Kirsten Talbot Speech Therapy

Testimony Time .. ✨

"We are incredibly lucky to have Kirsten as our son's language therapist. Very warm, friendly and the ability to work with young kids with such ease and in a way that is also fun for your child."

We are always grateful for messages like these, reminding us of why we chose this career.

We hope everyone has a lovely weekend ahead.
Happy Friday 😁

Kirsten & Amber

🌟 Discover the power of Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC)! 🌟

This innovative approach to speech therapy supports individuals with speech or language challenges by using tools and strategies to enhance communication.
Whether through technology or picture boards, AAC helps people express themselves more effectively and improve their quality of life.

There is always a solution for those who experience difficulties in communicating their needs.

Get in touch with us if you would like to know more, or know of someone who could benefit from the use of AAC

Happy Friday!
Kirsten & Amber

We are very excited to announce that Kirsten Talbot Speech Therapy has won “Best Speech Therapist” in the Best of Ballito 2024 reader’s choice awards 🎉

Thank you to our community of colleagues, clients, family and friends who voted for us!

All our love
Kirsten & Amber

Starting the second half of the year with an unexplainable gratitude for this profession, and loyal clients & colleagues who make each day wonderful! ✨

Ready for some "more" weekend?

Happy Friday everyone 💙

Our footprint along the KZN coast 👣

In Salt Rock we are based at;
📍Salt Rock Suites
📍Curro Salt Rock
📍Little Rascals Pre-School Sheffield

In Ballito you can find us at:
📍Rey Park Offices
📍Reddam House Ballito
📍Peter Pan Play School
📍Nurture and Nature Montessori Preschool Ballito

In Durban we offer services at:
📍Curro Heritage House

Absolutely love the community we are creating!

We hope you have a great weekend ,
Kirsten & Amber

A post I’ve recently put together for Bloem MomDoc ☀️
Enjoy the read!

👅Lisp👅

My daughter, Alana, has a lisp and is currently attending speech therapy, which has helped a ton.

👅What is a lisp?👅

The lay term “lisp” usually refers to the incorrect tongue position when pronouncing the /s/ and /z/ sounds, resulting in an articulation error of those sounds. An articulation error can also be known as a “Functional Speech Disorder”, where 'functional' means the cause of the difficulty is not known.

When an articulation error or “lisp”, in this case, is present, the child has learned to say a sound incorrectly, resulting in the incorrect articulation becoming a habit.
Problems saying 's', 'z, 'r', 'l' and 'th' are all common articulation difficulties in children developing speech sounds.
Typically, when a person has a lisp, their tongue will either protrude between their front teeth or be placed on their top teeth, and the sound is articulated more like a /th/ than a /s/ or /z/. Protruding your tongue between your front teeth while trying to articulate a /s/ or /z/ is referred to as 'interdental' production.

👅Is a lisp ever 'normal'?👅

An interdental lisp is a perfectly normal pattern seen as a developmental phase for some children. Children will likely use interdental placement for the /s/ and /z/sounds as they learn to articulate the sound in words. The /s/ and /z/ sounds should start developing when the child turns 4 years old, in both English and Afrikaans languages (McLeod & Crowe, 2018; Pringle, le Roux & Geertsema, 2022).

👅Does a lisp influence speech intelligibility?

Spoken sentences with a lisp do not usually reduce the person's intelligibility. Most people can easily understand what the person with a lisp is saying.

👅Did you know there is more than one kind of “lisp”?👅

1. Interdental (frontal) lisp

In an interdental lisp (or frontal lisp), the tongue protrudes between the front teeth and the airflow is directed forward. The /s/ and /z/ sound like /th/.

Words such as 'soup', 'missing' and 'pass', which all contain the voiceless consonant /s/, are pronounced 'thoop', 'mithing' and 'path'. The voiceless /th/ sound that occurs in a word like 'thing' (or a sound very much like it) replaces the /s/.

Interdental /z/ - Words like 'zoo', 'easy' and 'buzz', which all contain the voiced consonant /z/, are pronounced 'thoo', 'eethee' and 'buth'. The voiced /th/ sound that occurs in a word like 'them' (or a sound very much like it) replaces the /z/.

2. Lateral lisp

Lateral lisps are not found in typical speech development. The tongue position for a lateral lisp is very close to the normal position for /l/, and the sound is made with the airflow directed over the sides of the tongue. Due to the way it sounds, this type of lisp is sometimes referred to as a 'slushy lisp'. A lateral lisp often sounds 'wet' or 'spitty'.

Unlike an interdental lisp, lateral lisps are not characteristic of normal development. An assessment by a speech-language therapist is necessary for someone who presents with a lateral lisp.

Through experience, there is a greater likelihood that children will 'grow out of' interdental lisps compared to a lateral lisp.

👅When is it time to have my child assessed?👅

Waiting well past 4½-years is not good advice when treating a lisp. The longer a child waits, the stronger any 'habit factor' will be. It is true that some children are not ready for therapy at 4 ½ years old. Still, it is recommended to let a Speech therapist provide guidance about the individual child, working on the results from a face-to-face assessment.

The 'right' age for therapy for one child will possibly be different from the 'right' age for another child, even within the same family.
If you are concerned regarding your child’s articulation and presence of a lisp, reach out to your nearest Speech Therapist, and I assure you, they will be happy to advise whether treatment is necessary.

(Information obtained from Bowen, 2011; and the other articles referenced on age-norms).

Thank you to Kirsten Talbot, an excellent speech therapist from Kirsten Talbot Speech Therapy, for writing this post. Please get in touch with her via her page for more information and an appointment.

Pic by Possessed Photography on Unsplash.

With grateful hearts we announce that Kirsten Talbot Speech Therapy has been nominated for "Best Speech Therapist" in the Best of Ballito 2024 Awards! 😁
Thank you to those who nominated us and for the continued support towards my little business.

Please could we ask that you follow the link and vote for my practice in the "medical" categeory🫶

https://www.bestofsouthafrica.co.za/ballito/best-of-ballito-vote/

May the new week bring exciting opportunities to you all💙

All our love,
Kirsten & Amber

May your Easter weekend be spent with loved ones, remembering the reason for the holiday, & a few (many) delicious treats 🐰

John 3:16: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

💙

Apraxia of Speech ... 🧠🗣
[ay] [prak] [see] [uh]

Apraxia is a speech sound disorder where an adult or child knows what they want to say, but they are unable to consistently and correctly say what they would like. There is difficulty involved with the planning and sequencing of the speech movements.
The brain knows what it would like to say but cannot plan and properly sequence the movements needed to produce the correct speech sounds.

The severity of Apraxia of Speech (AOS) varies between people where one may have difficulties producing only a few sounds, and others might have significant difficulties verbally communicating and may require an alternative communication method.

👧 Childhood Apraxia of Speech
Children with AOS have trouble planning and coordinating the movements needed to make speech sounds and form words. It's not due to muscle weakness or paralysis, but rather a disconnect in the brain's messaging system for speech.

Imagine wanting to tell a story or ask for something, but your mouth just won't cooperate! Children with apraxia might feel frustrated because they know what they want to say, but it comes out jumbled or unclear.

👨‍🦳 Acquired Apraxia of Speech
Adults can also develop apraxia due to experiencing a stroke, brain injury, or other neurological conditions. It can be frustrating to the person as they know what they want to say but struggle to articulate it.

🫶 Speech Therapy: People with AOS work closely with speech therapists who teach them exercises to help their brains and mouths work better together. It's like having a coach for your mouth muscles!

📈Practice, Practice, Practice! Just like learning a new sport or game, practicing at home is super important. Parents and caregivers play a big role in helping their loved one practice speech exercises regularly, which strengthens the brain's abilities to correctly execute a speech-motor plan over time.

If you have any questions about AOS or would like to schedule a consult, please do not hesitate to reach out!
✉️ [email protected]
📞 065 943 8469

We will meet you where you are ... 🫶

Speech Therapy Sessions are offered at the following campuses:
📍 F11 Salt Rock Suites, Salt Rock
📍 Unit 8, Rey Park, Ballito
📍 Curro Salt Rock
📍 Curro Heritage House
📍 Reddam Ballito
📍 Peter Pan Playschool
📍 Little Rascals PreSchool (Sheffield Beach)

🏠 For those who are unable to visit the rooms, home visits are also offered through our practice.

Please don't hesitate to contact us if you may need, or know of anyone, who would benefit from speech therapy services,
📞 083 773 8477
✉️ [email protected]

OUR TEAM HAS GROWN!💥Welcoming Amber to the KTST Family 🥰

Hi there, my name is Amber van Wyk and I am a speech language therapist. I studied at the University of Pretoria and completed my community service at Job Shimankana Tabane Hospital in Rustenburg, North West. I was born in Boksburg and grew up in Durban completing my matric at Danville Park Girls High. Before my studies, I was privileged to have travelled to America to work as an Au Pair where I learnt a great deal of independence.

I would describe myself as an outgoing, enthusiatic and empathetic person with a passion for helping others. Ever since I can remember I have had a love for drama, music and dance.

I believe that communication is ingrained in every one of us, therefore I have chosen to make it my goal to provide people with a will and a way to communicate effectively in every aspect of life so that they can live a life filled with purpose.

"Communication leads to community, that is, understanding, intimacy and mutual valuing" - Rollo May

Happy New Year to all my friends, family, followers, clients and colleagues 💥
May 2024 be filled with blessings, laughter & special memories! I cannot wait to see what this new year has in store for us all.

Lots of love,
Kirsten

PS. some exciting news is coming in the next few days 👀

What a year it has been!!
Thank you to every single person who walked through my doors, reached out with a phone call, or clicked on my profile to learn more about my practice..

A small reflection of what 2023 held;
🌿 2023 brought along challenges of a dry season, soon turned upside down to a busy, non-stop year that resulted in incredible growth,
🌿 I became a wife,
🌿 My practice doubled in size,
🌿 We had a first birthday celebration with those who have had a direct impact in guiding my growth,
🌿 From a small dream, we are now based at 3 schools, have offices in two towns on the north coast of KZN, and offer home-visits to those who are physically unable to visit the rooms,
🌿 I had the privilege to work alongside the wonderful Caylin Goris, who offered me an opportunity of a lifetime in terms of the plans that lie ahead for 2024.

I hope you all have a beautiful December holiday and we will see you in January for an exciting start to the new year!

All my love,
Kirsten

Imagine a world where you struggle to express your thoughts and understand the words of others. This is the reality for individuals with aphasia, a communication disorder that affects millions of people worldwide.

[UH] + [FAY] + [ZEE] + [UH] 🙌

Aphasia is a condition that affects a person's ability to use and understand language. It typically occurs as a result of damage to the brain, most commonly from a stroke, brain injury, or neurological disease. The damage disrupts the brain's language centers, making it difficult for individuals to communicate effectively.

Aphasia can present itself in the following ways;
🟪 Broca's Aphasia: This influences a person's ability to speak fluently. Individuals know what they want to say, but they struggle to put the words together.
🟦 Wernicke's Aphasia: This receptive aphasia affects the understanding of spoken and written language. People with this type may speak fluently but produce incomprehensible sentences.
🟩 The most severe form, global aphasia, impairs both expressive and receptive language skills. Individuals with this type may have extremely limited communication abilities.
🟨 Anomic aphasia: Difficulty finding the right words for things, often causing pauses or word substitutions in conversation.

Aphasia is a field that I personally love working in! Assisting individuals learn new and creative ways of communicating their needs, allowing them to explore their own abilities and encourage them to use their verbal or non-verbal modes of communication to the best of their ability simply fills my cup ☕

If this photograph isn't enough, I will expand briefly on one of my biggest loves in my field of work 🥰

Working alongside adults who have been negatively influenced by a stroke or traumatic brain injury certainly does not make my job feel like "work". Our sessions are filled with laughter, some challenges, maybe a tear, but mostly enthusiastic Hi-5's and claps as we celebrate each milestone and goal achieved.

🧐 If you are unsure on what a speech therapist's role is with adults, or whether or not you may need to reach out to one, please visit my website where you can read more about our scope, or contact me on [email protected]

No take-home message today other than to be the best version of yourself, and remember to smile through whatever challenge comes your way 🫶 Happy Thursday x

November has arrived, and I have been waiting to share the news with you all!

💻 Kirsten Talbot Speech Therapy has officially launched a new website which has been carefully and creatively pieced together by Gwendolyn Isaacs . We are excited to showcase some fun images from therapy sessions, share experiences from current and past patients, as well as give some expectations of what to expect by including an FAQ section.

Please visit the new website on www.ktspeechtherapy.co.za and share your thoughts 💥

📍 We can also share that the practice is officially based in two areas on the North Coast of KZN. We have expanded in to Ballito, and are based at Rey Park Offices, as well as our original space in the Salt Rock Suites.

We cannot wait to share more stories of growth with you in the upcoming months!
Happy Tuesday 🥳

We are putting a new little twist in to the practice 💥
All to be revealed in the new week.. stay tuned!

Happy Friday 🤩

A little story about one of my favourite therapy toys. Meet Pop 🤝

Pop the Pirate is a winner in most, if not all, of my therapy sessions. These are some of the skills we work on with our friend Pop;
🟣 Turn taking, joint attention and sharing
🔵 Choice-making
🟠 It allows for repetition in articulation therapy
🟡 Phrase expansion with prepositions and verbs
🟢 Regular and irregular past tense verbs

It is always such fun creating anticipation around who is going to choose the correct hole to make Pop jump out from his barrel 💥

Happy Friday everyone xx

A new month bringing along new opportunities and ideas that we are running through!
We will be sharing some very exciting news in November 🌼

Any guesses as to what it might be?

Love always,
Kirsten

Good morning everyone 🫶 A small dive into early intervention, our role in language development and why play is so important for speech and language.

Early intervention refers to the identification and support of speech and language skills in children, typically between birth and five years old. This early period is critical because it lays the foundation for effective communication skills, which are important for academic success, social interaction, and overall well-being.
In the context of early intervention, speech therapists are vital in identifying speech and language challenges and designing appropriate treatment plans to suit each child's specific needs.

Play is a child's natural way of exploring and interacting with the world. When it comes to speech and language development, play serves as an ideal platform for children to learn and practice essential communication skills;

🔵Vocabulary Development and Expressive Language: Play provides a safe and creative space for children to express their thoughts, feelings, and ideas. Through play, children encounter new words and phrases related to the objects, actions, and scenarios they are exploring. This exposure helps expand their vocabulary, which is a foundational element of language development.
🟠Social Interaction: Many types of play, such as pretend play or interactive games, require communication with peers or caregivers. These social interactions enhance a child's ability to listen, take turns, and express themselves effectively.
🟣Grammar and Syntax: During play, children naturally experiment with sentence structure and grammatical rules as they create narratives or engage in storytelling. This experimentation fosters an understanding of language structure.
🔴Problem-Solving and Critical Thinking: Play usually involves solving problems and making decisions. Through these experiences, children develop cognitive skills that are closely linked to language development.

My love for early intervention has been re-ignited! This also includes all the tools we can provide families with to ensure the best possible outcome for their children.

Good morning! 👋 Let's dive into the vital role that speech therapists play in developing phonological awareness skills. 🧡

🅰️ What is Phonological Awareness?
Phonological awareness is the foundation of reading and writing. It's all about understanding the sounds in language, including rhyming, blending, and segmenting. Mastering these skills is a crucial step on the path to literacy.

Here's how speech therapists work in nurturing phonological awareness:

1️⃣ Sound Discrimination: They help individuals distinguish between different sounds, honing in on the subtleties of language. This skill is essential for recognizing phonemes, the building blocks of words.

2️⃣ Rhyming Games: Speech therapists turn learning into play with rhyming activities. Recognizing rhyming patterns helps children grasp the sound structure of words.

3️⃣ Segmenting & Blending: Ever seen "cat" become "c-a-t"? Speech therapists teach the art of breaking words into sounds (segmenting) and putting sounds together to form words (blending).

4️⃣ Phonemic Awareness: This is like the advanced level of phonological awareness. Speech therapists help individuals focus on individual phonemes, like the /k/ in "cat."

By working closely with speech therapists, individuals can unlock the power of phonological awareness, paving the way for successful literacy skills development. 📖🌟

Supporting Bok Friday throughout this RWC 2023 season 🎉💚💛
May you all have a wonderful weekend ahead!

Happy Friday, everyone!
Please follow along our journey on Instagram if you haven't done so already 🫶

May you all have a wonderful weekend ahead.

Kirsten Talbot Speech Therapy

A week late, but rather late than never ☀
World Breastfeeding Week was celebrated from 1-7 August. This year's theme was "Enabling breastfeeding; Making a difference for working parents".

Here are the objectives that WBW focused on this year
🔵 Inform people about working parents’ perspectives on breastfeeding and parenting
🔵 Anchor optimal paid leave and workplace support as important tools to enable breastfeeding
🔵 Engage with individuals and organisations to enhance collaboration and support for breastfeeding at work
🔵 Galvanise action on improving working conditions and relevant support for breastfeeding

There is a need to improve access to paid maternity leave & other breastfeeding services for women inside & outside the workplace. Fathers/partners need specified paternal/parental leave to share childcare & domestic responsibilities equitably and reduce the gender gap.

Workplace limitations remain the most common reason for women to never breastfeed or to stop breastfeeding earlier than recommended by WHO. Even with adequate maternity & parental leave, lack of support for breastfeeding at the workplace can undermine breastfeeding.

To read more on please visit https://waba.org.my/wbw/

A slightly different post, but one that is on my heart to share 🌼

One year ago I had no idea I would be presented with the opportunities that I currently face, the challenges that I have overcome nor the relationships that I strongly rely on everyday.
I have fallen in love with my work, enjoy waking up in the mornings, and look forward to the new chapters that are added to each person's story as we grow in therapy together. All prayers have been answered, and puzzle pieces pushed in to place.

I am so excited for the year that lies ahead and the quirks that may come with it 🥰 With a humble and grateful heart, thank you to every single person who has helped me grow and feed my dream. They do indeed come true!

F I R S T B I R T H D A Y ! 🎉

Today, one year ago, my practice opened it's doors and I welcomed my first patients.
Thank you to my family, friends, colleagues, patients, and their wonderful families for the unwavering support during this journey.
It has been tough, but boy, has it been equally rewarding!

I am completely humbled and grateful 🫶
Here's to the next year of Kirsten Talbot Speech Therapy!

Happy Monday, everyone! ☀
Please take note that the practice will be closing for 3 days this month.
I hope you all have a lovely week.

A quick snapshot of a joint session with one of my OT colleagues 🫶

We make use of "Makaton" in our sessions which is a unique language programme using a multi-modal approach to teach communication, language and literacy skills to people with communication and learning difficulties (MakatonSA).

Happy Tuesday, everyone ☀ May your week be as bright and colourful as this session was!

For any queries or referrals, please feel free to contact me on
📞 083 773 8477
📨 [email protected]