Supporting your children's speech development at home

Children's Speech

Supporting your children's speech development at home

The Ballarat East Neighbourhood House is partnering with local business, Optiform, to offer a series of five free-of-charge online sessions to the Ballarat community to help support families to encourage their children's speech development at home.

Access to Allied Health services is limited at the moment and many families are desperate for support regarding their children’s speech and language development. In partnership with Optifom, the Ballarat East Neighbourhood House will be running some information sessions for local families. Speech Therapist, Meaghan Sullivan will discuss: what’s age appropriate, when to be concerned, ways to stimulate speech and language at home etc. She will offer some strategies, resources and where and when to seek further support.

Sessions will be run on Wednesday evenings online via Zoom from 8.00 pm - 9.00 pm. There will be a presentation for around 45 minutes, followed by time for questions.

The sessions will be free of charge. For booking questions, please contact the Ballarat East Neighbourhood House.

Session include:

1. Wednesday 13 October – Introduction to children’s speech, language and communication development
2. Wednesday 20 October - Stimulating speech & language in the first years of life (age 0 – 2)
3. Wednesday 27 October - Extending speech & language skills in the pre-school years (age 3 – 4)
4. Wednesday 3 November - Speech sound development – what to expect, when to be concerned, how to support your child
5. Wednesday 10 November - Social communication development and participation – preparing for the social world at kinder, school & beyond

Meaghan has been working as a Speech Pathologist since graduating from Latrobe University in 2002.  She works with children, adolescents and adults with a range of communication difficulties.

Meaghan has a special interest in voice and disorders of the larynx, including vocal cord dysfunction, chronic cough and functional voice disorders. 

QUALIFICATIONS  // B Sp Path, B.Mus (Voice)
AREAS OF INTEREST // Voice & laryngeal disorders, Acquired Brain Injury, Stuttering, Early Intervention/ ”late talkers”, Language disorders , Articulation & Phonology, Literacy learning, Dysphagia/swallowing.

Find out more about Optiform.