SALT speech and language therapy Centre

VACANCY!!! We are looking for a new therapist to join our team - if you've been wanting to work in a small private practice with a team of experienced and enthusiastic therapists, follow your interests and gain experience, develop skills, and meet some fantastic families and colleagues, and work closely with other professionals, then contact us as soon as possible.

The applicant should be eligible for NZSTA membership, have a full driver's license (we do travel but only short distances), experience a plus but will consider new graduates.

Ad going up on SEEK in the next day or 2.

Contact Jos on 0212 585 140
Send CV and cover letter to [email protected]
Check out website

SALT Speech and language Therapy for children in Auckland, including stuttering, apraxia, autism spectrum disorder, early speech and language delays

These changes have been pushed through quietly and quickly, and it's taken funding back 15 years!!! Whaikaha - Ministry of Disabled People despicable!!!

Update: Thank you everyone for your feedback. We are sorry that we were not able to give the community more notice of these changes. We are carefully considering the comments and feedback provided in this chat. We will respond to questions as quickly as possible, and also work to provide additional information to our community on what these changes mean for you.

Changes to Purchasing Rules and Equipment and Modification Services.

Purchasing Rules:
We have made changes to the Purchasing Rules to clarify how people can use their disability support funding. Purchasing Rules describe what disability support funding can be used to buy, when using Individualised Funding, Enhanced Individualised Funding, Choice in Community Living, Personal Budgets or Carer Support.

These changes do not affect the amount of funding you are allocated.

Equipment and Modification Services (EMS):
Whaikaha is working with equipment and modification assessors and providers to put in place prioritisation measures. This means that people with the most urgent need will be prioritised for Equipment or Modification Services.

Why are these changes happening?
Whaikaha commissions disability support services for almost 50,000 people and funds equipment and home and vehicle modifications for approximately 100,000 people through Equipment and Modification Services (EMS). There is increasing pressure across the disability support system in both the demand for, and cost of these services and supports.

You can find out information about the changes on our website: https://bit.ly/3TjFdIl

Image description: purple background with pale yellow text that says, "Changes to Purchasing Rules and EMS”. The top left corner has a faded tohu design, a series of parallel lines with intersecting curved elements.

As we take a look back on our year of interoception learning, we wanted to bring back one of our most popular posts from the month of January, and perhaps the year!

Co-Regulation is NOT ‘coddling’. Co-regulation is NOT ‘reinforcing an undesirable behavior’. Co-regulation is offering empathetic kindness to another human being. So the next time your child, your student, or your client is having a difficult moment, know that when you offer co-regulation in a way that is meaningful to them, you are teaching them that they are deserving of empathy and kindness.

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Image Description: A light blue tile with a dark blue square in the center. In the dark blue square, there is white text that reads the full quote from this caption. At the bottom of the tile, there is black text that reads, "www.kelly-mahler.com"

Christmas is coming. Just saying.



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National Play, Playing & Playwork Conference

SLPs, we know the science supports us here, but families are new to this. Let's meet them where they are.

In this free review, you'll find 11 tips on having sensitive conversations with families and emphasizing communication competency (added bonus - maybe you'll spend less time hunting down unused devices). Check it out here for 15 minutes of CE credit in ethics: https://www.theinformedslp.com/review/setting-the-record-straight-on-aac-and-speech

The research:
https://doi.org/10.1044/1092-4388(2006/021)
https://doi.org/10.1097/00001163-200507000-00002
https://doi.org/10.1044/1058-0360(2008/021)
https://doi.org/10.1044/2020_ajslp-20-00093

[Visual description: A cartoon showing a child and two adult women sitting at a table. The child is wearing an animal costume. The child is looking at the woman across the table, who is holding an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device and smiling. Above the child is a speech bubble depicting the child looking upset in a classroom with two other students and a teacher. In the speech bubble picture, the other students and teacher are talking while the child is silent. Above the woman across the table is a speech bubble depicting the child using the AAC device to speak with another child in the classroom.]

Oh wow...

Back at it again with another amazing line up

Ferrero rocher
Jam and kirīmi
White chocolate, raspberry and pistachio ring
Piña colada
Tiramisu (ft. of course)

Our wāhine having been putting in some solid mahi so come by and get one of their tasty tonati 😎

Hei āpōpō 8am

The link between ADHD and addiction to experiences including gaming, exercise, food.

https://www.cwcrecovery.com/blog/the-ins-and-outs-of-adhd-and-addiction-dont-suffer-alone/ #:~:text=Most%20people%20with%20ADHD%20won,may%20be%20influencing%20your%20condition.

The Ins And Outs Of ADHD And Addiction: Don't Suffer Alone Did you know that ADHD and addiction go hand in hand? Click here to learn more and get help for any addictions you might be dealing with.

To understand Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) you first need to understand language. This fantastic poster clearly explains it.
Thank you to Karla McGregor for creating this.
is Friday October 20th, 2023. It's not too late to get involved. Just go to radld.org, for this and more inspiring resources.

Credit Edutopia

I remember having the teacher make a comment that Jordan was talking too much and honestly, I was so proud of him!!!

SPECIAL TIME has many benefits for you and your child... support your child's development in Speech, language, communication, social skills, and time to engage with your child.

For the month of October we are taking a closer look at SPECIAL TIME and how this can be introduced at home with your little ones. Special time can support development of your child's communication, speech and language development and gives you an opportunity to bond and connect on a daily basis.

Find times to talk throughout the day!

The best way to build a child’s language is to have conversations whenever you’re together. Children who have more conversations with adults develop better language skills and are more successful at school. Here’s a fun tip to try during daily activities!

For more language and literacy tips, visit www.hanen.org/LanguageandLiteracyTips

Unlocking the Secrets of Learning: Understanding Brain Hierarchy https://www.ilslearningcorner.com/2016-03-brain-hierarchy-when-your-childs-lower-brain-levels-are-weak-they-cant-learn/

This is a nice snappy description of a neurodiversity affirming approach!

Not going to lie...it feels good to be the favorite every once in a while 😉

What is your favorite thing you've overheard a student say?
⬇️ SHARE BELOW!

Thank you Heather - it was a great 3 days with Liza Brown and group of trainee tutors! Now to run a Makaton Course!

Did you know I have spotify? I've made playlists which you can follow to stay up to date on podcasts on the same topic. I hope you find this helpful! Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/user/suelarkey?si=915454625517418c

It's Speech-language Therapy Awareness Week! Each day this week we will be showcasing a different example of kotahitanga, or partnership, in practice within the profession.

Day 3: ACTIVEating – a multidisciplinary student-led clinical placement

ACTIVEating is a student led clinical placement for the Bachelor of Speech-language Therapy programme and the Master of Science (Nutrition; Dietetics) at Massey University. ACTIVEating was born out knowing the importance of relationship (whanaungatanga) between our professions and the knowledge that treating children with feeding and swallowing difficulties requires a team working together (kotahitanga).

To support tamariki and their whānau on their journey; whether it is developing oral feeding skills to swallow safely, supporting tube weaning or increasing the variety or volume of food accepted, speech-language therapy and dietetics work together towards children and families’ goals in a group or individual session, home or clinic based.

The clinical educators hope that in the future, the ACTIVEating experience will encourage graduates to seek out and collaborate with each other and other professions in the workplace to support their clients’ feeding and swallowing goals across the lifespan.

Are there any Mandarin speaking Paediatric SLTs in Howick or nearby? Thanks:-)

Dear whanau, school holidays are just around the corner, and we have our School Holiday Programme set for our Tamariki to use up their time.
To book, please get in touch via our FB messenger, or Instagram, you can also call our Play Zone on: 09 600 2037.

Autistic boy wins national golf title after only playing three rounds - ever The 12-year-old schoolboy cleaned up all comers to take out the title at the Aims Games.

Look at the differences between a typical preschool child’s hand (left) and a typical 7 year old hand (right). Want to know why a preschool aged child isn’t able to write yet? This is why! Their hands are still developing and are not fully formed. So what should they be doing to support this? PLAY!! Playdough, colouring, cutting, gluing, playing outside, digging in dirt, sensory play, dress up play, science experiments, beading, puzzles, throwing balls, etc. All of these things help their hands develop. When they are physically ready to write, they will! No need to rush them, they will show you when they are ready!
....
Beautifully written 🖊 by Mindful Moments Child Enrichment.

Literacy games and activities... new timers, but BIGGER!!! And conversation starter dice for the older students.

MEDIA RELEASE: THIS WAS SENT OUT TODAY TO MEDIA OUTLETS

LOOKING FOR A SPEECH-LANGUAGE THERAPIST?
GOOD LUCK WITH THAT!

Speech-language therapists are the next health workforce ‘cab off the rank’ to be struck by growing staff shortages, a problem compounded by the likely closure of Massey University’s Bachelor of Speech and Language Therapy programme.

Massey is one of only three universities in New Zealand offering a specific speech-language therapy degree entry programme.

The course trains, on average, 25 speech-language therapists annually, making it a valuable contributor to workforce development.

The university announced recently it may have to close the programme due to financial pressure.

Executive director of the NZ Speech-language Therapists’ Association, Siobhan Molloy, says the possible closure will heap further pressure on an already struggling speech-therapy workforce.

“We are 10 per cent down now on staff across the profession. This will only make things worse.”

Molloy says New Zealand has a tiny speech-language workforce compared to other countries.

New Zealand has almost two-thirds fewer speech-language therapists than the USA on a per-head-of-population basis and less than half that of Australia.

The Kiwi workforce comprises just 20 speech-language therapists for every 100,000 head of the population.

“Our workforce is scrambling now, just like other health professions,” Molloy said.

“And cutting home-grown training places when demand for speech-language therapy services is so high – and climbing quickly - is very difficult to understand.”

The Association has written to the Health Minister urging her to do more to support allied health workforces.

It also plans conversations with Massey to explore options for maintaining the threatened training programme.

“Doctors and nurses may be the most visible sectors under pressure, but that doesn’t mean many other health professions aren’t under just as much if not more strain,” Molloy said.

Contact Daniel Paul at (021) 400-993 for further information.

The New Zealand Speech-language Therapists’ Association (NZSTA) (speechtherapy.org.nz) is the national body representing speech-language therapists, the experts who work with and advocate for people with communication and swallowing impairments.

A lovely read from a mum about her daughter's use of 'scripts' to communicate messages. Gestalt Language Processing - a recent development even though we have known for years that immediate or delayed echolalia is communication, that takes more investigation on our part to really understand what the message is.

For many years, my daughter’s scripts were the only tools that she had to communicate.

Bits and pieces of television shows, shards of overheard dialogue, slivers of books that we had read together .. all lifted from their contexts and repurposed to express something entirely different in the moment.

They were an imperfect means of communication to be sure. Puzzles presented without instructions. Cases for Nancy Drew to solve with pages of clues missing from the stories.

How many times did she plead with me … “Mama, say, ’Oh!,’” she’d say - a script unto itself - her voice ripe with frustration, desperate for the moment of recognition when it would all come together and I would finally say, “Oh!” .. proof that at last I understood what she was trying so hard to communicate.

“Gestalt language learner” was not a phrase that I heard until fairly recently. I couldn’t be happier to see the work being done to understand how people like my daughter piece together language. It is gratifying to see the validity of their process finally respected by those who would help guide them. Such a welcome change from the days when we were told, in no uncertain terms, to ignore her rote attempts to communicate with us. (I try not to hold grudges, but the anger lingers.)

Today, if I had to estimate, I’d say about 30% of her language is novel. She is able to tell us what she wants and needs. Although it’s trickier, she has an entire arsenal of words she can use to tell us how she feels.

But that other 70%? That’s where she comes alive. That’s where she’s comfortable. Where she’s happy. Her scripts are her playground. And, best of all, they are an invitation to join in the fun.

After all these years, her scripts remain what they always were .. a means of expression, connection, and joy. They just don’t need to do all the heavy lifting anymore.




{image is a photo of Brooke and me at a friend’s pool today. We are in the middle of one of her favorite Blue’s Clues (related) scripts. She has her hands on my shoulders. I am saying my part and we are both laughing.}

As the mum to a "just teenager" I particular love the sign saying "under construction until mid 20s"!!!!

Some fantastic infographics here...

The team just did the Makaton keyword signing course where we learnt the fundamentals of signing and the use of symbols and signs, with a fantastic group of therapists, parents, and teachers.

https://makaton.org.nz/makaton-online/

Thank you to Heidi for her time, patience and sense of humor!!!