Our Community of Practice - Speech, Language and Feeding

Collated by our therapists, here you will find useful links to external websites, products and services that contain trusted advice in various areas of child speech, language and feeding development.

• Play
• Language Development
• Speech
• Literacy & Reading
• Feeding & Mealtimes

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​Please note that any advice accessed via these links is is general in nature and is not professional advice relating to a child’s specific circumstances. If in doubt, seek professional advice.

Play

• Let's Pretend Play - local Perth company who create "Play Pods" and provide pop up play events for schools and the community.
• ​Healthy WA Toddler Play - ideas for playing with your toddler at home.
• Play Handouts - created by the Developmental Occupational Therapy (WA), these picture based handouts are easy to use and contain great ideas for playing with your child.
• PlayGroups WA - find a playgroup in your local area.
• Playdough Recipe - DIY chemical-free playdough to make at home.

Language Development

• Speech Pathology Australia Communication Milestones factsheets for between 12 months - 5 years
• ​Hanen - information and training for parents on encouraging early communication skills
• Learning to talk - Healthy WA factsheet
• How to talk to your baby -  an article written by the National Literacy Trust
• Raising Bilingual Children - an article written by The Conversation, which debunks common myths about raising bilingual children. 
• DLD 1-2-3 video - Raising Awareness of Developmental Language Disorder. A great video explaining the basics of DLD.

Speech

• Speech sound picture cards - Mommy Speech Therapy.
  Free downloadable picture cards for each sound in the English language.
  
• Typical speech sound development in children, and error patterns to look out for  - handout produced by Next Challenge Speech Pathologists
  

Literacy & Reading

• Signs of early literacy difficulties - Raising Children Network
• ​Booksharing with toddlers and children - Raising Children Network
• Dyslexia SPELD Foundation - Perth-based organisation supporting children with learning difficulties. Access information sheets, updates on information sessions and tutoring.
• Phonics Australia - purchase decodable books to support beginning and struggling readers.
• Spelfabet - literacy blog run by an Australian speech pathologist with information on literacy development, and ideas to try at home.
• ​AUSPELD - information for parents of children with learning difficulties

Feeding & Mealtimes

• SENSE-ational Mealtimes - a book that gives strategies for parents to manage tricky mealtime behaviours at home
• Mealtime Building Blocks -  blog written by Perth child dietitian, Dr Kyla  Smith. Kyla often posts nutrition reviews on common supermarket foods
• Tastebuds - Perth paediatric feeding and swallowing specialist, Holly Tickner. Holly writes blog posts on picky and problem eaters.
• My Munch Bug - mealtimes blog run by paediatric feeding expert and author Melanie Potock