Speech and Language Therapy Christchurch

15/04/2026

Some familiar antiquated devices here.

03/04/2026

31/03/2026

Half price communication apps and resources.

30/03/2026

We welcome Ashleigh to our team.

Ashleigh is an experienced paediatric Speech-Language Therapist who has been working with children since 2013. She holds a Bachelor of Teaching and worked as an teacher for six years
before completing her Master of Speech Pathology and beginning her career as a Speech-Language Therapist in 2018. Ashleigh is a fully registered member of the New Zealand Speech-language Therapists’ Association (NZSTA).

Ashleigh supports tamariki with a wide range of communication needs, including speech sound disorders, language delays, social communication differences, AAC (augmentative and alternative communication), and fluency. She has worked across a variety of settings, including the Ministry of Education and paediatric neurorehabilitation services, supporting both children and their whānau.

As an evidence-based practitioner, Ashleigh combines current research with clinical expertise and family knowledge to support each child’s individual communication profile. Her therapy approach is play-based, strengths-based, sensory-informed, and neuroaffirming, with sessions that follow children’s interests to build connection, engagement, and meaningful communication.

Ashleigh is particularly passionate about early intervention and supporting neurodivergent tamariki, creating therapy environments where children feel safe, regulated, and understood. She has completed additional specialist training in sensory-informed practice, AAC, neuroaffirming approaches, Gestalt Language Processing, the Lidcombe Program for early stuttering intervention, and Hanen.

She loves keeping up with the latest research and has a strong passion for ongoing learning and professional development, continually expanding her knowledge to better support tamariki and their whānau.

Ashleigh is known for her warm, bubbly, and friendly approach when working with tamariki and their whānau. She also brings personal insight into navigating supports, as a parent of a child with developmental differences, which deepens her empathy and commitment to supporting families throughout their journey.

28/03/2026

27/03/2026

Love this.

Hear me out: As OTs and SLPs, we absolutely can support our clients’ autonomy, skill-building, and long-term well-being. That matters. But the way we center “independence” as the ultimate goal deserves a closer look.

Where did this value come from?

Many Indigenous cultures have long emphasized interdependence: community care, mutual reliance, and shared responsibility. In contrast, “independence” as an ideal largely emerged from Enlightenment philosophy, colonial systems, and industrialization.

So who does it serve?

When independence is prioritized over collective care, it aligns neatly with capitalism: your worth is tied to productivity. If you can work and generate profit, you’re valued. Caregiving, on the other hand, is often unpaid, underpaid, or pushed onto families - especially within the isolated nuclear household.

This shift replaces community with pressure: be self-sufficient, no matter your needs. But humans aren’t meant to function in isolation - we all rely on each other.

And this doesn’t exist in a vacuum. These values are deeply intertwined with capitalism, colonialism, and white supremacy - systems that prioritize efficiency, productivity, and control over collective well-being.

Instead of asking "How can my client be more independent?" The question becomes "What supports does my client need to get their deepest needs met?"

For example, many disabled people will access their best life by living interdependently with caregivers. In fact, all of us thrive when we mutually care for each other. That's a normal part of being human.

For communication access, a person who uses partner-assisted scanning for communication is communicating autonomously, but not independently. And that access is incredibly important.

Coregulating together with a child helps them develop the skills they need to self-regulate AND to coregulate with others for their entire lives.

We need each other. It was always supposed to be that way. Let's let our practices reflect the inherent worth and value of our clients.

21/03/2026

Free training from the Talklink team.

Just over a week to go - get your registrations in!

💭💻New online course!

We are pleased to announce we are running some 1hr online training sessions to help support whanau and school teams who have recently got a communciation device.

To start with, we are running sessions for:
TouchChat WordPower, Proloquo2go, TD Snap and LAMP and a session relevant to all apps.

📆 Tuesday 31st March
📍Online via Zoom
🕛 Various times throughout the day
💲Free
🌐 For more info and registration links see https://talklink.org.nz/online-help-with-your-communication-devices

19/03/2026

"This presentation was insightful and well presented in terms of knowledge and the law. I would highly recommend this presentation to anyone in the disability community."

If your child is school-aged and you haven’t yet attended Nan Jensen’s popular webinar, Legal Issues in Education, dates for 2026 are now available.

This webinar will help you understand how to navigate disability rights within the school system. Nan will share information on enrolment, funding declines, stand-downs, the use of restraint, and other important legal issues that families may encounter.

For more information, including how to register, check out our event page: https://www.facebook.com/share/1Ch47knFqd/

Image description: A promotional poster for the webinar. Text reads "Legal Issues in Education. Webinar. Enrolment rights, funding declines, stand-downs, use of restraint. Wednesday 25 March 2026, 11:30am to 2:00pm. Tuesday 4 August 2026, 6:30pm to 9:00pm." There's a photo of Nan Jensen smiling next to the text. She has short hair, and is wearing glasses and a floral blue top.

12/03/2026

"We have literally thousands and thousands of families left utterly traumatised from the decisions that were made."

26/02/2026

Jolt's new Junior class at Parakiore Recreation Centre every Monday during term time. Book online or just show up. Join the fun! Any questions contact kate.finnerty@joltdance.co.nz
Under 5's: 10.30 - 11. 15 https://move.org.nz/class/jolt-dance-at-move-juniors-u5/

24/02/2026

Mondays for Change is about comparing where we are — and where we need to be.

New Zealand has around 22 speech-language therapists per 100,000 people — less than half Australia’s rate and well below other comparable countries.

We’re asking Government to grow the workforce and fund targeted SLT roles in AAC, dementia, and residential disability care.

It’s practical, affordable, and urgent.
👉 speechtherapy.org.nz/advocacy

16/12/2025

We know how vital the Total Mobility scheme is for independence and connection in our communities. The Government has confirmed that everyone who relies on this service will continue to get subsidised taxi fares, but with some essential changes to ensure the scheme’s long-term sustainability.
Key points:
• Subsidy changes from July 2026: The subsidy level will move from 75% to 65%. Fares will increase slightly, but the subsidy remains higher than it was before 2022.
• Immediate funding: $10 million is being invested now to support councils and keep the scheme operational.
📣We also want to hear from you
Consultation is open now on proposals to strengthen the scheme. You can provide your input on our website. Consultation closes 22 March 2026.
https://www.transport.govt.nz/consultations/proposals-to-strengthen-total-mobility