What is the Chatterbox program?
Chatterbox is an early intervention program for children with hearing loss that focuses on developing listening and speaking skills. Through our family-centred approach, we empower you with the essential skills to support your child’s development and success.
Chatterbox is specifically tailored for families who have received a hearing loss diagnosis and are looking for expert guidance on the next steps. We understand this can be an uncertain time, and we’re here to provide clarity, support, and a positive path forward.
At Chatterbox, you’ll find a supportive community where families connect, share experiences, and celebrate their children’s achievements together, supported by our experienced team.
Is Chatterbox right for your child?
Chatterbox is designed specifically for children who:
- Have been diagnosed with hearing loss
- Are between 0-6 years of age
- Can benefit from learning to listen and speak (with or without hearing technology)
What parents often ask
In Australia, 1 in 1,000 babies are born with hearing loss, with this number increasing to 2 in 2,000 by school age. With early intervention, children can receive the right support they need to develop, connect and communicate.
Chatterbox focuses on developing listening and spoken language skills. With the right support, most children with hearing loss can learn to listen and speak, with the use of hearing aids or cochlear implants.
Chatterbox offers a safe space and welcoming environment to connect with other families in the program. We encourage you to share your experiences and celebrate each other’s wins as you navigate your unique journeys. We offer various opportunities to connect with other families through our group, family fun days and parent events.
Hearing loss is a difference in how your child accesses sound. With early intervention and appropriate support, children with hearing loss can develop excellent listening and speaking skills. Our focus is on your child’s abilities and potential, not limitations.
Our program focuses on listening and spoken language. However, families can choose to pursue bilingual communication using both spoken language and AUSLAN (Australian Sign Language). We are able to direct you to agencies who can provide AUSLAN support.
The Chatterbox program is funded through each participant’s NDIS plan. If your child doesn’t yet have an NDIS plan, please still get in touch. We can help guide you through the process of accessing funding and support your transition to NDIS.
How Chatterbox works
Our Approach
Chatterbox is built around a parent coaching model that empowers you to be your child’s primary language teacher. Research shows that children learn language best through meaningful everyday interactions with their loved ones.
Our team of experts will:
- Guide you in creating a rich listening and language environment at home
- Teach you specific strategies to support your child’s development
- Celebrate each milestone alongside your family
- Connect you with other families on similar journeys through our therapy playgroups
- Provide opportunities to connect throughout the year with other families: Family Fun Day, Power of Speech, Parent Nights and Loud Shirt Day.
Services tailored to your child’s age
Grow and Connect (0-1 years)
- Support opportunities for parents and carers
- Individual sessions focused on parent coaching and how to assist your child to develop oral language and functional life skills
- Guidance on hearing technology
- Strategies for creating language-rich everyday routines
Move & Groove (1-2 years)
- Combined individual therapy and small group sessions
- Focus on developing first words and early vocabulary
- Play-based activities that make learning fun and natural
- Early social communication with peers
Listen & Play (3-4 years)
- Structured individual and group sessions
- Development of sentence structure and conversation skills
- Preparation for educational settings
- Building confidence in communication
Skills for School Kindergarten Group (3-5 years)
- Sessions are run by an Early Childhood Teacher.
- Supported by education assistants, speech pathologist, occupational therapist and psychologist.
- Australian Curriculum compliant and intended to complement your child’s mainstream kindergarten program.
Launching our Learning Pre-primary group (5-6 years)
- Supports your child from our early intervention program into mainstream schooling.
- Supported by Teacher of the Deaf, education assistants, speech pathologist and occupational therapist.
- This group has a focus on developing self-advocacy and social skills to help your child thrive.
Outpost is TSH’s school support program, dedicated to ensuring that children with a diagnosed hearing loss are able to take a full and active part in school life. Providing these children with the extra support needed in their mainstream classrooms helps them reach their potential – and beyond.
What you can expect from Chatterbox
- Weekly/fortnightly 1-hour speech therapy with a specialised speech pathologist for individual sessions and/or therapy playgroup sessions with peers of similar ages
- Professional team support including early childhood teachers, speech pathologists and occupational therapists
- Additional sessions with other allied health professionals if required
- Play-based learning in a welcoming environment
- A safe space for families to connect and share
- Parent coaching to build your skills and confidence
- Regular progress reviews to celebrate achievements and plan next steps
- Psychologist support for parents and families navigating the emotional journey
- Tele-intervention is an option to help families in remote areas or seeking flexible care
Our Gym
To support our early support efforts, we have the gym – specially designed as a safe and stimulating environment where children can enhance their physical development while working on their communication goals. Through a combination of play-based activities and guided exercises with our occupational therapists, the gym helps children build strength, coordination, and confidence, all of which are essential for their overall development.
Getting Started with Chatterbox
Taking the first step is simple:
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- Get in touch with our friendly team to start the conversation
- Meet with our Chatterbox coordinator to discuss your child’s needs and hearing assessments
- Create a personalised plan for your child’s development
- Begin your journey with expert support every step of the way
Our team understands the emotions that come with a hearing loss diagnosis. We’re here to provide clarity, support, and a positive path forward for your child and family.
Need a hearing test?
If you believe your baby or child is experiencing some level of hearing loss, but haven’t yet received a formal assessment, TSH provides hearing tests and Auditory Processing Disorder (ADP) testing. See our Hearing Services to learn more.
Frequently asked questions
We recommend starting as soon as possible. Research shows that babies who begin intervention before 6 months of age have the best outcomes for developing age-appropriate language.
This depends on your child’s specific hearing levels. Our team works closely with audiologists to ensure your child has appropriate access to sound, which may include hearing technology.
Parent participation is essential to the Chatterbox approach. We use a coaching model that empowers you to incorporate language-building strategies into your daily routines, with our team guiding and supporting you.
No, Chatterbox is appropriate for children with all degrees of permanent hearing loss, from mild to profound or deaf.
Our multidisciplinary team can provide comprehensive support for children with additional needs. We’ll work with you to create an individualised plan that addresses all aspects of your child’s development.
Chatterbox offers a unique, integrated model of individual therapy, group sessions, parent coaching, and support from multiple professionals for all-inclusive care under one roof . Backed by nearly 60 years of experience in supporting children and their families with hearing loss and/or speech and language difficulties.
Got a question?
If you want to make an enquiry about a TSH service or program, please get in touch with our friendly team today. We also welcome enquiries from potential TSH partners.