Speech Therapy – Gunawirra

Speech Therapy

The Speech Therapy program was developed as a result of interest from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island mothers on what they could be doing to build their children’s confidence and self-esteem before going to school.

The program is designed to help the children feel like they have been understood and to strengthen communication and bonding between mothers and their children. Speech therapy activities are built into the entire Young Aboriginal Mothers Program using techniques like language stimulation, modelling communication and interaction work.

Building Confidence

Speech Therapy is integrated across the Young Aboriginal Mothers Program to build confidence for mothers and children. Children are empowered to better express their emotions and thoughts, wants and needs. This expression builds self-respect and confidence at a young age. The mothers build confidence in knowledge on communication development and their abilities to help their child with speech development. They are guided to create rich language environments within everyday routines.

Mother-Child Bonding

Each week, the mothers are eager to learn strategies to facilitate communication development and play skills they can use at home. The program provides the mothers with a supportive space to share their thoughts and experiences on their child’s development. Our speech therapist teaches the mothers different ways to interpret and understand what their child may be expressing. Through these gentle introductions to the foundations of speech therapy, mothers are able to bond in a range of different ways with their children and each other.

School Readiness

The Speech Therapy program is important in preparing young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island children for success at school. The emphasis is on giving children the means to communicate their thoughts, feelings, wants and needs by developing a range of communication strategies. In group sessions, the use of play is also beneficial for the assessment and treatment of particular language and communication difficulties. Our Speech Therapist provides guidance on language, play and social skills and treatment for any specific speech impairments.

Research and Evaluation

In a 2021-2022 partnership, Newcastle University and the Vonwiller Foundation will develop the Guyati, Garraka wa Witing Speech Pathology Project as part of Clinic on Country. This ground-breaking program aims to address the critical shortage of qualified speech pathologists for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in the Dalaigur and Scribbly Gum Dalai Preschools in Kempsey. This much needed pilot program will see final year Speech Pathology students deliver culturally appropriate speech pathology services to help to close the gap by addressing early speech and language difficulties.

Learn more about Clinic on Country

Building Confidence

Mother-Child Bonding

School Readiness

Research and Evaluation

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