School Support Service

Every child deserves the chance to succeed at school.

Getting a good start in school provides the foundation for a child’s learning and development for the rest of their lives.

The reality is that children grow and develop at very different rates – those who are slow to develop speech and language skills will face an uphill battle to catch up, and risk delaying their entire education.

We understand education and learning, and we have the solution to help children thrive at school.

We will help them find their voice.

By the time a child reaches primary school they are expected to have achieved certain developmental milestones, where in fact, two children in every classroom across Australia are affected by Language Disorder. What may simply be reported as difficulty following directions, behavioural concerns, or poor grammar, may be a symptom of something much more complex.

For almost 30 years, the School Support Service team at SALDA has been enhancing outcomes for students with speech and language issues through consultation, professional development, and the capacity building of school staff.

School Support Services works collaboratively across all three education sectors in Queensland (State Schools, Catholic Education and Independent Schools Queensland) to ensure that practical strategies are developed to assist each individual student to access the curriculum in a safe and supportive environment.

Our goal is the same as yours – to ensure every child achieves their goals, enhances their relationships, and can move forward with a life based on their own decisions and choices.

Contact Us for more information, to organise a consultation, or Register with the School Support Service now.

Referrals

SALDA School Support Service take direct referrals from schools across Queensland.

Eligibility

We offer FREE services for:

• Students with a verified disability for whom Language is their primary Disorder
• Students in P-3 who are suspected of having a Language Disorder.

We do also offer fee-for-service Professional Development sessions, pending confirmation with our transdisciplinary assessment team.

How will I know if a child has Language Disorder?

A child with Language Disorder has difficulty understanding what we say to them and using words to communicate; your child may have problems in the following areas.

Behaviour – your child may:

• not respond to his/her name
• find it hard to concentrate and stay on-task
• be easily distracted and frustrated
• be reluctant to contribute to conversations due to an awareness of his difficulties

Daily-Living Skills – your child may find it difficult to:

• share or take turns
• develop new skills (e.g., tying laces, getting dressed)

Organisation and Planning – your child may find it difficult to follow familiar routines and organise himself/herself. He/She may appear:

• to have a tendency to lose things
• forgetful and clumsy

Problem-solving – your child may have trouble identifying and solving problems in both academic and social situations.

Classroom Learning – your child may have difficulty listening and learning in class.

Reading – your child may struggle when:

• sounding out words
• understanding what has been read

Writing – your child may struggle with:

• handwriting
• forming words and sentences

Numeracy – your child may demonstrate difficulty with:

• sequencing
• abstract concepts