Bespoke Speech Language Therapy

03/06/2026

By 3, most children usually have lots of day to day words and short sentences and can be understood most of the time.

If your child is not saying much by 3, it's definitely time to get some advice from a speech language therapist. We are trained in the Hanen 'It Takes Two to Talk' programme, an evidence based framework for late talkers.

29/05/2026

Books do not need to be read as books. In fact, you'll provide more opportunity for interaction and language by talking about things in the book, rather than reading it word for word.

Here is a lovely wee snippet of how to use this simple strategy, courtesy of the Hanen Centre.

This is "SHM 2026 Turn Book Reading into a Conversation" by The Hanen Centre on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

20/05/2026

As parents, we always wonder and worry 'Is my child developing as they should?'. Some kids will be well ahead, some will be behind in their milestones and may or may not catch up on their own. So please take these as a guide.

By 2, toddlers are typically using a range of every day words and beginning to put these into phrases and using pronouns (eg expanding from 'milk' to 'more milk' "my milk").

Many are still really only using frontal sounds but other sounds should be emerging. Less familiar listeners can usually understand at least half of what a child is saying, parents/familiar listeners more so.

Info gathered from ASHA/SPA/Caroline Bowen.

29/04/2026

Kathryn - our superstar speech therapist!

Some of you have already met Kathryn but here is a Facebook official welcome to the team!

Kathryn has been a speech therapist for 15+ years and brings a wealth of experience. Currently running our Winton clinic as well as seeing Invercargill clients, Kathryn is fabulous with kids, managing all things speech, language and feeding.

05/12/2025

Happy holidays to everyone and hope there is plenty of time for relaxing and family fun!

We will be enjoying an extended holiday break from next week and will be back mid-January.

14/10/2025

Some early thoughts on screens and language development..

A new study shows that children’s screen time has gone up 52% since the pandemic. Many parents wonder what effect this might have on their child’s language development, and whether the child’s age or the type of programming makes a difference. Read on to find out: https://bit.ly/43QZUAM

07/10/2025

Worried your preschool aged child isn't saying much?

By 18 months, a child is expected to use at least 20 different words.
By 2 years, a child is expected to use at least 50 words and is beginning to put 2 words together into a short phrase.

Many children catch up on their own, some don't.

An assessment with a speech language therapist will help figure out if further support is needed and what adults can be doing to help their little ones along.

If you're not sure, get in touch for an assessment. Currently we are offering individual sessions, however in the future with enough interest, we plan to offer group therapy options too. So do let us know if this is something you would be interested in!

19/09/2025

Did you know? #5
Speech language therapists can help with social communication skills. Think an adult with a head injury, or a child with autism, for example. It’s not just about the speech – we help with the non-verbal stuff too. This may include learning to take turns in conversation, understanding what is appropriate and what isn’t, making eye contact and holding appropriate body language. Communication isn’t just about the sounds we make and the words we say, it’s so much more.

18/09/2025

Did you know? #4
Speech language therapists can also work at the other end of the life spectrum, in palliative care. Conditions such as motor neurone disease, or cancers of the head and neck, can cause difficulties with both speech and swallowing.

Speech language therapists are here to help people and their families to communicate as best as possible, sometimes using devices to assist, and to eat and drink safely for as long as comfortably possible.

16/09/2025

Did you know? #3
Speech language therapists work with babies. Yes, that’s right!

Most would assume that it’s not until children are older and learn to speak that they may need a speech therapist.

But did you know that SLTs are experts in swallowing? Babies with trouble feeding either via breast or bottle often need support from a speech therapist, to help with development of those essential skills and tricks to manage a weak or ineffective suck and swallow. You’ll often find an SLT as part of the NICU team in hospitals.

Sometimes children develop aversions to eating, or can be termed as ‘picky eaters’ – SLTs can help with that too!