What are the opening hours?

Monday 08:00 - 17:00 Tuesday 08:00 - 17:00 Wednesday 08:00 - 17:00 Thursday 08:00 - 17:00 Friday 08:00 - 17:00 Saturday 08:00 - 14:00

Lauren Ross Speech Therapy

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South Africa
Marshallstown
Lauren Ross Speech Therapy

Speech Buds: Pediatric Speech Therapists in Johannesburg.

Assessment & Intervention Of Difficulties & Delays Relating To:
🌸 Literacy
🌼 Fluency
🌻 Feeding
🌹Language
🌺 Auditory Processing
🏵️ Early Communication
💮 Speech Sound Production

24/07/2025

You made a silly mistake during play — now what?
🤡 You called a banana a “phone”
🧢 You put socks on your hands
🐶 You said the dog says “moo”

The trick is to wait!

🧠 Give your child a chance to notice and respond.
👶 Young children often need more time to process what they’re hearing and to find the words to respond. If we jump in too fast… we might miss a golden communication moment!

✅ So next time you play, try this:
1️⃣ Make a playful mistake
2️⃣ Pause and look expectant 😄
3️⃣ Wait at least 5 seconds (it feels long - but it’s worth it!)

🗣️ Many kids will correct you, laugh, or even repeat your mistake in their own way - all of which builds language skills.

Read more: https://www.mytoddlertalks.com/kims-blog/2022/10/6/oops-how-to-use-sabotage-to-get-a-toddler-to-communicate

23/07/2025

📣 LANGUAGE HACK FOR PARENTS: Make Silly Mistakes on Purpose!
Want a fun way to get your child talking? Try doing things wrong on purpose! 🙃

❌ Put a shoe on your head
❌ Call a dog a cat
❌ Label something the wrong colour

😆 These playful mistakes catch your child’s attention and give them a reason to speak up:
🗣️ “Nooo, that’s not a hat!”
🐱 “That’s a dog, not a cat!”
💙 “That's not blue, it's red!"

💡 Why it works: Children love to correct grown-ups! These funny “errors” spark giggles AND language. It encourages them to think, notice, and talk - all while keeping playtime fun and pressure-free.

Give it a try today and see what your little one says! 🎉🧠

16/07/2025

🧸 Help Us Spread Hope This Mandela Day! 🌍💛

This Mandela Day, Hope Studio is partnering with the Light House Baby Shelter to collect much-needed donations for little ones in need. 🍼👶

👐 You can help by donating something off of the wishlist. Swipe through the images to see more, or find the wishlist here: http://www.thelighthousebabyshelter.co.za/

📍 Drop-off point:
Hope Studio
107 Pritchard Street, Olivedale

🗓️ Drop-off times:
Mon–Fri: 08:00–17:00
Saturday: 08:00–12:00

📅 Deadline: 17 July

Let’s honour Nelson Mandela’s legacy by giving 67 minutes - and more - of care and kindness. Every item helps a child feel safe, loved, and supported. 💫

Together, we can make a difference. 💙

09/07/2025

📚 Speech Buds is taking the time to highlight our favourite children's authors!
Reading to your child is a bonding experience that sparks imagination and supports speech and language development! 🧠💬

This week's author: Eric Hill 🐶📦
(Creator of the classic Spot series!)

Here’s why we love his books:

👀 Lift-the-flap format keeps kids engaged + curious
🔁 Simple, repetitive language encourages participation
📚 Predictable story structure supports early comprehension
🐾 Everyday themes help kids connect language to real life

💡 Tip: Pause before lifting the flap and ask, “Where’s Spot?” to build anticipation and turn-taking. Let your child guess or point - it’s a fun way to support early conversation skills! 🎉📖

08/07/2025

📣 LANGUAGE HACK FOR PARENTS: Narrate, Don’t Interrogate!

When your child is playing, it’s so tempting to ask a million questions…

❌ “What’s that?”
❌ “What colour is it?”
❌ “What are you doing?”

👀 But constant questions can feel like a test to little ones - and may actually shut down conversation.

✅ Instead, try narrating what your child is doing:

🧸 “You’re stacking the blocks so high!”
🚗 “Wow, the red car is going fast!”
🖍️ “You’re drawing a big circle with your blue crayon.”

💬 This builds vocabulary, keeps the pressure off, and invites your child to join the conversation naturally.
Try it today and watch how your little one responds! 👶✨

04/07/2025

Top Tips from Speech Therapists: R.O.C.K. Your Conversations!

Want to help your child build stronger communication skills during play? Try the Hanen strategy 'R.O.C.K.' – a powerful way to support back-and-forth interaction!

🎯 Here's what R.O.C.K. stands for:
🔁 Repeat what you say – Use the same words and phrases to help your child understand.
🧒 Offer opportunities – Pause and wait, giving your child a chance to take a turn.
💬 Cue your child – Use prompts (like gestures or choices) to help them respond.
👏 Keep it fun and keep it going – Follow their lead and stay playful!

💡 Why it works:
✅ Encourages turn-taking (the foundation for conversations!)
✅ Builds understanding and communication skills
✅ Keeps play connected, fun, and child-led

🏠 Whether you're at home, at the park, or playing with toys, R.O.C.K. helps make every moment a chance to grow language!

💬 Want personalized tips for your child’s communication? Let’s chat! 📩

01/07/2025

🧰 Talking Toolbox Tuesday: YOU! 🫵💬✨
That’s right – YOU are the most powerful tool in your child’s communication journey! 💛

People games (think peek-a-boo, chase, tickles, row-your-boat) are packed with opportunities to build language through joyful connection! 🧠💬

You can:
🎯 Encourage turn-taking and anticipation (“Ready, steady… GO!”, “Again?”, “Your turn!”)
🗣️ Model simple, fun words like go, stop, up, down, more, fast, slow
💞 Strengthen connection – kids learn best when they’re engaged and having fun with YOU!
🎵 Add songs and routines to grow vocabulary, rhythm and interaction

📸 Show us your favourite people game moments and how you're building communication with love and laughter! Tag us and use 💬

26/06/2025

Top Tips from Speech Therapists: Expand & Extend!

One of the best ways to help your child grow their language skills is by building on what they say – this is called expansion and extension!

👧 Child: "Doggy run!"
👩 You: "Yes, the dog is running." (Expansion)
👧 Child: "Car go!"
👩 You: "The car is going down the road! It's going very fast!" (Extension)

By adding to their words, you're modelling fuller, more complex sentences while keeping it connected to what they said.

💡 Why it works:
✅ Helps children learn grammar naturally
✅ Encourages longer, more detailed sentences
✅ Builds vocabulary and comprehension
✅ Keeps conversation child-led and engaging

🧠 This simple technique supports language development at home - whether your child is just starting to talk or already forming short sentences.

💬 Want more ways to support your child's language skills every day? Reach out to us! 📩

24/06/2025

Thank you to for the opportunity to present at this year's Rett SA Conference!

We were honoured to speak at the conference and to be part of such an inspiring and passionate community. 💜

A heartfelt thank you to Rett SA for the opportunity to share insights from our multidisciplinary work at Hope Studio. Connecting with families, professionals, and advocates who are dedicated to supporting individuals with Rett syndrome was both humbling and energising.

We’re grateful to contribute to the conversation - and to continue learning alongside this incredible community.

18/06/2025

Youth Month: Every Voice Matters 🗣️💬

This Youth Month, we honour the voices, dreams, and rights of the children of South Africa. At Speech Buds we believe every child has the right to communicate - to express needs, share ideas, connect with others, and be heard.

As paediatric speech therapists, we’re passionate about breaking down barriers and building up voices. We are committed to:
✅ Early and inclusive intervention
✅ Empowering families and caregivers
✅ Collaborating with schools and communities
✅ Upholding dignity, identity, and potential through communication

💛 Because when children are empowered to communicate, they can thrive and bloom like flowers 🌷

https://speechbuds.co.za/

17/06/2025

🧰 Talking Toolbox Tuesday: Blocks! 🧱✨
Blocks aren’t just for building towers - they’re perfect for building communication skills too! 💬🧠

You can:
🎯 Encourage turn-taking, requesting and problem-solving (“My turn!”, “More blocks please!”, “Uh oh, it fell!”)
🗣️ Model action words like build, stack, fall, crash, fix, balance
🧠 Explore concepts like big/small, tall/short, same/different, colours, numbers and shapes

📸 Show us how you're building communication one block at a time! Tag us and use 💬

Address

Marshallstown

Opening Hours

Monday	08:00 - 17:00
Tuesday	08:00 - 17:00
Wednesday	08:00 - 17:00
Thursday	08:00 - 17:00
Friday	08:00 - 17:00
Saturday	08:00 - 14:00

Telephone

+27678613620

Website

https://speechbuds.co.za/

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