Speech Pathology Blogs

Genetic Findings in Childhood Apraxia of Speech: The Role of CNTNAP2 and Clinical Implications

Unravelling the Genetic Puzzle of Childhood Speech Disorders Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) remains one of the most challenging speech...

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Autism Spectrum Disorders: Training and Confidence Levels of Speech Pathologists Supporting Children with ASD

With the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) continuing to rise across Australia, the demand for qualified speech pathologists with...

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Speech Pathology Services for Children: Addressing Inequitable Distribution and Access in Australia

TL;DR The alarming imbalance in speech pathology service distribution—with private services outnumbering public options 3:1 in metropolitan Melbourne—creates significant barriers...

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Preschool Communication Assessment: Why We Need to Focus Beyond Direct Speech Outcomes

Current speech-language evaluation methods for preschoolers predominantly focus on direct skills and body functions, while overlooking the crucial aspect of...

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Childhood Apraxia of Speech in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Challenging the Diagnostic Hypothesis

For speech pathologists working with children on the autism spectrum, diagnostic clarity is essential yet often elusive. The communication profiles...

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Speech Therapy for Children with Early Acquired Dysarthria: A Critical Review of Evidence

The Evidence Paradox in Paediatric Dysarthria Management As paediatric speech pathologists, we routinely work with children presenting with dysarthria—a motor...

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Pediatric Vocal Nodules: Critical Insights from Perceptual Voice Analysis Research

Understanding the Voice Behind Childhood Nodules The prevalence of vocal nodules in the paediatric population represents one of the most...

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Paradoxical Vocal Fold Motion in Children: Evidence-Based Implications for Clinical Practice

Paradoxical vocal fold motion (PVFM) in children poses significant diagnostic challenges and often masquerades as asthma, necessitating distinctly different treatments....

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Global Survey Reveals Speech Pathologists’ Practices with Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Implications for Australia

How Do Speech Pathologists Support Children with Autism Worldwide? Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) presents complex communication challenges that require specialised...

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Differentiating Speech Patterns in 5-Year-Old Children with Cerebral Palsy: Implications for Early Assessment and Intervention

TL;DR Recent research demonstrates that functional speech measures—particularly intelligibility and speech rate—can effectively distinguish between typically developing children and those...

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Genetic Aetiologies for Childhood Speech Disorders: Breakthrough Findings and Clinical Implications

Unravelling the Complex Genetic Foundations of Childhood Speech Disorders As paediatric speech pathologists, we frequently encounter children with significant speech...

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Speech Sound Disorders Classification Systems: A Critical Review for Clinical Practice

Why Do Classification Systems Matter in Paediatric Speech Pathology? As paediatric speech pathologists, we frequently encounter children with speech sound...

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Interventions for Speech Sound Disorder in Preschool Children: A Critical Review of Current Evidence and Classification

Why do we need evidence-based interventions for preschool speech sound disorders? Speech sound disorders (SSD) represent one of the most...

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Speech and Language Impairment in Early Childhood: Understanding Risk and Protective Factors in Australian Children

Early childhood speech and language difficulties affect approximately 1 in 5 Australian children, with potential long-term impacts on academic achievement,...

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Childhood Speech and Language Impairments: Identification and Management in Paediatric Practice

TL;DR Early identification of childhood language and speech impairments is crucial as these disorders affect up to 20% of young...

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Australian Paediatric Speech Pathology Insights: Discerning Childhood Speech Disorders

Why Is Differentiating Childhood Speech Disorders So Critical? In Australia, where paediatric speech pathology services are in high demand, distinguishing...

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Australian Telepractice in Paediatric Speech Pathology: Building Therapeutic Alliance

Facing the Challenge of Building Rapport Through Telepractice? In an era where digital communication increasingly influences healthcare delivery, establishing strong...

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Australian Clinical Insights into Decision-Making for Children with Speech-Sound Disorders

TL;DR Exploring clinical decision-making for children with speech-sound disorders reveals a deeply individualised process, strongly influenced by parental involvement, prior...

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Speech and Language Therapy Interventions: Evidence-Based Approaches for Children with Communication Disorders

TL;DR Cochrane Reviews represent the gold standard in evidence synthesis, providing clinicians with reliable data to inform practice. The 2017...

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Interpreter-Mediated Speech Pathology: Challenges and Strategies

The Communication Bridge: When Languages Meet Clinical Practice In Australia’s culturally diverse landscape, speech pathologists increasingly find themselves at the...

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Australian Paediatric Speech Perception Insights: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis on Speech Sound Disorders

How Do Speech Perception Difficulties Manifest in Children with SSDs? The meta-analysis conducted by Hearnshaw, Baker, and Munro (2019) systematically...

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Australian Insights: Whole-exome Sequencing and Genetic Heterogeneity in Childhood Apraxia of Speech

How Can Genetic Discoveries Transform Our Understanding of CAS? Imagine a scenario where traditional speech therapy sometimes seems only partly...

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Australian Paediatric Speech Pathology: Insights from a Systematic Review on CAS Intervention

A systematic review conducted by Morgan & Vogel in 2008 has identified significant gaps in well-controlled treatment studies for Childhood...

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Australia Speech Screening: Early Detection of Speech and Language Delays

Are We Truly Identifying Speech Delays in Our Youngest Australians? Early identification of speech and language delays is crucial; however,...

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Speech Perception in Children with Speech Output Disorders: Key Insights from L. Nijland’s 2009 Study

Is Speech Perception the Missing Piece in Children’s Speech Disorders? When children struggle with speech, parents, teachers, and health professionals...

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Augmentative and Alternative Communication for Children with ASD: Key Findings for Improving Speech Production

Many parents worry that using technology or picture-based systems might hinder a child’s speech development. It’s a concern that resonates...

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Therapeutic Relationships in Paediatric Speech–Language Therapy: Insights from a Qualitative Study

Are We Truly Listening to Children’s Voices in Therapy? Many children attend speech–language therapy in the hope of improving their...

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Treating Children Ages 3–6 Who Have Speech Sound Disorder: Key Insights from a 2013 Survey

TL;DR – Research Overview “An observational study of speech-language pathologists treating children aged 3–6 revealed that most provide 30–60 minutes...

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Acoustic Voice Quality Index: A Breakthrough for Paediatric Voice Assessment

Are Paediatric Voice Disorders More Common Than We Think? Paediatric voice disorders can be overlooked and misunderstood—particularly because children’s developing...

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Childhood Apraxia of Speech: New Evidence on Key Diagnostic Indicators

Could This Research Change the Way We Identify CAS? Childhood Apraxia of Speech often presents with complex, sometimes puzzling speech...

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Speech Pathology Assessment for Children with Speech Sound Disorders

Are You Wondering What Goes into Supporting Children’s Speech? Speech sound disorders (SSD) can significantly affect a child’s ability to...

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Down Syndrome Speech Impairment: Insights from a Key Systematic Review

Could Better Speech Unlock Greater Confidence for Children with Down Syndrome? Down syndrome (DS) is frequently accompanied by distinct communication...

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Children’s Views of Communication: Insights for Speech-Language Pathology Practice

Are We Truly Hearing What Children Have to Say? Listening to children’s voices is more than a courtesy; it is...

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Speech-language and Hearing Complaints in Children with Brain Tumours

How Can We Better Understand the Scope of Speech-language and Hearing Concerns? Many parents and carers of children diagnosed with...

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Reporting of Socioeconomic Status in Paediatric Language Research

Does Your Child’s Background Shape Their Language Outcomes? Socioeconomic status (SES) is increasingly recognised as a pivotal factor in paediatric...

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Screening for Speech and Language Delay in Preschool Children: Key Insights from a Systematic Review

Have You Ever Wondered When “Mum” and “Dad” Should Become Fluent Sentences? As a paediatric speech pathologist, I often see...

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Childhood Speech Impairment: Overcoming Barriers to Accessing Services

Have You Ever Wondered Why Some Children Miss Out on Help? Today, many Australian parents face significant obstacles when seeking...

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Paediatric Dysphagia in Preterm Infants: The Need for More Formal Training

Are We Overlooking Paediatric Dysphagia Needs? Feeding and swallowing challenges can have profound impacts on a child’s nutrition, growth, and...

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Paediatric Vocal Health: Insights From Current Practice Patterns

In the realm of paediatric speech pathology, parents and carers often notice subtle vocal changes in their child—perhaps a raspy...

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Speech Assessments for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Best Practice Insights

Are You Worried About Missing Key Speech Milestones for Your Child With ASD? It is natural to feel concerned when...

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Differential Diagnosis of Paediatric Speech Sound Disorders: A 2025 Perspective

Speech sound disorders (SSD) in children can mask deeper linguistic and cognitive-linguistic issues that may later affect literacy. Barbara Dodd’s...

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Speech Pathology for Children With Cancer: Observational Insights From a Paediatric Oncology Study

Why Do Children With Cancer Need Tailored Speech Pathology? Parents and carers often wonder whether a serious medical diagnosis such...

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Paediatric Speech Pathology for Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: Insights from the CDC Guidelines

Does Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in Adolescents Really Matter? Teenagers often appear robust, yet an mTBI—a sudden bump or blow...

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Childhood Apraxia of Speech: Effective Interventions for Children

The Complexities of CAS: Where Do Parents and Professionals Begin? For many parents, carers, and teachers, watching a child struggle...

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Childhood Apraxia of Speech: Understanding a New Tool for Differential Diagnosis

Differentiating childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) from paediatric dysarthria can be challenging for speech pathologists. According to a 2022 tutorial...

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Prioritising Children for Speech Pathology Services: Insights from a New Study

Waiting lists for paediatric speech pathology can impose considerable stress on families. As a researcher and clinician, I’ve encountered parents...

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Telehealth Paediatric Speech Pathology: Key Insights from a Pandemic-Era Study

Could Telehealth Be the Path to Greater Access? The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the necessity of creative service delivery in...

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Speech–Language Pathology in Paediatric Palliative Care: Key Roles and Future Directions

How Can We Ease Communication Challenges in Paediatric Palliative Care? Supporting children in palliative care involves more than simply managing...

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Speech-Language Pathologists’ Role in Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in Young Children

A Deep Concern: Early Brain Injury and Its Impact When children between birth and four years of age experience a...

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Paediatric Speech Pathology: Key Insights from the National Outcomes Measurement System

As a paediatric speech pathologist, I have witnessed parents and carers feeling overwhelmed by their child’s communication difficulties. In clinical...

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Bowen Hills Early Learning Seminar

We had such a wonderful time presenting our ‘Early Years Communication Development’ seminar to the Bowen Hills Early Learning community....

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An Introduction to DiRFloortime®

By understanding a child’s unique individual differences, appreciating their unique developmental stage and what sparks their joy and interest, we...

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The importance of teeth in speech

What to expect if your child has lost their front teeth prematurely “If your child has lost their front teeth...

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Higher Level Language Development

Higher level language abilities are critical for social skills development and academic success With April Fool’s Day just passing, it’s...

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World Autism Awareness Day 2019

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Epilepsy Awareness Day!

Today is Epilepsy Awareness Day! We are so proud to clinically support children with epilepsy. Did you know that epilepsy...

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How long does speech therapy take?

A very natural question for parents and caregivers to ask is, ‘how long will speech therapy take?’. Any therapy is...

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Everything you need to know about telespeech therapy

With the introduction of the NBN, Satellite Internet and the soon-to-be rolled out 5G network, telepractice speech pathology is becoming...

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Speech Pathology Awareness Week (2018)

This week was Speech Pathology Awareness Week. We wanted to help make people aware, so we created the video embedded...

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How speech pathologists support children in prep

Towards the end of term 1, parents commonly sit down with their little one’s prep teacher. This is an opportunity...

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What should I expect of my kindy-aged child’s speech sound and language development?

Parents often wonder about what speech and language skills their child will need for kindy. With prep right around the...

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Why speech pathologists use games in speech therapy

If you have been accessing therapy, or are awaiting your first therapy session, you may wonder why you see your...

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My child is stuttering, should I be worried?

Stuttering is perhaps one of the most known communication disorders. We all often know someone who stutters, and with Hollywood’s exposure...

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Why is reading difficult for my child?

Home readers, sight words, NAPLAN….while these words are just an ordinary part of the schooling experience for some, for others,...

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Is your child having too much screen time?

Screen time in isolation can not hope to compare to the power of a consistent and nurturing response of a caregiver. A...

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3 tips to get the best out of your speech therapy session

Not all therapy sessions are created equal! How well our little ones can engage and remain focused can have a...

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Early Intervention Speech Pathology

When parents have started to realise that their little one’s speech, language or fluency development is falling behind average age...

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The impacts of hearing difficulties upon speech and language development

Essentially, childhood speech and language development is dependent on interaction. If children aren’t hearing, or their hearing is reduced, they...

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Speech & language milestones

In 5 short years, a child will progress from a largely non-verbal state to a connected state, capable of maintaining...

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