Meryl Chinman

11/09/2026

Stuttering

11/09/2026

10/09/2026

Kids Keeping me Humble!

04/09/2026

Let's talk learning new words...

29/08/2026

22/08/2026

Comment don't question!

16/08/2026

Learning to say multisyllabic words.

21/05/2026

I share this with permission from my fellow colleague as I agree and share the sentiment...

I post this respectfully....I feel strongly that this message needs to be heard.

There seems to be a growing expectation that specialist services should come cheaply — that parents and patients should not have to “pay an arm and a leg" for a service.
And yet behind every Educational Psychologist, Speech-Language Therapist, Occupational Therapist, Paediatrician and similar professionals lies years of difficult and expensive undergraduate study, often followed by Honours, Masters and post-graduate training. Then comes ongoing professional development, courses, supervision, conferences, reading, research and clinical experience — all while being regulated and monitored by the HPCSA.

When a family walks into a practice room, they are not simply paying for “one hour.”
They are accessing years and years of honed diagnostic skill, clinical judgement, therapeutic experience and professional knowledge.

Reports do not write themselves, they take hours of careful thought, interpretation, formulation and professional responsibility.

Treatment planning takes time. Collaboration takes time. Administration takes time. Emotional investment takes time.

As helping professionals, many of us entered these fields because we care deeply. But compassion does not negate expertise, training, time or value.

Professional fees are not arbitrary numbers. They reflect years of sacrifice, study, experience and continued dedication to doing highly specialised work well.
Our professions deserve respect.
Our expertise deserves recognition.
And our time deserves to be valued too.

Once again, I post this respectfully.

03/05/2026

https://merylchinmanid.wixsite.com/merylchinman/post/chew-on-this-helping-your-toddler-move-beyond-soft-foods

Difficulty transitioning from soft foods to solids is common in toddlers, as chewing isn't something all toddlers just "pick up." But, with the right mix of patience and gentle pressure you can push them forward, rather than staying in the "safe" soft food zone.Here are some strategies to use to app...

11/03/2026

https://merylchinmanid.wixsite.com/merylchinman/post/chewing-blowing-and-tongue-exercises-won-t-fix-your-child-s-speech-but-they-do-help-with-eating

Many parents are surprised to hear this, but chewing, blowing and tongue exercises are not designed to improve speech.Activities like chewing practice, blowing bubbles, blowing whistles, or doing tongue “workouts” are often believed to strengthen the mouth for speech. While these exercises may l...