Tips for making mealtimes fun! When we eat or drink, there are a number of steps that our body goes through automatically. We bite, move food with our tongue, chew with our teeth, close our lips, move food to the back of our mouth and engage our swallowing reflex. In fact, eating is one of the most complex actions that we do as humans as it uses all of our body senses and systems. Sometimes, children will have difficulties with co-ordinating or developing all of the skills needed for feeding. This can be for various reasons and no one cause can be attributed. You may find that if you have ra ..read more

National Simultaneous Storytime (NSS) is held annually by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA). Every year a picture book, written and illustrated by an Australian author and illustrator, is read simultaneously in libraries, schools, pre-schools, family day cares, childcare centres, family homes, bookshops and many other places around the country. This year, Cooee has produced two readings which can be shared via the Youtube links below, between the dates of 22 May and 22nd June, after which time we will take them down as per the publisher’s guidelines. We hope you en ..read more

Let’s meet 5 year old Johnny..  A vibrant, playful boy who likes chasing his brothers and watching cartoons. Johnny’s parents, Tim and Laura are worried that sometimes Johnny seems to find it difficult to talk with other kids his age.  As they watch him with his peers, they notice that he finds it hard to start playing with other children his age, and he can struggle to get his ideas across or negotiate in games, which can lead to tears. So… how can a Speech Pathologist and Occupational Therapist help? Before answering this question, let’s discuss some differences in terminology.&nb ..read more

The difference between Speech & Language Skills In this video Marion discusses the common term ‘Speech Delay’, what it means, and what to look for if you are concerned that your toddler’s communication isn’t developing the way you hoped.   For more information about Toddler’s language you can head these blogs: 1. Developing language at home 2. Children who are late to talk 3. Advice for parents: Speech Sounds Or call today on 32654495 to chat to our team! The post Speech Delay in Toddlers appeared first on Cooee Speech Pathology ..read more

What is speech?  ‘Speech’ refers to how we pronounce the sounds within spoken words; including how we use our lips, tongue, teeth and cheeks to articulate those sounds.   What is a Speech Sound Disorder? A ‘Speech Sound Disorder’ (SSD) occurs when one has difficulties pronouncing their speech sounds and words, impacting upon how others understand their spoken messages. SSD’s can present in many different ways and vary in severity and nature – from delayed typical sound substitution patterns, articulation distortions such as a lisp, or significant dropping of sounds and/or syllables f ..read more

Is your child finding writing hard? If you’ve ever watched your child sit down and try to write their sentences for homework, and seen their struggle, you may have wondered what the best way to help might be. We get it.  Writing sentences, and expressing ourselves through writing paragraphs is hard!  Every day we work with children who are finding writing difficult, and our job is to break down the reasons behind the difficulty, and make a plan toward success. As tertiary qualified allied health professionals, Speech Pathologists and Occupational Therapists can help children develop ..read more

At Cooee Speech Pathology, our brisbane north Occupational Therapists work with kids and their families to help daily routines and events flow more smoothly, especially during the school term. What are Cooee’s top tips for making life at home easier?  Predictability – in routines, how you make changes to a routine and your responses Routine – Keeping a routine helps develop predictability for how each day will start. It allows your child to anticipate what is coming and what they will be expected to do.  Changes to Routine – Show changes in the form your child will understand, a v ..read more

  A common question our Alderley based North Brisbane Speech Pathologists are asked is, “How do I know if my child is ready for kindy?” Let’s start with the specific details first: A ‘kindy’ child is considered to be a child who has turned 4 before June 30, in the year they begin the program (Qld Government, 2021). Those who turn 4 after this date will attend the following year. See this Queensland Government website for further information. With this in mind, the information below is really focused on how communication can look – for four year olds! Now, let’s discuss the communication ..read more

Children need to play more… How can we help?  It’s widely acknowledged that play has a pivotal role in shaping the growth and understanding of children. It serves as a gateway for them to explore and navigate their world, string together ideas, and master the art of problem-solving (Stagnitti & Unsworth, 2000).  But that’s not all – Play also serves as a catalyst for social interactions, fostering cooperation, negotiation skills, and also nurtures self-awareness, language, and emotional intelligence (Wilkes et al., 2011). Despite this, recent literature has identified that the ..read more

  Any child that regularly hears more than 1 language is considered a multilingual communicator.    In this blog, Speech Pathologist Thida discusses multilingual communication development, answers some common questions, and shares her thoughts about neurodivergent children (e.g.  children who are autistic) who are also multilingual communicators. Think about your child, or the children in your class…    Do they regularly hear a language that is different to what you speak with them?  Do the adults at home speak a different language to the adults at daycare ..read more