Specialised Support for children with learning difficulties

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)

Speech therapists can play a key role in an integrated approach to therapy for building the skills of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). This can include support to build concentration skills, processing and understanding information and learning new skills.

Depending on your child’s needs, speech therapy can focus on:

• Speech clarity
• Use of grammar and sentence structure
• Vocabulary development
• Comprehension, reading and spelling
• Social communication skills
• Writing and study skills.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Autistic children experience the world differently to their neurotypical peers. They have a unique way of thinking and processing the world around them and this should be celebrated and encouraged. Here at North Shore Speech Therapy we understand this and want to celebrate your autistic child while giving them life skills. A speech therapist can help with:

• Talking
• Social engagement
• Making and maintaining friendships
• Play skills

Speech therapy can help children with ASD to develop stronger communications skills to better participate in the world around them and therefore interact more confidently with others. Our team includes therapists with specialised training for ASD including the Floortime program.

Dyslexia

Dyslexia is frequently viewed as a problem with learning to read, but at its core, it’s really a language processing problem. Our therapists can use a holistic approach to diagnose Dyslexia or determine if another issue is impacting your child’s reading. Possible problems include:

• Hearing the sounds within words
• Differentiating similar sounds
• Knowing how to represent these sounds with letters
• Understanding how parts of words impact on spelling and meaning.

These are all functions of language and as language specialists, this is why speech pathologists are perfectly placed to help your child with evidence-based strategies to improve their reading, spelling and comprehension skills.

Global Developmental Delay (GDD) and Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities

Global Developmental Delay (GDD) is a general term used for any delay of 6 months or more in the development of a child between birth and 18 years. Children with GDD often have an associated reduction in communication abilities. That’s where we can help. We work with children with GDD to help them make progress with their speech and language, their understanding and use of verbal language, as well as their play skills and social interactions. As GDD can be complex and impact multiple areas of a child’s life, we also work in collaboration with other service providers to create a tailored plan for your child.

We can work with children with a range of intellectual disabilities and learning disorders. If your child has a diagnosis, we can work collaboratively with other professionals to create the best outcomes for your child. If you are yet to have a clear answer about why your child is struggling, our therapists can use a range of diagnostic tools to help you find some answers and determine the best course of action.

Importantly, we believe the label is not as important as the action we can take in partnership with you and your child to help them make progress and achieve their individual goals