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Led by Dr Lauren Crumlish (PhD) Led by Dr Lauren Crumlish (PhD), Certified Practising Speech Pathologist
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How speech pathologists support children in prep

Dr Lauren Crumlish PhD, Certified Practising Speech Pathologist 1 min read

A teacher and children engage in an activity in a classroom with a play tent and toy blocks in the background.

Towards the end of term 1, parents commonly sit down with their little one’s prep teacher. This is an opportunity for strengths and challenges from the term to be discussed. Many difficulties that children may experience in prep stem from a speech, language or literacy basis – areas that speech pathologists assess, diagnose and treat within.

Speech pathologists can help if a prep child has,

  • Unclear speech when talking with teachers and peers
  • Difficulty understanding instructions
  • Difficulty understanding and using new words
  • Uncertainty completing show-and-tell presentations
  • Difficulties learning and retaining information about letters and sounds
  • Difficulties learning how to read – both sounding out and sight words
  • Difficulties making and maintaining friendships
  • Difficulties engaging in age-appropriate play
  • Dysfluent speech (stuttering)
  • Difficulties talking in complete sentences
  • Difficulties retelling back personal or fictional stories
  • Difficulties writing letters and words

A speech pathology assessment is a great way to determine if your child’s speech clarity/language/literacy or social skills development is falling within average age expectations.

If you have any concerns for your prep child’s development, you can apply for consideration.

Topics

  • Children
  • Communication
  • Development
  • Engagement
  • Kindy
  • Literacy
  • Prep
  • Reading
  • Social Communication
  • Writing
A young person with curly hair and braces, wearing a denim shirt and white headphones around their neck, smiles at the camera while holding eyeglasses in one hand. A young boy in a white shirt smiles while looking to the left. A person with long brown hair wearing a blue shirt stands indoors, with a bright window and shelves with various items in the background.
A child reaches for a pink teddy bear placed on a table next to a rainbow-shaped wooden toy. Framed floral artwork is visible in the background. A person with curly hair smiles while wearing a white t-shirt and headphones. They are seated indoors with a light-colored background. A young girl with long blond hair and a light purple shirt smiles while sitting on a couch, gesturing with her hand. A woman and a young boy sit outside on a blanket. The woman shows the boy an object, and they both focus on it intently. The background is grassy and blurred.
A person with long hair is looking up and laughing outdoors, wearing a black and white striped shirt. Greenery is in the background. A young boy with brown hair and a grey t-shirt smiling while wearing white earphones. A young child wearing a yellow shirt holds a colored pencil above a piece of paper, appearing focused on drawing. Another person's hand is partially visible beside the child. Small toy vehicles, including two larger trucks and two mini cars, are scattered on a textured brown carpet.
A young child with Down syndrome, wearing a striped shirt, sits on a couch, smiling and raising a hand while looking at an open laptop. A young girl with braided hair sits on a couch, smiling at the camera. She is wearing a green shirt and appears relaxed. A man in a white t-shirt is smiling and looking to the side, surrounded by large green leaves.

Work With Dr Lauren

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Dr Lauren works with a small number of families and has limited availability. Tell us about your child to be considered.

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  • Evidence-Based Techniques
  • Comprehensive Assessments
  • Experienced Professionals
  • Child-Centred Care
Speech Clinic

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