Here are some of the things you can expect when you see me:
Goals
We will talk a lot about goals! This is because I believe that setting, evaluating and meeting goals is foundational to therapy. You can expect to take an active role in setting goals. In many cases, I will provide you with a “Therapy plan” outlining the short and long-term goals that we have discussed. We will usually decide on a time-frame for working on the goals. As we approach the end of that time, we will evaluate how you are going and decide whether we need to set new goals, take a break from therapy, or graduate from Speech Therapy!
Homework
Homework is an essential part of therapy because:
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It ensures you or your child is getting plenty of practice of new skills – practice makes perfect!
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It helps you or your child learn to use new skills outside the clinic – in home, school and every other environment, as they communicate with lots of different people
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It usually leads to quicker progress towards achievement of goals
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Quicker progress means less time in therapy and less expense to clients in the long-run.
We will discuss how to structure homework in a way that best meets your needs.
Family-Centred Practice
Speech Tools is all about the person and their family communicating (or swallowing) more effectively. This means that I encourage families to be present during therapy, to be involved in decision-making and to have free access to information (including their reports). Where parents cannot be present during therapy, I try to communicate thoroughly (via email, phonecall and/or video from the appointment) what we have done in therapy, and how to carry over new skills at home and do the homework.
Having a family of my own, I can usually relate to busy, time-poor parents!
