Social skills develop from a young age, through the support of parents, schools and interactions with other people. While there are some ‘rules’ with any social interaction, it’s important that children feel included and supported for who they are as individuals.

Not all social ‘rules’ are meaningful, useful or necessary. Learning how to feel safe with others and learning how to set boundaries are lifelong skills that can make positive differences no matter what age we are. As parents, nurturing these skills from a young age can help children participate and engage, learn new things, and make choices that feel right for them now and when they’re older.

What is Selective Mutism?

Selective mutism is a childhood anxiety disorder where a child has an observable pattern of being able to speak in certain situations such as at home, however in other contexts, such as school or social gatherings is observed to not talk.

It is not a choice or a behavioral issue; it is simply a response to anxiety or fear.

Recognising Language Delays in Young Children: A Parent's Guide.

By Jules Tushuizen

Language development is a crucial milestone in a child's early years, laying the foundation for communication and social interaction. It is important to remember that delays and difficulties with language are not anyone’s fault, and can naturally occur. While children develop at their own pace, certain signs may indicate potential language delays or difficulties. Here's what parents can look out for:

Understanding Tantrums vs. Meltdowns: A Guide for Parents.

By Jules Tushuizen

As parents and family members, witnessing our children's emotional outbursts can be challenging and confusing. Both are naturally occurring and yet they have very different approaches to support the child during this time. It's essential to understand the difference between tantrums and meltdowns to respond effectively and support our children through these moments. Here's a breakdown in simple terms:

PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System) was developed almost 40 years ago in 1985 by Andy Bondy and Lori Frost. In a nutshell, for children, a child takes a picture of something they want/need to express and gives that picture to an adult (or anyone) who then responds to that request. It's a way of helping a child express themselves, reduce frustration, make choices, ask for something.

Our team of speech therapists Rhodes and Ryde provide Assessment and diagnosis of speech and language delay. We then work with parents to create meaningful goals which are targeted at our Speech Pathology Clinic Rhodes. You can access a Speech Pathologist Online and use your ECEI funding to support your child.

ECEI is an acronym which stands for Early Childhood Early Intervention. It is a separate arm of the NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme) to support children under 7 years of age who present with a developmental delay or disability. A developmental delay includes areas of development which take longer for children to develop, or appear naturally harder in areas such as difficulties walking, talking, eating or playing.

One of the trickiest questions we ask ourselves is, “is my child developing at the rate of his peers, or does he present with delays?” Statistically we know that potentially 1 in every 5 parents will correctly be answering “yes” to the second part of that question.

Speech and language delay in children is natural and it is expected. If you’re reading this you are probably a parent or grandparent. You have children and you know how challenging, exhausting and rewarding raising a child can be.

Hearing Loss One of the FIRST things a Speech Pathologist or GP will recommend is a HEARING ASSESSMENT. Hearing assessments are important as they not only look at if a child can HEAR, they look at what TYPES of SOUNDS they can hear. They also determine if an ear is working PROPERLY.

How to teach the L sound step 1. I love teaching speech sounds and L is no different. It's a bit trickier as you need to get your tongue all the way up the top and to the front but using a mirror makes this really easy.

This video describes at what % children should 'typically' be understood for their age. Remember these are based on an 'unknown adult' listening to your child's speech, not a sibling or parents as they often de-code speech errors so that they can understand almost everything while other adults/children can find it very hard to understand what your child is saying.

Lateral lisps are where the air flows out the sides of the mouth for "S" instead of straight out the front of the mouth. The "S" and all the words with "S" like "sun", "sea" etc.. sound 'slushy' or 'wet' because there is too much air flow.

OWL is one of the first things your speech pathologist will talk with you about and demonstrate in session especially for young children.

This blog is for busy parents, carers and educators who are looking for fun, easy-to-do, evidence-based strategies that support children with speech and language delay. Over the past 13 years Jules has shared her passion of working with children, parents and educators face to face in the Sydney clinic and internationally through telehealth.

The “k” and ” g” sounds are the most common sounds children come to speech therapy to learn. These sounds are made at the back of the mouth. The child will typically say a “t” or “d” instead. These sounds are at the front of the mouth.