Broad Oaks Speech Therapy

25/01/2026

Grateful for every single one of you!!!

18/01/2026

Mouth breathing- let’s talk about it.

Have you ever considered mouth breathing could be affecting your child’s speech?
This is my wee girl Maeve but I call her ‘my wee moo-moo’ 😭😭
My wee Moo-Moo is a mouth breather, a snorer, and yes, she has a speech sound disorder ☠️ (not a great advertisement for my business but we roll 🤣🤣🤣)

As a Speech and Language Therapist & a parent, I understand how easy it is to overlook the connection between how our children breathe and how they speak.

But there is a link- Persistent mouth breathing, snoring, and enlarged tonsils/adenoids don’t just affect sleep and health – they directly impact speech production. When children can’t breathe comfortably through their nose, it changes:
• Tongue resting position
• Oral muscle tone and strength
• Articulation of specific sounds
• Overall speech clarity

And this is why an oral assessment matters! During your initial consultation at Broad Oaks Speech Therapy, we complete a thorough oral examination to either highlight or rule out structural factors that may be contributing to your child’s speech difficulties. This includes assessing:
🌳Tonsil and adenoid size
🌳Tongue tie or restricted lingual frenulum
🌳Palate structure and function
🌳Lip and tongue strength and movement
🌳Breathing patterns (nasal vs. mouth breathing)

If oral structural concerns are identified, I’ll guide you toward the right medical professionals (typically an ENT specialist) to address any underlying issues alongside speech therapy.

Sometimes the most important part of speech therapy is knowing when to refer out and work as part of an MDT.

If like mine, your child mouth breathes, snores, or has unclear speech, get in touch so we can lool at the full picture together.

Mary-Ellen xo

📍 Laurencetown & Camlough

05/01/2026

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

We are Hiring!!!

We are looking for a motivated and compassionate Paediatric Speech & Language Therapist to join our growing team covering Laurencetown Clinic on a Saturday.

🌳Band 6 (Band 5 considered with relevant experience)
🌳Experience supporting Autism and AAC preferred
🌳Able to work autonomously, manage own caseload and organise diary effectively
🌳Confident running a Saturday clinic independently
🌳Friendly, professional and client-centred approach essential
🌳Attractive Hourly rate

We offer relevant training, ongoing CPD, and professional support at every stage of your role.

If you are interested, please send us a DM or email for more information.

03/12/2025

Nothing beats the moment a child hears themselves make a sound they’ve been working so so hard on 🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳

I am ABSOLUTELY delighted can you tell 😂😂😭😭🥳🥳🥳🥳 also straight into eliciting more productions and reducing cues. We ended this session with 50 accurate productions with reduced cues/prompts needed. It can be tough but with consistency and practice, we are getting there 💪

28/11/2025

✨ Our very LAST Sing, Sign & Rhyme session of 2025! ✨

What an incredible year of wiggling, giggling, signing and singing with your little ones. Thank you for every rhyme shouted, every sign learned, and every smile shared 💛

If you’d like your playgroup or nursery to join the magic in 2026, the diary is now OPEN!
📲 Contact Mary-Ellen via WhatsApp: 07708512380 to secure your sessions.

Here’s to an amazing year ahead! ✨
&Rhyme

11/11/2025

Putting the ‘communication’ in communication skills 💪

We are giving you a full month’s notice that we close on Sat 20th Dec and open again Wed 7th Jan 2026.

I for one can’t wait for Emer’s first Christmas, mince pies with vanilla custard, the purple Quality Street, Baileys over Ice and the Annual O’Hare Christmas Family Quiz & Karaoke session 🤩

Santa would be proud of the early announcement 🫠🎁😄

11/11/2025

11/11/2025

✨ Diary open for 2026! ✨

This organised queen is officially taking bookings for 2026 in both locations Laurencetown and Camlough.

School sessions, Teacher/CA training and Sing Sign & Rhyme classes also available on request.

📩 WhatsApp to get booked in 🌳

What a year it has been for Broad Oaks Speech Therapy.. now to keep the shoulder to the wheel and keep on keepin’ on 💪

Mary-Ellen

12/10/2025

Have you noticed children in your class or at home sitting in a "W" position? It's very common at the moment but it can also be a clue.

Often, children who prefer W-sitting do so because it provides a wider base of support, which requires less core strength and stability. This preference can sometimes be linked to underlying developmental patterns, like retained primitive reflexes.

These are reflexes from infancy that haven't yet integrated, and they can impact everything from a child's balance and coordination to their ability to sit still and focus.

If you're curious about why a child might be W-sitting and want to learn more about other subtle signs of retained reflexes, I've put together a helpful checklist.

Get my FREE Reflex Checklist and see what to look for: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ngqeujDqXSOvupEfuWHQTnsluiN05nfY/view?usp=drive_link

19/09/2025

Before pencils come playground skills:
* Crossing the monkey bars (shoulder, core and hand strength for writing!)
* Balancing on one foot (core stability for sitting!)
* Catching a ball (visual tracking for reading!)
* Jumping on hopscotch path (bilateral coordination for reading and writing!)

The playground is the BEST classroom for school readiness!

02/09/2025

‼️‼️Pricing Update‼️‼️

Effective September 1st, there will be some adjustments to our service pricing at Broad Oaks Speech Therapy.
This wasn’t an easy decision, but with rising costs and our continued commitment to providing you with the best possible input, these changes help ensure we can keep delivering the quality service your child deserves.
📋 Information including our new price list and payment options have been sent directly to all current clients via email (If you have not received this please get in touch so I can forward via WhatsApp).

If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out - my inbox is always open… 🌳📧📲

Thank you for your understanding 🤗

Mary-Ellen

01/09/2025

Good luck to all the little ones starting their school journey today, and to those heading back for a new year!

Also thinking of all the mums and dads – you’ve got this too 💪💛 Go smash it, kiddos! 🌟 school days really Re the best days of your life 🥰🥰🥰🥰