Frequently asked questions

Not every child who gets in touch needs therapy. During our free phone call we'll talk through your concerns, your child's development, and whether an assessment would be helpful. Sometimes I can simply reassure you that your child's communication is developing as expected.

You're welcome to contact me directly — no GP or specialist referral is needed. Parents, caregivers, teachers, GPs, paediatricians and other health professionals can all refer a child, although I do need parent or caregiver consent before seeing them.

Many families choose to access private speech and language therapy while waiting for Ministry of Education services. Once your child begins receiving Ministry support you may choose to pause private therapy, or continue both if that's appropriate. With your permission I'm happy to liaise with your child's Ministry therapist so everyone is working towards the same goals.

I work with children and young people from toddlers through to teenagers, tailoring therapy to each child's age, needs and goals.

Assessment appointments usually take 60 to 90 minutes. Regular therapy sessions are typically 45 minutes.

The first appointment includes talking with you about your concerns, observing your child, assessing their communication skills and discussing recommendations. Where appropriate, therapy may begin during this session. It's usually carried out at home and is a fun, interactive session.

Every child is different, so there isn't a set number. It depends on your child's strengths, their goals and how quickly they progress. I review progress with families regularly and adjust therapy as needed.

This depends on your child's needs and goals. Some children do well with fortnightly or monthly sessions, while others — particularly children with severe speech sound disorders or Childhood Apraxia of Speech — make the best progress with weekly or even twice-weekly therapy. I'll recommend a schedule based on current research and what is most likely to help your child succeed.

I come to you. Sessions take place at your home, or at your child's preschool or school — whatever works best for your child and family. There's no clinic to travel to, and seeing children in the settings they already know usually helps them feel relaxed and engaged, so I see what they can really do.

Yes. Therapy can often take place at your child's preschool or school, which lets me work alongside teachers and keeps strategies consistent across home and school. Session notes and short video clips are shared with families after each session so you can see exactly what we've been working on.

Not at all. Children regularly leave class for all sorts of learning activities. Most children are excited to come to speech therapy — and their classmates often ask when it's their turn to play the games.

Yes. Teletherapy is an effective option for many children, and research shows that for appropriate clients the outcomes are comparable to face-to-face therapy.

Home practice is one of the biggest factors influencing progress, so I aim to make it realistic and easy to fit into family life. Language goals can be tied into daily routines. For speech sound therapy, around 10 minutes of practice a day is often enough to make excellent progress.

Where possible, yes. Continuing over the holidays helps maintain momentum and can prevent children losing skills between terms. If weekly sessions aren't possible, many families choose to attend fortnightly during the holidays.

Research consistently shows that early intervention leads to better outcomes. Starting early can reduce frustration, support confidence and, in many cases, mean that less therapy is needed overall.

Yes. Speech, language and literacy difficulties and stuttering often occur in families. A family history doesn't mean your child will definitely have difficulties, but it can increase the likelihood.

Children with speech and language difficulties are at higher risk of later literacy challenges. That's one reason I often include phonological awareness and early literacy skills in therapy where appropriate.

Yes. Dyslexia is a language-based learning difficulty that affects the way children process speech sounds. I provide evidence-based intervention to develop the phonological awareness and language skills that underpin reading and spelling.

If you need to cancel or reschedule, please give as much notice as you can. Cancellations with less than 24 hours' notice may be charged, as the time has been set aside for your child.