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Our team of Ipswich based Speech Pathologists are ready to support your child with disability with their communication and feeding. We’ve recently expanded our Allied Health team into the Ipswich area to enable more children and young people to live better lives, to become more independent and to reach their potential.

Where does Speech Therapy take place?

We’re able to support your child in any of the ways to suit your child’s and your family needs.

• Face to face following COVID safe guidelines
• Via telehealth
• In your home
• In a community setting
• At school or childcare

Why might my child see a Speech Pathologist?

Speech Therapy is delivered by a university trained Speech Pathologist. Your child might see a Speech Pathologist for any of the following reasons:

Articulation disorders – if your child has trouble with forming certain word sounds

Fluency disorders – affect the flow, speed and rhythm of speech, stuttering is one example of a fluency disorder

Resonance disorders – occur when a blockage or obstruction of regular air flow in the nasal or oral cavities alters the vibrations responsible for voice quality

Receptive disorders – are when your child has trouble understanding and processing what others say

Expressive disorders - difficulty conveying or expressing information

Cognitive communication disorders – difficulty communicating because of an injury to part of the brain that controls your child’s ability to think

Aphasia – an acquired communication disorder that affects ability to speak and understand others. It can also affect ability to read and write

Dysarthria – slow or slurred speech due to a weakness or inability to control the muscles used for speech

What happens during a Speech Therapy session?

Our team of Ipswich Speech Pathologists will work with your child to tailor their therapy sessions to their abilities, needs and goals. However, these are some of the activities you might expect from a speech therapy session:

• talking and playing, using books, pictures and other objects such as toys as part of language intervention to help with language development
• exercises to build the tiny little muscles that need to be strong for eating and communicating
• eating, chewing and/or getting a feel for certain types of foods
• modelling correct sounds and syllables for a child during age-appropriate play to teach your child how to make specific sounds
• the use of unaided augmentative and alternative communication such as eye contact, gestures, body language and signing
• the use of aided augmentative and alternative communication such as a speech generating device, picture books or an iPad
• strategies and ideas to work on at home and a chat with you about things are going for your child

What to expect from Speech Therapy

The aim of Speech Therapy is to support your child to fulfil their potential in their ability to communicate and their participation in mealtimes. Our Ipswich team will work with your child to help them:

• feel more independent
• to increase their confidence
• to help them to make friends and make connections
• to help them feel included
• to support them with learning and education
• and lots more

Find out more

Our Ipswich team are ready to help and we have appointments available. Simply fill in our easy enquiry form, or email intake@xavier.org.au for further information.