Western Health Speech Pathology - Information for Children and Families
Speech Pathologists work with children and families at the Children's Allied Health Service opposite the Sunshine Hospital campus in Furlong Rd, St Albans. Speech Pathologists work as part of a multidisciplinary team to provide a service to children in hospital wards and outpatient clinics
What do Speech Pathologists Do?
The paediatric Speech Pathologists at Western Health assess and work with children who have problems in the areas of:
Communication difficulties alongside concerns in at least one other area of their development. The types of communication difficulties may include delays or disorders with
- Language (learning to understand and express ideas, vocabulary and complex messages)
- Articulation (learning to correctly produce sounds in words, sentences and conversation)
These children may also have difficulties in the areas of:
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Play/social interaction (e.g. solitary play/interaction with others, play preferences/interests)
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Motor skill development (eg: crawling, walking, running, jumping, balance, coordination, use of hands, pencil control, use of scissors)
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Cognition / Attention (e.g. distractible, impulsive, inattentive, over focussed)
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Behaviour difficulties or unusual behaviour
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Self Care (e.g. dressing, feeding self, toilet training)
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Nutrition (e.g. adequacy of diet, allergies, obesity
The Speech Pathologists also see children with difficulties with:
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Swallowing and Feeding Skills (facilitation of normal sucking, chewing and swallowing patterns. Ability to eat a range of food textures and types. Supporting children with tube feeding).
Speech Pathologists work closely with other professionals including Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Neuropsychologists, Dietitians and Audiologists. and will often work with groups of children with similar difficulties to help them to develop skills to interact and communicate with others.
How to refer
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Links
Click on the following useful links for listing of relevant websites