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Chatalot Clinic-Children's Speech and Language Therapy

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Olney
Chatalot Clinic-Children's Speech and Language Therapy

Katie's therapy supports children's speech & language development, with fun activities and advice.

The activities shown don't involve lots of preparation and can be fitted in to the day, when the opportunity presents itself. Functional speech and language activities as part of the day are the most effective 'homework' and are hopefully the least stressful for already time-pressured parents, carers and staff. My two little helpers assist with demonstrating how the activities might work and the videos are 'real life' :-) I hope you find them useful....

20/09/2025

It is quite common, while chatting with parents, carers and staff sometimes for the L word to crop up!
Is a child being lazy? Or are they actually just lacking motivation because something seems too daunting? Or not worthwhile enough?

Children can become demotivated and I think this is when we might see some stubbornness or avoidance behaviours creep in.

This is when we need to consider scaffolding the task enough for the child to be successful!🧱🧱

We can also consider explaining further to the child why we are doing a task and sharing what the specific goal is. For example, we are practicing these short s words today, so that when we play this matching game, you can tell me when you have found the ssssame!

Giving children worthwhile and motivating reasons for doing the activity can really help, as well as showing them that they are capable of doing it❤️

31/08/2025

It’s nearly the start of a new academic year and the end of the school holidays.

Developmental Language Disorder is a brain difference that affects around 10% of children in each class, but can often be missed.

These children can particularly struggle with grammar and using past tense and this may be an indicator for the need for further assessment amongst preschool children.

Struggles with learning vocabulary and remembering what has been said are also typical characteristics of DLD.

An SLT may take a language sample as part of their initial screening and use some therapy type activities to assess a child’s use of grammar and syntax.

Sentence repetition can also be a really insightful tool, which is when the therapist may ask a child to repeat a sentence word for word (sentences may range in the number of words, the vocabulary and complexity).

Good luck to all going back to school or embarking on their very first day🙂

01/06/2025

In the school holidays there is usually a window to tidy my resource cupboards and have a sort out! I have hung on to a few university notes from 1997 (for various reasons!) and while reading through notes from a lecture about autism it is wonderful how much more is known now.
There are certainly practices that have stood the test of time and reading what I had written about Nancy Kaufman and her focus on acceptance and interaction, focusing on developing spontaneity through non-directive means echoes a lot of what is in the media currently.

Certainly I cringe reflecting on some of the mistakes I have made since I qualified, but in the words of Maya Angelou…We do the best we can until we know better, then when we know better we do better.

Speech and language therapy is constantly evolving, as are we as professionals.

My handwriting however is not! Oh to have that neat writing these days!

18/01/2025

As part of the Speech Den Gestalt Language Processor conference there was a remarkable presentation from an SLT, who has a grown up son who identifies as a GLP.
To hear him speak about his experiences has widened my eyes yet again👁️👁️
The wow moments🤩for me, included him recalling how he hadn’t realised that his words and language were all in his head, and that was why people weren’t responding to him. Other people couldn’t read what was in his head.

Furthermore, he gave a reminder to look past the actual words and see what concepts and experiences those words might be conveying.

And, to never underestimate children’s language skills.

These principles can apply to many small (and not so small) children who need reminders to tell us what is in their heads🤯 and need us to look a little further, beyond what they are saying or doing, for their deeper messages.

An example that comes to mind right away at home, is when near bedtime Lara gets quickly upset about a very small thing. Her pattern is she will then start wailing about missing her old heart dressing gown (in a photo on the landing!) Her message isn’t really about the dressing gown, it is saying she needs a cuddle, story and bed, and that I need to get a move on and facilitate that!🥱😴🛏️

17/12/2024

At the start of this year in our house, at bedtime, we started a little routine of rose, bud and thorn.
We ask each other what our rose was for the day. This can be something lovely, fun, happy, exciting, a positive thing! 🌹
We also ask what the thorn was? What was the stand out bad, sad, not fun thing that happened?🤯
Then there is also the bud, what did we learn?🪷
It has carried over into the day as well, describing events as roses or thorns!

I’ve found it’s a great way in to some chat! And that can only be a good thing👍🏻🎄

Photos: My roses yesterday and today🥰

12/11/2024

There’s a great book called Supercommunicators. One of the themes is about connecting.
This is fundamental when engaging with children, or trying to.
A neat strategy when responding to children (I’m thinking about my two school age ones here!) is to consider whether they want to be helped, hugged or heard.
When we leap in responding to what they have said in the wrong mode, we may hit a wall.
Sometimes they don’t want an answer, they just want us to affirm we have heard them.
Sometimes they are expressing strong feelings and simply need a hug or a non-literal hug, with some comforting affirming language.
And sometimes they do want us to offer help, but perhaps less than we assume🍁🍂

Address

99 Dinglederry
Olney
MK465EU

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

Telephone

+447771540310

Website

http://www.chatalot-clinic.com/

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