Subsidies for eligible children & familiesWe believe it should be easy for families to get help for their children at the earliest sign that something might be going on for them in terms of their communication, social interaction, literacy acquisition, or learning in general - to set them up for the best possible future.
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We offer $40 initial appointments (and sliding scale fees after that) for eligible families / whanau / kaaiga who do not have access to disability funding or to other financial assistance to help cover the cost of speech-language therapy for their children / tamariki / fanau.
What to expect at your initial appointment
The initial appointment is a discovery appointment where you have the opportunity to meet with a registered, independent Speech-Language Therapist to tell them your concerns and ask them your questions directly. The Speech-Language Therapist will:
- invite you to share about your family's culture and belief system and about your aspirations for your child,
- listen to your knowledge about your child and the things that are going well and not so well for them,
- observe your child's communication interactions and other behaviours, and
- share their initial impressions about your child's needs and explain options for helping your child so you can discuss and decide next steps together.
Disorders of Childhood
Developmental communication disorders are the most common childhood disorder. A developmental communication disorder can be diagnosed when a child has a persistent functional communication impairment that prevents effective communication and participation AND these difficulties are not associated with another underlying cause.
Developmental communication disorders are a type of neurodevelopmental disorder. Children with developmental communication disorders often have other neurodevelopmental difficulties, and children with neurodevelopmental disorders often have communication difficulties. Children with genetic syndromes and acquired conditions like Cerebral Palsy or brain injury often have communication and other developmental difficulties too.
Here is the list of DSM-5 neurodevelopmental disorders:
Neurodevelopmental disorders (and other more rare disorders, syndromes, or diseases) are typically diagnosed by a team of specialists and may include the following:
Developmental communication disorders are a type of neurodevelopmental disorder. Children with developmental communication disorders often have other neurodevelopmental difficulties, and children with neurodevelopmental disorders often have communication difficulties. Children with genetic syndromes and acquired conditions like Cerebral Palsy or brain injury often have communication and other developmental difficulties too.
Here is the list of DSM-5 neurodevelopmental disorders:
- Intellectual Disability
- Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Global Developmental Delay
- Communication Disorders including Speech Sound Disorder here, Developmental Language Disorder here, Social (Pragmatic) Communication Disorder here, and Childhood Onset Fluency Disorder here.
- Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder
- Specific Learning Disorder (people often refer to specific reading difficulty as Dyslexia)
- Motor Disorders including Developmental Motor Coordination Disorder (previously called Dyapraxia), Stereotypic Movement Disorder, and Tic Disorders
Neurodevelopmental disorders (and other more rare disorders, syndromes, or diseases) are typically diagnosed by a team of specialists and may include the following:
- Developmental tests
- Neurologic examination
- Physical examination
- Brain imaging
- Laboratory tests (of proteins, DNA, etc.)
Easy access to screenings tests and referrals
There may be an additional charge for screening tests, this will be discussed with you beforehand to avoid surprises. There is no charge for referral letters.
Results of screening tests can strengthen referrals to the Paediatrician, Audiologist, the Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist (ENT), and other specialists for further investigation. They can also strengthen referrals to Ministry of Education Learning Support for additional support to engage and achieve in education.
The purpose of screening tests is to find out if a child is having difficulty in a particular area of development, and to find out if this difficulty is serious enough to justify further assessment. The purpose of further assessment is then to formally rule in or rule out a specific diagnosis.
We can provide initial screening tests to help families start getting to the bottom of what is going for their child in the spaces of language, listening, literacy and learning (e.g.: learning potential and ability, academic achievement, attention and working memory, executive functions, etc.).
Some of these screening tests may be completed by the Speech-Language Therapist directly with the child, and other screening tests may involve checklists completed by parents and / or teachers from their observations of the child's skills and behaviours in their everyday environments. Some screening tests have age limits and are not appropriate for children under 5 or 6.
Results of screening tests can strengthen referrals to the Paediatrician, Audiologist, the Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist (ENT), and other specialists for further investigation. They can also strengthen referrals to Ministry of Education Learning Support for additional support to engage and achieve in education.
The purpose of screening tests is to find out if a child is having difficulty in a particular area of development, and to find out if this difficulty is serious enough to justify further assessment. The purpose of further assessment is then to formally rule in or rule out a specific diagnosis.
We can provide initial screening tests to help families start getting to the bottom of what is going for their child in the spaces of language, listening, literacy and learning (e.g.: learning potential and ability, academic achievement, attention and working memory, executive functions, etc.).
Some of these screening tests may be completed by the Speech-Language Therapist directly with the child, and other screening tests may involve checklists completed by parents and / or teachers from their observations of the child's skills and behaviours in their everyday environments. Some screening tests have age limits and are not appropriate for children under 5 or 6.
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0508 SPEECHIE (0508 77 33 24) - [email protected]
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