Speech Therapy for Children with FASD: Emma’s Story
A Journey of Language and Social Growth
When you meet Emma*, a 5-year-old with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), you can’t help but notice that that she’s a typical lively kindy kid who is surrounded by a loving family and support team.
Emma has some challenges with expressive language, articulation, and social skills, which her current team of therapists is helping her with.
She goes to kindy four to five days a week. And while she loves to participate and plays, these challenges can make it bit harder for her to form strong friendships.
This is where our multidisciplinary team at Therapy Pro has come in, working to improve Emma’s speech and boost her involvement in kindy and in the playground.
The Therapist Behind Emma’s Support
Emma worked with one of Therapy Pro’s speech and language pathologists, Alex, who supports his clients in Melbourne’s Inner Eastern suburbs.
Because of his passion for literacy and language, Alex was a great match to help Emma with her goals. He also has experience working with kids and teens with ASD, ADHD, intellectual disabilities, and those who stutter. Add to this, he is great at working with kids via telehealth!
Tailored Support for Unique Needs
When Emma started working with Alex, he undertook some language and speech assessments to see where she needed support for her speech and social skills.
From there he teamed up with Emma’s Therapy Pro OT to create a personalised plan that focused on practicing language at home and social skills at her kindy.
To make therapy fun, Alex used a bunch of different games that turned language practice into puzzle-like games for Emma. Even better, Emma loved using these games with her cousins, turning things into competitive fun!
Emma’s Progress
Emma’s progress has been great to see – and so rewarding for her care team.
Her speech sounds are getting better, and she’s really improving her expressive language. At kindy, her teachers have noticed she’s getting so much better at sharing, turn-taking, and playing with other kids. Her friendships are blossoming!
The home program continues to be a hit for Emma. She’s always super excited to “complete the puzzle,” all thanks to the fun way Alex set it up for her at home.
Emma’s gran has been a huge part of her care team, which is so important when looking at a holistic personalised plan. Children flourish when their carers support their therapy interventions at home!
Alex, along with the OT, Emma’s kindy teachers, and her family were critical to her positive progress. The team came together through face-to-face home visits, school meetings, and regular telehealth consultations to advocate for Emma and support her growth.
Telehealth and Emma’s Therapy
Telehealth played an important role for Emma’s therapy, making it easy and flexible for her to get the care she needed. With virtual sessions, Alex has been able to keep up with regular, interactive therapy, letting Emma practice her language and social skills in familiar environments.
The benefits of telehealth for Emma’s therapy have included:
Accessibility: Emma could get her therapy without needing to travel, which was great for her gran’s schedule and keeping things smooth.
Consistency: Regular online meetings meant Emma always had support, helping her learn continuously and allowing Alex to adjust her therapy as needed.
Engagement: Alex made the digital format fun and enjoyable for Emma, fitting therapy into her daily routine easily.
Caring, personalised support can really change how therapy works out. Emma’s story highlights the perks of telehealth and the difference a dedicated and holistic team can make towards helping clients reach their full potential.
Looking for Support?
If you are looking for support for your child or a paediatric client, complete the form below and our customer support team will be in touch.
*This client has been de-identified
