Listening and
Spoken
Language
Services
Improve your child’s listening and spoken language skills
There are many reasons why your child’s speech
and language development may be delayed.
Support for your child’s listening and spoken
language development
For example, a slight or temporary hearing loss
can have a profound impact on a child’s
speech, language and literacy development.
Listening and Spoken Language (LSL) Specialists
at Hear and Say have a degree in Speech
Pathology. They focus on education, guidance
and the application of strategies to promote the
acquisition of spoken language and literacy
through development of listening skills for all
children.
If left undiagnosed it may result in a delay in their
listening and spoken language skills putting them
at a disadvantage at school and in social
situations.
Children with a language delay are also six times
more likely to have a reading problem than
children whose language is developing
normally.
You may not be aware that your child is having
hearing or listening problems until it is too late.
Which is why we recommend having a child’s
hearing tested first, before any speech and
language therapy is considered.
One of the most common types of hearing loss in
children is caused by short-term infections and is
not usually permanent.
It is estimated that between 10 to 30% of all
children experience this type of hearing loss
before their third birthday (Zahnert, 2011) and
many more during their school years.
Specialised therapy is available to help all
children achieve and/or regain these necessary
speaking and listening skills. It is called Listening
and Spoken Language Therapy.
© Hear and Say
With just over 700 of these highly trained
professionals in the world, Hear and Say employs
the highest number of qualified LSL Specialists in
Australia.
LSL Therapy can benefit children of all ages,
including infants and toddlers, children in
preschool and kindergarten, and school-age
students.
What happens in a Hear and Say LSL Therapy
session?
Hear and Say LSL Therapy sessions provide specific
activities to develop listening and spoken
language skills for children with all types of hearing
loss.
A LSL Specialist will work directly with parents and
their child, typically participating in 45-60 minute
sessions.
The number of individual sessions needed is linked
to the child’s communication, developmental
and educational needs.
A LSL Specialist may also provide consultation to
other professionals in the child’s life, including their
school teacher, to support the child’s
development. Hear and Say can also provide
additional support when necessary through Hear
and Say Occupational Therapy services.
How does Occupational Therapy help with
speech and language development?
Occupational Therapy (OT) can play an integral
role in helping children to achieve ageappropriate developmental milestones.
OT can be used to assist children with:
 Concentration problems helping to stay on
task and facilitate optimal learning,
 Tactile sensitives or intolerance to moderate
these sensitivities,
 Manage behaviour by introducing techniques
to assist with coping and behaviour, and
 Develop core strength, stability, fine and gross
motor skills.
Hear and Say’s OT services can be provided
separately or incorporated into the Listening and
Spoken Language program.
How do I get started?
If you are concerned about your child you should
consider booking a Speech and Language
Assessment at Hear and Say for your own peace
of mind.
Medicare rebates can be claimed for LSL services
under Speech Pathology.
Hear and Say LSL services can also be rebated
under Speech Pathology in certain ancillary
tables of private health funds. Consult your health
fund to obtain details on the rebate amount for
Speech Pathology consultations and the
maximum amount you can claim per person or
family in a calendar year.
© Hear and Say
About Hear and Say
Hear and Say is a Queensland-wide children's
charity. Our mission is to enable families in
Queensland to achieve optimal outcomes for
their children by ensuring children can hear
and be heard.
Dr Dimity Dornan opened Hear and Say in 1992
with just six children and the organisation has
since expanded with centres in Brisbane, Gold
Coast, Darling Downs, Sunshine Coast, North
Queensland, and Far North Queensland, and
an Outreach Telepractice Program servicing
rural and remote children and families.
Hear and Say are experts in children’s hearing
with one of the largest paediatric Implantable
Hearing Technologies Programs in Queensland
and is also the only organisation in Queensland
offering Listening and Spoken Language
Therapy using the Auditory-Verbal philosophy.
Hear and Say creates a lasting impression in the
lives of young children by providing them with
the opportunity to maximise their potential for
understanding education, knowledge and
employment.
Contact Hear and Say
For further information on how LSL and/or OT
therapy can assist your child, or if you would like
to discuss concerns you may have regarding
your child’s hearing contact Hear and Say on:
P: 07 3850 2111
E: [email protected]
W: www.hearandsay.com.au
Our Brisbane Centre is located centrally in
Ashgrove with plenty of off-street parking.
We also have centres in other major cities in
Queensland. Call us to see if we cover
where you live.