A Galway-based specialist has devised a programme on DVD for children awaiting their first speech and language therapy appointment.
The home-based initiative is described as the first of its kind in Ireland, and is the equivalent of about eight sessions with a speech and language therapist. It is aimed at parents of children with speech difficulties who are still on a waiting list for State services.
The programme is specifically tailored for babies and children of up to seven years, and comes with detailed support materials. Techniques include assessing the child's speech and language skills in the comfort of the home, and using simple sensory techniques to help the child be calmer, concentrate and listen.
The DVD incorporates a comprehensive programme of speech and language activities and helps parents decide who they should refer to and why, according to its author, Karen O'Connor.
While she has designed it for parents, she says it will also be extremely beneficial to teachers, public health nurses, occupational therapists, psychologists and other speech and language therapists - and anyone working in the field of child education and development.
O'Connor qualified as a speech and language therapist in London in 1992, and has worked abroad and at home in Ireland with children with a range of conditions - varying from autistic spectrum disorder to cerebral palsy to speech and language delay.
O'Connor founded Kidzfirst Clinic in Furbo, Co Galway, in 2003. Over the years, she has encountered many parents who have been left "bewildered by teachers telling them that their child might have a problem".
"They don't know where to turn to," she says. "This programme is designed to help teachers and other professionals provide a resource for parents where they can learn more and identify their child's needs."
The programme recommends suitable activities to improve on various speech and language areas, such as attention and listening skills, comprehension, expression, articulation, play and social skills, reading and spellings.
While parents will see a marked improvement in their child's development as they work through the various steps, it does not replace the need for a speech therapist, she says. It can complement therapy, however.
The DVD, entitled Speech & Language Therapy for Your Child - a new way of learning and thinking, costs €75. It is available from Karen O'Connor, telephone 086-8420062, by e-mail at info@kidzfirstclinic.com, or by logging on to the website www.kidzfirstclinic.com
Lorna Siggins