Therapy Matters

SHOP TALK : EXTRA JULY EDITION

This July we are additionally showcasing the Mindwing Concepts Story Grammar Marker Mini Magnets.

This manipulative tool, based on the Story Grammar Marker®, now has magnetic icons for both narrative and expository intervention. This new version includes all of the SGM® Icons for narrative as well as 14 new magnets for expository text. In addition, it includes a second “character icon” for perspective taking and an “obstacle” bead magnet for embedded episodes in the narrative. The Mini Magnets can be used in therapy, classroom centres, small groups, and for individual students to assist them in re-telling, telling and writing stories as well as for comprehension, perspective-taking and social problem-solving.

And, the most exciting part is that the SGM® Mini Magnets are ideal for parents to use at home to help their children express personal narratives and solve problems. Using the SGM® Mini Magnets on the refrigerator, parents can help their children to answer the often elusive question “What happened at school today?” This is the perfect tool to help build that home-school connection!

CONGRATULATIONS to LARA our talented Therapy Assistant

Hot off the press!

We are so proud to share that Lara has been chosen as a finalist in the annual Allied Health Awards.

A wonderful honour for such a talented, diligent, warm and engaging therapy assistant. We are so proud of you!

Lara has been with our team for over two years now working in the community, schools, our Brick Club programs and in our clinic supporting our clients with a range of needs. She is always so helpful and insightful in her interactions with clients and therapists. We are so excited for her!

Join us in celebrating Lara and also acknowledging the esteemed company of the other finalists as well, doing invaluable Allied Health Assistant work in their own communities.

KEY WORD SIGN BASIC WORKSHOP: SATURDAY 3RD AUGUST

Are you interested in learning Key Word Sign to help people with communication disabilities and difficulties have a say in life?

Come along to our next Key Word Sign Accredited Basic Workshop. Suitable for parents, teachers, speech pathologists, other allied health professionals, support workers and allied health uni students.

Learn from Tania Teitzel and Jacqui Sullivan, our speech pathologists and accredited Key Word Sign Presenters who have over 50 years combined experience in the field.

Join our fun, practical, interactive and informative workshop!

REGISTER NOW to secure your place.

Key Word Sign Basic Accredited Workshop 8:45 AM Sat 03 Aug at Therapy Matters, Burleigh Heads, QLD. This workshop covers the use of Key Word Sign and natural gesture for individuals who have communication difficulties.

SHOP TALK: JULYEDITION!

This Month, Shop Talk presents Braidy's Teacher's Manual, the StoryBraid Teacher's Manual

Braidy the StoryBraid® Teachers’ Manual
$130.00
Braidy the StoryBraid® Teachers’ Manual is a resource for education professionals to introduce narrative development to preschool through second-grade students.

Braidy the StoryBraid® Doll is a motivating hands-on tool that appeals to early childhood education students. The iconic structure of Braidy scaffolds narrative and oral storytelling following the developmental sequence of language acquisition. Targeted lessons foster meaningful conversation skills, problem-solving, and comprehension for your youngest students! A must-have for early childhood educators!

- Engaging
- Ideal for early intervention
- Explicit lessons included in the manual to get you started!

SHOP NOW @ https://therapymatters.com.au/shop/

VOICEITT : WHAT CAN IT DO?

For a long time, our speech pathologists have heard the frustrations of our clients that speech to text doesn't work for them because of their speech errors.

Speech to text is an invaluable tool in a multimodal communication tool kit enabling people to be able to text and write when spelling or written expression is difficult. For many people with learning difficulties and other disabilities the ability to talk and generate text provides them with the accommodations to learn, connect with friends and communicate more widely with others.

BUT what happens if you have speech errors and the usual speech to text platforms can't work your speech out and it generates words and sentences with errors causing frustration and despondency?

Enter VOICEITT!

VoiceITT has only been available in Australia since October, 2023 and our technology loving director, Tania was keen from the outset to explore what it could do and how it could make an impact for our clients. While this may not be the solution for everyone and the platform doesn't promise 100% accuracy, it has been exciting to see how our clients react to this AAC solution.

Voiceitt uses AI and machine learning to build custom language models from each user’s unique way of speaking. The software interprets and converts speech to text and audio, which can be used to write texts and emails, participate in online meetings, communicate in person and a recently released function allows speech-to-text directly in the Chrome Browser (providing speech-to-text to all Google workplace and classroom pages).

Curious? Go to VOICEITT to read more https://www.voiceitt.com/faq

BOOK a parent planning consultation with our Director and Principal Speech Pathologist, Tania Teitzel if you would like to explore if this platform might be a fit for your child. https://therapymatters.com.au/contact-us/

JULY'S F-WORD is FRIENDS!

The ‘F – words for Child Development’ are a set of 6 words that provide a family- centered, strengths based, holistic approach to child health and development.

July is all about Friends! The connection with friends is so important to our sense of belonging and purpose in life. It is essential that we find ways for children to connect with like-minded peers with whom they can be themselves. This month tell us about your friendships and create a recipe for a friend with our colouring in sheet in the waiting room.

Knowing how and where your child connects with friends helps us think of how to make our goals and therapy relevant your child and what they can do. If finding and keeping friendship connections has been difficult for your child, our team delight in finding opportunities to 'match make' with our popular COINS paired sessions. Brick Club group programs or holiday experiences.

To find more information on F - words.
Link to CanChild's F-words Knowledge Hub:
https://www.canchild.ca/.../f-words-in-childhood-disability

Talk to your therapist today about kick starting your therapy year by having a parent planning conversation or session with a focus on your F-Words for your child.
Share your thoughts, experiences, and stories using ! Together, let's build a world where every child is celebrated.

HOW LONG IS THE WAIT in JULY?

The short answer is ... pretty short in BURLEIGH!

😀The good news is, we have shorter than usual wait times for new client assessment and parent planning sessions as well as IMMEDIATE vacancies at BURLEIGH for therapy appointments Mon - Fri in school hours. We also have a few rare AFTER SCHOOL vacancies. We expect these vacancies will fill up fast particularly when school returns for term 3.

Our therapists have been generous in opening these new appointments in their diaries to give clients more timely access to our services. We look forward to seeing if these opportunities are a match for your child's needs. Call us now or fill in our new client enquiry form on our website to book. https://therapymatters-2.snapforms.com.au/form/new-client-enquiry-form

😯Unfortunately, our Murwillumbah clinic continues to experience high demands in this rural area and has longer delays for new clients. All of our on-site school services are almost fully allocated with waits of up to a term expected.

We look forward to welcoming lots of new clients into our appointment vacancies at Burleigh soon. Therapy Matters invests time and care to carefully match child to therapist in terms of temperament, availability, family preferences, location and therapist expertise. The more information parents share about their child's needs, the easier it is for our team to make that just right match. While we have listed all of our available vacancies here today, some children may have more complex needs that require a match with a more experienced therapist. Our team will always be honest and transparent about these recommendations in our matching matters process.

LIVING OUR VALUES in JULY : WE ARE RELIABLE for 29 years!

Every July, we recognise the anniversary date of Therapy Matters beginnings. On the 1st July, 1995 our Director, Tania established the very first Private Speech Pathology Practice in the Tweed, working out of a Kingscliff Doctor's Surgery every Saturday.

From these humble beginnings, Therapy Matters has grown substantially to support children and families in two clinics and six schools across Northern NSW and the Gold Coast. While there has certainly been substantial change during the past 29 years, what has remained reliably the same, from our very first day of operation, is our commitment to high quality clinical services. We have a dedicated and talented team with 120+ years of speech pathology wisdom. We have a workplace culture that supports longevity of employment with therapists staying on our team for 5, 10 and even 17 years!

We are proud to say that we often help clients through many different phases of their life from infancy, toddlerhood and into the school years before transitioning to adulthood. We love that we have had the opportunity to build strong, reliable bonds with families over time.

We are in a unique position now, as many of our older past clients become parents themselves, that they are choosing our clinic to look after the communication needs of their children too. We often run into parents and grandparents in the community who recognise us and proudly share the impact speech pathology has had on their family member 5, 10, 15, 20 or almost 30 years later. We are so grateful for the opportunity to have helped so many people have a say in life through communication.

If you are someone that has treasured the role of Therapy Matters in your family's story over the past three decades, reach out - we'd love to hear from you! We are looking forward to starting to collect stories from the community over the next 12 months as we prepare for our next big milestone, 30 years in 2025.

PAINT & SIP SOCIAL NIGHT HIGHLIGHTS

We had an amazing nurturing time at our recent Paint and Sip Night. Here's a peek into the fun, creativity, calm reflection and camaraderie that filled the night.

🎨Team Building in Action: Our team bonded over brushes and canvases, fostering stronger connections and teamwork.

🎨Self-Care Moments: Painting proved to be the perfect escape from our busy routines. It was a wonderful way to de-stress, and mindfully immerse ourselves in the brush strokes.

🎨Unleashing Creativity: Each masterpiece created was so unique. It was incredible to see everyone’s artistic side shine through.

🎨Social relaxation: The evening was filled with laughter, great conversations, and compassion. The perfect blend of relaxation and fun!

Big thanks to our Social Club for organising the event and helping us follow along with the video tutorial to create such wonderful pieces as memories for the night.

INTERMEDIATE KEY WORD SIGN WORKSHOP : LAST MINUTE PLACES AVAIL!

There are only a few days left to register for this new Key Word Sign Workshop on Saturday 6th July on the Gold Coast!

Tania & Jacqui, our talented Key Word Sign Presenters are excited to bring this new workshop offering from Key Word Sign Australia to the Gold Coast. It is available as a blended in-person practical and e-learning theory workshop.

We know many of you are keen to extend your skills learnt in the Basic Workshop.

We now introduce the INTERMEDIATE WORKSHOP - Key Word Sign in Daily Life

This workshop is endorsed by Key Word Sign Australia (KWSA) for delivery by Accredited Presenters.

👍Build your knowledge of key word sign and gesture in familiar, everyday activities, routines, games and songs.
👍Create a sign environment using strategies and resources
👍Enhance signing accuracy and fluency through individual, small group, and whole group activities.
👍Revise the signs of the Interactive Vocabulary learned in ‘Getting Started with Key Word Sign’
👍Learn between 80 -100 NEW signs including alphabet, colours, animals, food, action words, describing words, people and places.
👍"Read and Sign", "Sing and Sign" and "Sign in Everyday" components

This workshop is available as a blended learning package. This involves a self-paced eLearning module and a 6 hour practical session presented in person at our Gold Coast clinic.

This workshop is part of the new pathway of workshops designed by Key Word Sign Australia. Attendance at a Key Word Sign Accredited Basic Workshop is a pre-requisite for eligibility to register for this intermediate workshop. Knowledge of the Interactive Vocabulary and foundations of key word sign are assumed as foundations for this course. Contact Therapy Matters if you are unsure if your skills and prior training are a match for the needs of the course.

Go to our Sticky Tickets page to register: https://www.stickytickets.com.au/XP1BY

SHOP TALK: JUNE EDITION!
This June, Shop Talk presents the Teacher Story Grammar Marker. Amazing for learning enrichment fun! The perfect gift for any teacher or teacher's aide. Helping students remember how to craft a story with the critical elements.

Teacher Story Grammar Marker®
$50.00
The Teacher Story Grammar Marker® is a 61cm removable icon-based manipulative. The marker is designed to assist education professionals in the instruction of narrative development to their students.

Benefits:
Works with any existing program or reading series.
Fosters modelling and guided practice.
Facilitates classroom and small group discussion

COME SHARE OUR SPACE in MURWILLUMBAH

We are fortunate to have a delightful, spacious clinic in the heart of Murwillumbah that we are keen to open for opportunities for other like-minded professionals.

We have a range of flexible options available from a group room, to roomy offices and a cosy interview space. Spaces are available flexibly to suit your needs.

Our team are welcoming, friendly and ready to share. Our speech pathologists and Therapy Connect Alliance Team use this space to support local children and families with developmental needs and disabilities. We look forward to exploring an opportunity with you to join us.

Contact our Gold Coast clinic today, if you have an interest in seeing what spaces might be available to suit your needs. Ph: 0755207860 or email: [email protected]

STRENGTHS SPOTLIGHT : JACQUI

At Therapy Matters, we delight in celebrating and acknowledging the strengths of our clients and our team.

Today we celebrate the strengths of Jacqui, our clinical leader speech pathologist who works at our Burleigh and Murwillumbah clinics. Jacqui has been a valued and loyal team member at Therapy Matters for almost two decades. She is highly regarded by our team for her infinite flexibility and inspiring creativity in supporting the needs of our more complex communicators as well as her unerring dedication to family-centred practice. Jacqui is valued by our team for her extensive experience and practical wisdom as well as her fun-loving, infectious nature! Curious to find out more about Jacqui (& her pictured favoured toy), head to ... https://therapymatters.com.au/about-us/our-team

Did you know that focusing on strengths leads to happiness, wellbeing, positivity, confidence and the accomplishment of goals especially if something is new or difficult.

Would you like to embrace more reflection and discussion of strengths in your life to enhance your wellbeing & achieve goals? Check out these resources for children, parents and professionals. https://www.viacharacter.org/resources/activities

IS YOUR CHILD'S TALKING READY FOR SCHOOL?

As parents, we all want our little ones to thrive in every aspect of their education, and communication development is key! If you're unsure whether your child's speech is where it should be for school readiness, it's okay to seek help.

Spotting difficulties early can make a world of difference! That's why it's crucial to pay attention to your child's communication skills.

Our speech pathology team have identified the TOP 10 COMMUNICATION SKILLS needed for classroom success and the foundations for literacy and academic learning.

START EARLY today if you need to seek help for your child in any of these areas.

☑️Speaking Clearly: Being able to articulate words clearly ensures effective communication with teachers and peers.

☑️Tell Stories : The ability to tell stories about their life experiences enhances comprehension, creativity, and social interaction.

☑️Ask & Answering Questions: The ability to ask questions reflects a curious mind. Responding to questions demonstrates understanding and engagement and builds problem solving skills.

☑️Rich Vocabulary: A broad vocabulary allows children to comprehend instructions, engage in discussions, and express themselves more precisely.

☑️Talk in Sentences: Forming complete sentences helps children express their thoughts and ideas coherently.

✅Empathy and Perspective-Taking: Developing empathy and understanding different perspectives promotes positive social interactions, conflict resolution, and cooperation in group settings.

✅Advocate Confidently: Knowing yourself and what you need to regulate, learn and get help builds confidence and self-esteem.

✅Reading Curiosity about Sounds : A foundation of being read to and a curiosity and awareness of sounds in words, including rhyming, blending, and segmenting, lays the foundation for reading and spelling skills.

✅Listening Skills: Active listening enables children to follow instructions, understand discussions, and engage with peers effectively.

✅Yearning for Socialness : Seeking a connection with others who share your interests and engaging in conversations fosters social interactions, caring friendships and cooperative learning.

By nurturing these communication skills, children can enter school with the confidence and competence needed to navigate academic challenges and thrive in their learning environment.

If you notice any concerns with your child's speech or language development, don't hesitate to reach out to a speech pathologist. We know how to assess and treat speech and language difficulties in children, ensuring that every child has the support they need to thrive academically and socially. Let's make a difference with therapy that matters and start early!

Call our clinic on 0755207860 or contact us at www.therapymatters.com.au

LATE TALKING TODDLERS : Wait & See or Act Now

Often when parents seek advice on the internet or in their community about their late talking toddler, they are told not to worry. Well-meaning relatives and friends might share that someone in their family “didn’t talk until they were three and they turned out OK” or “don’t worry he’s just a boy and they all talk late”. With so much messaging in the community to just “wait and see” parents are often conflicted and confused as they see their child struggling to have a say in life.

The “Wait & See” approach for toddlers who are late to talk is an outdated misconception about typical language development and often associated with the reassurance “It’ll be OK as all children develop at their own pace.” While this is true to a certain extent, there are critical milestones that a child should reach by specific age ranges and when these milestones are not reached, there is concern. While there are certainly some children who do seem to catch up on their own, many others do not.
When parents notice that their toddler is not learning to talk as they should, at Therapy Matters we recommend an assessment as early as possible by a speech pathologist who can help recommend whether intervention is needed. The earlier a child with a delay receives help, the better their outcomes will be. Parents will rarely regret acting early but may regret acting late particularly if their child goes onto have persisting difficulties that could have been addressed by early intervention.

Late talking toddlers are known to:
• Present with later, subtle difficulties in school
• Be at greater risk if they have a family history of difficulties; ear infections; other developmental difficulties; use only a few sounds or are reluctant to imitate
• Present with improved skills if they receive early intervention
• Respond very positively to parent-led intervention from a speech pathologist

We always recommend ACT EARLY NOW!

If you are worried about your toddler, call our clinic on 0755207860

Read more on our BLOG ... https://therapymatters.com.au/late-talking-toddlers-wait-and-see-or-act-early-now/

STRENGTHS SPOTLIGHT : TANIA

At Therapy Matters, we delight in celebrating and acknowledging the strengths of our clients and our team.

Today we celebrate the strengths of Tania, our Director, Founder and Principal Speech Pathologist who works at our Burleigh clinic and has led our team for 29 years. Tania is a kind, compassionate leader with over three decades of wisdom in speech pathology. Curious to find out more about Tania (& her pictured favoured toy), head to ... https://therapymatters.com.au/about-us/our-team

Did you know that focusing on strengths leads to happiness, wellbeing, positivity, confidence and the accomplishment of goals especially if something is new or difficult.

Would you like to embrace more reflection and discussion of strengths in your life to enhance your wellbeing & achieve goals? Check out these resources for children, parents and professionals. https://www.viacharacter.org/resources/activities

IS MY PRESCHOOLER'S SPEECH OK?

Learning to pronounce speech sounds correctly happens gradually. All children make predictable pronunciation errors in the process of learning to talk. There is an accepted developmental sequence for speech sound development. Some children continue to make mistakes with a particular sound or group of sounds past the age expected and others make mistakes with sounds that follow a different path. When children make unexpected speech errors for their age, it makes their speech hard to understand.

Children can be misunderstood, frustrated or withdrawn when people don’t understand what they are saying. Speech difficulties can lead to later problems with learning to read and spell. There are many different speech sound disorders requiring differential diagnosis and thorough assessment by a speech pathologist. These different disorders often require very different therapy approaches so it is important that the child’s difficulties are carefully investigated as early as possible.

Early intervention is important and ideal if completed before a child starts school.

If speech sound disorders are identified early enough they can be effectively treated using a variety of carefully selected techniques and approaches.

Speech pathologists analyse a child’s speech and determine which approach is needed. They then work out which error patterns to work on and in what order. Often lots of practice is needed to change sounds, so we make things fun and playful with lots of encouragement to build confidence.

Contact our clinic on 0755207860 or [email protected] to book an appointment with our therapists if you are worried about your child's speech clarity.

Read more on our website https://therapymatters.com.au/how-we-help/speech/

HOW LONG IS THE WAIT in JUNE?

The short answer is ... it depends!

😀The good news is, we have opened up new appointment opportunities through the school day with our experienced and early career speech pathologists! This is welcome news for our Burleigh clinic. We now have a range of new IMMEDIATE vacancies available DURING SCHOOL hours and on Tuesdays AFTER SCHOOL at our Burleigh clinic on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. These appointments are filling fast as we accommodate the existing needs of clients on our waiting list. Call us now or fill in our new client enquiry form on our website to book. https://therapymatters-2.snapforms.com.au/form/new-client-enquiry-form

😯Unfortunately, our demand for new assessments and new parent planning sessions is still high and there is a 1-2 month wait for both services for our new clients. Our Murwillumbah clinic has experienced continued demands in this rural area and is also experiencing some longer delays. All of our on-site school services are fully allocated with waits of up to a term expected.

Our team are working hard to assist all of these new enquiries as soon as possible.
Keep an eye on our socials each month for our service updates to know what wait times to expect. Reach out to our client care team too, as these timelines can be changeable and last minute appointment opportunities can crop up.
We understand the frustrations and worries when parents have to wait for much needed therapy for their child. Therapy Matters invests time and care to carefully match child to therapist in terms of temperament, availability, family preferences, location and therapist expertise. We thank you for your patience as we work hard behind the scenes to match clients to therapists as fast as we can.