Our Talkabout Program
The Talkabout program consists of a unique and expert collaboration between education and therapy. Our team include educators and therapists, audiologists and a family liaison officer.
The program includes early therapy and playgroups, and also offers part-time kindy and pre-primary registered school programs for children who are experiencing language delay. Educators and therapists work together to best support children in the school program.
Browse through all group options available or select a specific group below:
- Talkabout 2
- Talkabout Playtime
- Talkabout 3
- Talkabout 4 (Registered school program)
- Talkabout 5 (Registered school program)
Talkabout 2 (T2)
This program is for children aged between 18 months and 2½ years who are at risk of developing a speech or language delay or disorder. Please note: To join the Talkabout 2 Program, children need to turn 2 years of age before June 30 in the year of entry into the program.
Groups are limited to eight children and sessions are planned and run by a speech pathologist and occupational therapist. They are supported by an education assistant or therapy assistant. Language facilitation techniques are demonstrated during the session and we show caregivers how to apply these at home.
This includes guidance and support to encourage children’s development in:
- Communication
- Understanding and using language
- Social skills and interaction
- Fine and gross motor skills
- Independence skills
- Age appropriate concepts and skills
Talkabout Playtime
This program is for children aged between 2 ½ years and 3 ½ years who are early stage communicators and not yet ready for the school readiness focus of TA3. Groups are limited to eight children and sessions are planned and run by a speech pathologist and occupational therapist. They are supported by an education assistant or therapy assistant. Communication facilitation techniques are demonstrated during the session and caregivers are supported in learning how to apply these at home.
This includes guidance and support to encourage children’s development in:
- Eye contact
- Turn taking
- Joint attention
- Social engagement
- Fine and gross motor skills
- Communication
These goals are individualised and are designed to achieve functional outcomes that will support the child in building healthy relationships.
Talkabout 3 (T3)
This program is for children in their pre-kindy year who have or are at risk of developing a speech or language delay or disorder. Children in this program should be able to cope with a group structure and demands. Groups are limited to ten children and the sessions are planned and run by an Early Childhood Teacher in collaboration with a Speech Pathologist and an Occupational Therapist. They are supported by an Education/Therapy Assistant.
The main focus is on play and social skills and the expressive and receptive language skills that underpin these.
Langauge facilitation techniques are demonstrated during the session and we show caregivers how to apply these at home.
This includes guidance and support to encourage children’s development in:
- Communication
- Understanding and using language
- Social skills and interactions
- Independence skills
- Age-appropriate concepts and early classroom skills
- Fine and gross motor skills
- Sensory integration skills
Registered school programs:
Talkabout 4 and 5 are both curriculum compliant school programs and both are supported by therapists who work directly with children in the programs. This unique combination of education and therapy is a valuable collaboration that allows our teams to work together to achieve excellent outcomes.
Children take part in small group, play based activity stations facilitated by an early childhood teacher, education assistant, speech pathologist or occupational therapist. Class sizes are very small and high staffing levels allow for intensive small group and individualised work on focus areas.
Talkabout 4 (T4)
This program is for children in their kindergarten year who have a speech and language delay or disorder. It runs for one full day per week and is designed to sit as an addition to a mainstream kindergarten program.
The program focuses on:
- Receptive and expressive language skills
- Play and social skills
- Fine and gross motor skills
- Sensory integration
Talkabout 5 (T5)
This program is for children in their pre-primary year who have a speech and language delay or disorder. It runs for two full days per week and is available on a Monday / Tuesday or Thursday / Friday. Children attend their mainstream pre-primary for the remainder of the week.
The group program provides children with access to Speech Therapists, Occupational Therapists and a Psychologist to achieve outstanding results.
The program focuses on:
- Pre-literacy and early literacy skills, including oral narratives, word retrieval, semantics and vocabulary
- Phonics – early reading, writing and comprehension
- Expressive and receptive language
- Self-regulation, social and emotional skills
- Fine and gross motor skills
- Sensory integration
- The language of maths
