Speech Pathology Near Lilydale

Children develop speech sounds over time, but sometimes differences in the way a child produces or uses sounds make their speech difficult for other people to understand.

That can mean repeating themselves, relying on familiar adults to interpret, or sometimes giving up on what they were trying to say.

A Speech Pathologist can work out what's happening with your child's speech sounds, whether support is needed, and what kind of support is likely to help.

Knowing what you want to say and being able to organise it into words are different things.

Some children find it harder to find the words they need, build sentences, organise their thoughts, tell a story or explain what happened.

This can become more noticeable as children get older and the language expected of them becomes more complex — in conversations, friendships and particularly at school.

We can help understand which parts of language are taking more effort and how to make expressing ideas easier.

Understanding language is more complex than simply hearing the words.

Longer instructions, unfamiliar vocabulary, multiple steps and lots of information at once can place very different demands on a child's language.

Sometimes this looks like forgetting, not listening, needing things repeated or not knowing what to do.

Understanding why matters. A child who doesn't understand the language needs something different from a child who needs more processing time, is overwhelmed by the environment, or is finding it difficult to shift their attention.

Speech, language and literacy are closely connected.

Understanding language, knowing how words are put together, recognising and working with the sounds within words, learning vocabulary and organising ideas all contribute to reading and writing.

A Speech Pathologist can help explore whether language or speech-sound skills are contributing to difficulties with reading, spelling or written language, and what support would be most useful.

Some children communicate easily with adults but find interactions with other children much harder to navigate. They might find it difficult to join in, keep a conversation or play going, work out what someone means, share different ideas, or know what to do when things don't go as expected.

Speech Pathology can help children understand what's happening in these moments and build communication skills that are useful in everyday life — such as sharing ideas, understanding different perspectives, negotiating in play, recognising and repairing misunderstandings, advocating for themselves, and working out what to do when communication doesn't go to plan.

The goal isn't to teach children a set of “correct” social rules or make everyone communicate in the same way. It's to give them more tools to understand others, express themselves and navigate interactions, while respecting their individual communication style.

We can also work with parents and educators to help children use these skills in the places and relationships that matter to them.

Verbal speech isn't the only successful way to communicate.

Some children benefit from Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), including visuals, signs, communication boards or communication devices. AAC can be used alongside speech or as another way to communicate.

The goal is reliable communication: having a way to express what you think, want, need and feel, and to participate in the things that matter to you.

Stuttering can include repeating sounds, words or phrases, stretching sounds or experiencing blocks when speaking.

Children can experience their stutter very differently. A Speech Pathologist can help understand your child's fluency and communication, and whether support would be helpful for them.

Speech Pathologists can also support some aspects of eating, drinking and oral function.

Depending on your child's needs, we may look at chewing, swallowing, oral-motor skills, food textures or how the lips, tongue and jaw are working.

Feeding is complex, so understanding the bigger picture matters here too. Where other factors are contributing, we'll help identify whether another professional or a broader team approach would be more useful.

A lisp is a common speech sound difference that affects how sounds such as ‘s’ and ‘z’ are produced. You might notice your child's speech sounds different from other children their age, or that particular sounds remain tricky even though the rest of their speech is clear.

A Speech Pathologist can assess how your child is producing their speech sounds, whether support is recommended, and what will help them learn a different way of producing the sound if needed.

As children get older, friendships and communication become more complex. There are changing group dynamics, unspoken expectations, humour and sarcasm, different perspectives, and situations where it isn't always clear what someone else means or expects.

Your young person might regularly experience misunderstandings, feel left out of group conversations, find it hard to recognise when someone isn't being a good friend, go along with what others suggest even when they're uncomfortable or there could be consequences, or find it difficult to express a different opinion, say no or advocate for what they want.

Speech Pathology can help young people understand what's happening in these interactions and develop communication tools for navigating them — such as recognising different intentions and perspectives, expressing their own point of view, communicating boundaries, responding to misunderstandings and working out what they might say or do when they feel pressured by others.

The goal isn't to give a set of rules for how they're supposed to socialise. It's to help them understand interactions more clearly, communicate their own needs and boundaries, and have more options when social situations become complicated.

Understanding language and using language to communicate are different skills, and children can find one easier than the other.

Some children seem to understand much more than they are able to express. They might follow instructions and understand conversations, but use fewer words or shorter sentences, find it hard to put their thoughts into words, or rely on gestures and other ways of communicating.

A Speech Pathologist can explore your child’s communication more closely and help work out what might be getting in the way and whether support would be helpful.

Some children are chatty and comfortable communicating at home, but speak very little at school, kinder or around unfamiliar people. They might seem extremely shy, become anxious when expected to speak, rely on a parent to answer for them, or find themselves unable to talk in certain situations.

There can be different reasons for this. For some children, speech, language or communication differences can make talking with other people harder. For others, anxiety plays a significant role, including presentations sometimes described as situational or selective mutism. Sometimes both are involved.

We won’t necessarily know what’s contributing until we meet your child — and you don’t need to work that out before getting started. A Speech Pathologist is a good place to start. They can explore your child’s speech, language and communication and, if anxiety also appears to be playing a role, work alongside one of our Psychologists to make sure your child is getting the right support.

The aim isn’t to pressure a child to speak, but to understand what is making communication difficult and help them feel safe and supported to communicate across different people and environments.