1. Consistent, comprehensive communication screening
We are committed to providing consistent, comprehensive communication screening for all children who come to us. Because we see this as our duty of care. Because we think it is always prudent to rule out a Communication Disorder in the first instance, since they are the most common disorder of childhood. Because a child's oral language at school entry is the greatest predictor of their success at school and in adulthood. And because early identification, diagnosis and treatment is what changes outcomes for children with Communication Disorders.
Why? Because neither the Ministry of Health nor the Ministry of Education are conducting systematic oral language screening using a standardised test specifically designed to identify children who are at risk of Communication Disorders.
Why? Because neither the Ministry of Health nor the Ministry of Education are conducting systematic oral language screening using a standardised test specifically designed to identify children who are at risk of Communication Disorders.
2. First appointment in 10 days
We are committed to making sure families don't have to wait to get access to a Speech-Language Therapist. We make it possible for families to discuss their concerns about their child's communication skills with a Speech-Language Therapist within 10 days from referral.
Why? Because Speech-Language Therapists are the only professionals uniquely qualified to assess, diagnose and treat Communication Disorders.
And even with their specialist training, it is still tricky enough for Speech-Language Therapists themselves to figure out if a child's communication skills fall inside the normal range of developmental variation, or if something has gone wrong with their communication development.
So, the message to medical and education professionals (and everybody else) is: Please do not take it upon yourself to decide whether or not a child's communication skills are fine and refer, refer refer!
When parents are concerned or have questions about their child's communication skills, please recommend parents seek the professional opinion of a registered (and independent) Speech-Language Therapist. Because children with Communication Disorders have too much to lose. They are counting on you to refer them to a Speech-Language Therapist.
Because Speech-Language Therapists are the right people to help families get to the bottom of the communication difficulties their children are having; to find out what these difficulties mean and how serious they are; to understand what can be done to help; and to decide what to do next.
Why? Because Speech-Language Therapists are the only professionals uniquely qualified to assess, diagnose and treat Communication Disorders.
And even with their specialist training, it is still tricky enough for Speech-Language Therapists themselves to figure out if a child's communication skills fall inside the normal range of developmental variation, or if something has gone wrong with their communication development.
So, the message to medical and education professionals (and everybody else) is: Please do not take it upon yourself to decide whether or not a child's communication skills are fine and refer, refer refer!
When parents are concerned or have questions about their child's communication skills, please recommend parents seek the professional opinion of a registered (and independent) Speech-Language Therapist. Because children with Communication Disorders have too much to lose. They are counting on you to refer them to a Speech-Language Therapist.
Because Speech-Language Therapists are the right people to help families get to the bottom of the communication difficulties their children are having; to find out what these difficulties mean and how serious they are; to understand what can be done to help; and to decide what to do next.
3. Assessment in 30 days
We are committed to getting children from referral to treatment in 30 days.
Why? Because we believe it's time to transform speech-language therapy for children in Aotearoa New Zealand. Because children with Communication Disorders deserve better than what they are getting now.
So, we got to thinking... knowing that people nowadays expect to pay less for higher quality products and faster service with more sustainable resourcing and a reduced carbon footprint...
We analysed the scarcest resources, inefficiencies, inadequacies, constraints, and wastes involved in traditional speech-language therapy delivery. Then we racked our brains to try and find a way to specifically do assessment for children more effectively, more efficiently, and much earlier. And we have identified a way to do assessment smarter to help more children, help them sooner, and help them better.
Helping more children, helping them sooner, helping them better
Doing assessment smarter involves a strengths-based approach that draws equally on whānau, teacher, and kaiako knowledge about their tamariki and on Speech-Language Therapist skill. Whānau, teachers, and kaiako participate as data gatherers, and the Speech-Language Therapist participates as data analyst to form a practical and powerful assessment partnership. In other words: Doing assessment smarter means doing assessments together.
We are very excited to start developing assessment partnerships, because we think they enable a safer assessment process for families and children while also lifting assessment practice; improving the quality of assessment data and providing clearer information and results; increasing teacher and kaiako confidence to identify and refer children at risk of Communication Disorders; reducing the time and money costs of assessment; and enabling a 30 day referral-to-treatment timeline.
We are also very excited because we think these strengths-based assessment partnerships have the potential to thrive and grow and meaningfully increase access to speech-language therapy for children and families across the motu by overcoming geographical barriers and pandemics through our telehealth service.
The first 100 tamariki
We are looking for an initial 100 tamariki and their whānau, teachers, and kaiako from anywhere in New Zealand who want to enter into an assessment partnership with us, so together we can test this new way of doing assessment smarter, fix any bugs, and make sure it really works to help more children, help them sooner, and help them better.
Why? Because we believe it's time to transform speech-language therapy for children in Aotearoa New Zealand. Because children with Communication Disorders deserve better than what they are getting now.
So, we got to thinking... knowing that people nowadays expect to pay less for higher quality products and faster service with more sustainable resourcing and a reduced carbon footprint...
We analysed the scarcest resources, inefficiencies, inadequacies, constraints, and wastes involved in traditional speech-language therapy delivery. Then we racked our brains to try and find a way to specifically do assessment for children more effectively, more efficiently, and much earlier. And we have identified a way to do assessment smarter to help more children, help them sooner, and help them better.
Helping more children, helping them sooner, helping them better
Doing assessment smarter involves a strengths-based approach that draws equally on whānau, teacher, and kaiako knowledge about their tamariki and on Speech-Language Therapist skill. Whānau, teachers, and kaiako participate as data gatherers, and the Speech-Language Therapist participates as data analyst to form a practical and powerful assessment partnership. In other words: Doing assessment smarter means doing assessments together.
We are very excited to start developing assessment partnerships, because we think they enable a safer assessment process for families and children while also lifting assessment practice; improving the quality of assessment data and providing clearer information and results; increasing teacher and kaiako confidence to identify and refer children at risk of Communication Disorders; reducing the time and money costs of assessment; and enabling a 30 day referral-to-treatment timeline.
We are also very excited because we think these strengths-based assessment partnerships have the potential to thrive and grow and meaningfully increase access to speech-language therapy for children and families across the motu by overcoming geographical barriers and pandemics through our telehealth service.
The first 100 tamariki
We are looking for an initial 100 tamariki and their whānau, teachers, and kaiako from anywhere in New Zealand who want to enter into an assessment partnership with us, so together we can test this new way of doing assessment smarter, fix any bugs, and make sure it really works to help more children, help them sooner, and help them better.
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0508 SPEECHIE (0508 77 33 24) - office@speechie.co.nz
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