noted with aspects of auditory processing (eg., sound discrimination) or phonological processing (blending or segmenting words when reading/writing), these skills can also be targeted in therapy. Issues with language comprehension and expression may also create issues with reading comprehension and written expression. These issues can also be improved in therapy once more basic language skills are developed.

Six specialist literacy programs are run by our speech therapist consultant, Ciara Reeves, who is part of The Language Tree.

  • Program 1: Handwriting
  • Program 2: Spelling & Reading
  • Program 3: Vocabulary development
  • Program 4: Comprehension
  • Program 5: Story Writing
  • Program 6: Essay Writing