Learning in Steps

16/01/2026

We welcome our new allied health speech therapy assistant Zahraa who is dedicated to helping individuals improve their speech and language skills within a supportive and encouraging environment.

Zahraa has experience assisting in therapy sessions and supporting the delivery of speech and language interventions for children with Down Syndrome, Stuttering and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). She is also skilled in Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), to support functional communication and engagement.

Zahraa applies evidence-based, person-centred activities, tailoring sessions to meet unique needs of each client.

08/01/2026

04/01/2026

⚽ Developing Language & Speech Through Sports 🗣️

Sports aren’t just great for physical health — they’re powerful for communication development too!

🏀 How sports support speech & language:
• Vocabulary: action words (run, kick, throw), positions, rules
• Following directions: “Pass the ball”, “Wait your turn”
• Social communication: turn-taking, teamwork, problem-solving
• Speech clarity: practicing loud, clear voices in dynamic environments
• Narrative skills: talking about what happened before, during, and after the game

👟 Speechie tip for parents & coaches:
Pause during play to model language:
➡️ “You kicked the ball into the goal!”
➡️ “First we warm up, then we play.”

Every game is an opportunity to build communication 💬

24/12/2025

🍳 Cooking = Language Learning! 🗣️

Cooking together isn’t just fun — it’s a powerful way to build speech & language skills at home.

👶 How cooking supports language development:
• Builds vocabulary (mix, pour, hot, cold)
• Supports following directions (first, next, last)
• Encourages turn-taking & joint attention
• Promotes describing & commenting
• Strengthens functional communication (“more”, “help”, “all done”)

🥣 Try this at home:
✔ Narrate what you’re doing
✔ Give simple instructions
✔ Ask choices: “Do you want apple or banana?”
✔ Pause to allow your child time to respond

✨ Everyday moments = therapy moments!

28/11/2025

✨ Building Language Skills With Prepositions! ✨

Prepositions are the little words that help kids understand where things are. They’re important for following directions, describing, and storytelling!

🧩 What are prepositions?
Words like in, on, under, behind, next to, between, in front, over.

🌟 Why are they important?
Prepositions help children:
• Follow instructions (e.g., “Put the toy in the box”)
• Use clearer sentences
• Build early problem-solving and spatial awareness
• Understand books and classroom directions

🎯 How to practise at home:
Try these fun, everyday ideas:
• Hide a toy and ask your child to find it “under the pillow” or “behind the couch.”
• Make a teddy go “on the chair,” “in the bag,” or “next to you.”
• Use snack time! “Put the spoon on the table.”
• During play: “Drive the car through the tunnel.”

💬 Therapy tip:
Start with real objects and simple actions—kids learn best when they can see and do!

26/11/2025

Speech Therapy at the Shops! 🛒
Everyday outings are filled with language opportunities — you just need to know where to look! Here are simple ways to build speech and language while doing your grocery run 👇

🔹 Build Vocabulary:
Label what you see — colours, sizes, categories & describing words.
“This apple is red.” “The milk is cold.”

🔹 Ask WH Questions:
“Where is the bread?” “What do we need next?”

🔹 Practice Following Instructions:
Keep it fun!
“Grab two bananas.” “Find the blue box.”

🔹 Encourage Social Skills:
Greeting the cashier, asking for help, taking turns at the checkout.

🔹 Boost Early Literacy:
Point out letters, sounds & simple words on signs and labels.

✨ Tip: You don’t need extra time — just use the language already around you!

🧡 Supporting little communicators in everyday moments.

21/11/2025

🦷 How Teeth Impact Speech 🗣️

Did you know your child’s teeth play an important role in how they produce sounds?
Here’s how dental development can influence speech:

✨ Missing front teeth
Can make sounds like /s/, /z/, /th/ sound “slushy” or distorted. This is very common during the early school years and often improves once adult teeth come through.

✨ Bite alignment
An open bite, overbite, or underbite can affect tongue placement for sounds like /s/, /sh/, /ch/, /j/, /t/ and /d/.

✨ Crowding or spacing
May change how air flows or how the tongue moves, which can impact clarity for certain sounds.

✨ Tongue posture
Dental structure can influence resting tongue position, which is linked to both speech and feeding.

🪥 When to check in with a professional?
If your child is hard to understand, or if speech sounds don’t improve once new teeth erupt, a speech pathologist and dentist can work together to help.

🗣️ Healthy teeth support healthy speech!

19/11/2025

🌟 Joint Attention: A Big Skill for Little Communicators! 🌟

Joint attention is the shared focus between a child and another person—usually shifting attention between an object and a person.
It’s a foundational skill for communication, connection, and learning! 💬🤝

🧠 Why Joint Attention Matters:
• Helps children learn new words
• Builds social connection
• Supports turn-taking
• Encourages imitation and play skills
• Strengthens early interaction and engagement

🎈 How We Build Joint Attention in Therapy:
• Using fun, motivating toys 🧸
• Following the child’s lead
• Pausing to build anticipation
• Using simple gestures, sounds, and facial expressions
• Celebrating every moment of shared focus 💛

Joint attention is one of the first steps toward meaningful communication — and we love supporting children as they grow this skill! ✨

17/11/2025

🌱 Feeding in Speech Therapy – More Than Just Eating! 🍽️
Did you know feeding support is a big part of paediatric speech pathology?

Feeding is closely linked to:
✨ Oral motor skills
✨ Sensory processing
✨ Safe swallowing
✨ Early communication and mealtime connection

In therapy, we might work on:
🥄 Trying new textures
🧃 Building tolerance to tastes, smells + temperatures
😋 Strengthening oral motor skills for chewing
🫶 Reducing mealtime stress for children and families
🍽️ Creating positive, playful food experiences

Every child deserves to feel safe, confident, and successful at mealtimes. If you have concerns about your child’s feeding, we’re here to help. 💛