autism, early intervention, ESDM, early start denver model, help child learn tot talk, speech pathology, bondi junction. mascot, sydney, project impact, parent coaching

Help your child talk – Tip #1 is modelling

By | Speech Pathology

How do children learn to talk? Children learn to talk by hearing other people talk. They hear all the people all around them talk. This process of listening to other people talk starts from the day they are born. Their little brains are hard wired to take in sounds and words from the very beginning. When children need help learning to talk, the people they spend the most time with are the ideal people to do this. They can learn strategies from Speech Pathology sessions and apply these strategies to everyday activities. One session of Speech Pathology each week isn’t…

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speech pathology, communication delay, late talker, help my child talk, bondi junction, mascot, sydney

What is a communication delay?

By | Speech Pathology

Communication is a complex yet fascinating process. Speech Pathologists understand that the early years in your child’s life are a critical time for communication development. Watching your child begin to communicate, and then to become a very proficient communicator is an amazing process. All of this happens in a relatively short period of time, and it is a process that Speech Pathologists understand in great detail. We constantly assess children to see if there is a communication delay. Many children development communication in a straightforward manner. However, some children take longer to talk, and some children need help to build…

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Speech Pathology, early intervention, th sound, speech, articulation, clinic, mascot, bondi junction , sydney

My child can’t say ‘th’ sound?

By | Speech Pathology

Is your child saying ‘fing’ for ‘thing’? Are they saying ‘dat’ for ‘that? The ‘th’ sound is a later developing sound. Speech Pathology Australia advises that children don’t have to able to say this sound until they are about 8 years of age. Some children can say the ‘th’ sound much earlier, some children learn it when they start school, and some children keep making this speech error. Children develop their speech sounds in a general order. This starts in their first year of life, so let’s have a look at speech sound development. Before the age of 1 year This…

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A young girl who was diagnosed early with autism doing an Early Start Denver Model ESDM session with a certified ESDM Therapist in Bondi Junction and Mascot In Sydney

Diagnose autism early

By | ESDM

Time and time again, families ring our clinic when they get a diagnosis of autism for their child and they are devastated. Firstly, they have to cope with the diagnosis of autism. However, the parents are disappointed and angry because the diagnosis took so long. It is really important to understand that children don’t grow out of autism. This is why we need to diagnose autism early. Above all, early diagnosis and intervention is key. What does the research say about early diagnosis? Research shows that early identification autism leads to the best outcomes for children and their families. Early…

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A child with autism doing puzzle in ESDM Early Start Denver Model early intervention session with a certified ESDM Therapist in Bondi Junction Mascot Sydney

ESDM – a puzzle is never just a puzzle

By | ESDM

Why is the ESDM different? In the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM), children learn through active engagement in an activity. It is so much more than achieving the cognitive goal of matching the puzzle piece to the correct part of the puzzle. It is more than developing the fine motor skill of getting the puzzle into place. In the ESDM, every activity focuses around play. We target multiple goals and objectives across all areas of the child’s development in every activity. In an activity such as a puzzle, the Certified ESDM Therapist will also be targeting goals in the following…

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2 and not talking, speech pathology, early intervention, communication, ESDM, early start denver model, mascot, bondi junction, sydney

My child is 2 and not talking

By | Speech Pathology

Most children start using their first words between 12-16 months of age. Some children started using words at 9 months. Other children start to talk at 18 months. Like everything else, children vary in the age that they start talking. Does it matter if a child isn’t talking at 2 years? When a child is 2 and not talking then it’s time to take a closer look at what is happening. It helps parents to know what is ‘normal’ when they are concerned about their child’s speech and language development. Understand the difference between speech and language Speech is how clearly…

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My child can't read, literacy, reading, spelling, SOunds Write, speech pathology, mascot, bondi junction,

Why can’t my child read?

By | Literacy

Children who do not learn to read in the first few years of schooling will often struggle at school. This is because reading underpins most academic learning. When children have trouble learning to read, parents often ask “why can’t my child read?”. Reading involves a lot of different things. Students need a strong foundation to learn to read. There are 5 steps that are an important part of reading. When children develop their skills across all these areas, then reading success is more likely. Phonemic Awareness This is knowing that words are made up of sounds, that some words sound…

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Speech Pathology, communication development, late talker, bondi junction, mascot, speech development

Speech development in children

By | Speech Pathology

Developing Clear Speech Sounds Clear speech development is very important for children. It is part of their overall communication development, is critical to their friendships, and it integral to children’s academic success. Some children learn to speak clearly very quickly. Other children take longer to learn to speak clearly, and some children will need help with their speech. Our Speech Pathologists at our Bondi Junction clinic believe that it is much better to identify any speech development issues early and resolve them early. When children first begin to speak, most children can’t say a lot of sounds clearly. This is…

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Young girl showing progress in Early Start Denver Model ESDM session

ESDM – how we measure progress

By | ESDM

Autism is a complex neurodevelopment condition. Early intervention is key to helping children with autism. The Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) is an intervention for young children with autism. It was developed by the MIND Institute from The University Of California Davis. It is delivered by certified ESDM therapists and we are proud to offer this early intervention to our families. Choosing an intervention for your child Now that you have chosen the intervention for your child with autism, understanding the goals for each intervention is the next step. The intervention that you choose for your child should have very…

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A child W sitting with an Occupational Therapist in and Occupational Therapy gym in Bondi Junction and Mascot in Sydney.

Occupational Therapy and ‘W’ sitting

By | Occupational Therapy

What is W sitting? ‘W’ sitting is when you sit on your bottom, with knees bent, feet tucked under and out to each side in a “W” configuration. When should I worry if my child is ‘W’ sitting? Why do children W sit? W sitting is a position that provides a wide base of support for children to feel stable and balanced when sitting. Children with weak posture and /or difficulties staying balanced may adopt this position. Does it matter if my child sits like this? Our Occupational Therapists at our Bondi Junction believe that W sitting hinders a child’s development….

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school readiness, Speech Pathology, Occupational Therapy, group therapy, Bondi Junction, Mascot, reading, writing

School Readiness

By | Speech Pathology

School Readiness Starting school is a very exciting time for children. There are so many wonderful things to learn and new friends to make. There are so many great school readiness activities that you can do before your child starts school. Many parents are keen to prepare their children for reading and writing. OneOnOne Children’s Therapy has made a booklet to develop your child’s school readiness. The NSW Foundation Font is used in the booklet. This is a free resource for everyone. Please remember that all children develop differently. Your child does not need to do the things in this…

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Reading, literacy, Sounds Write, Bondi Junction, Mascot

Why is reading so hard?

By | Literacy

Why is reading so hard for some children? Good readers have developed: great pre-reading skills recognise and understand the sounds that letters make can blend the sounds together quickly and fluently have strong vocabularies  great language skills can relate reading to their own experiences. Children who find reading difficult will have challenges in one or more of these areas. What do we do for children who have trouble reading? Some children find it much harder to learn to read and spell. As a consequence of this, they can fall behind at school. They may suffer self-esteem issues as they see…

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