FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Your questions, answered.
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Speech therapy is specialist support for anyone experiencing difficulties with communication, speech, language, or feeding and swallowing. A qualified speech therapist will assess the difficulty and develop a personalised treatment plan to address it.
For children, speech therapy can support speech delays, language disorders, literacy difficulties, feeding challenges, and more. For adults, it can help with communication difficulties following stroke or neurological illness, voice disorders, swallowing difficulties (dysphagia), and professional communication.
The desired outcome is always the same: to help each person participate more fully in their life — in their relationships, their learning, and their everyday moments.
If you have concerns about your child’s communication development, it is never a bad idea to get in touch with a speech therapist – ask questions and discuss your child’s communication development.
Parents are sometimes told to “wait and see.” If that doesn’t sit right with you, trust that instinct. Early concerns are worth taking seriously, and a brief conversation with a speech therapist is always a worthwhile first step.
A word of caution: try not to compare your child to an outlier. “So-and-so’s child only started talking at three and turned out just fine” is not a developmental benchmark — it’s an exception. If something feels off, see a speech therapist.
Some signs your child may benefit from a speech and language assessment:
– Limited speech or language for their age
– Speech that is difficult to understand — even for familiar adults
– Difficulty following instructions
– A limited vocabulary compared to peers
– Frustration when trying to communicate
– Not meeting age-appropriate communication milestones
Early intervention is powerful. Yes, even from 18 months. But therapy is effective at any age, so it is never too late to seek support.
The very first session is an assessment, and it lasts approximately one hour. Think of it less as a test and more as a conversation. It is a chance for us to get to know each other and for me to understand what is going on and what matters most to you.
During the assessment I will:
– Gather a detailed picture of your communication, feeding, or swallowing profile
– Ask about your history, your everyday challenges, and what you’d most like to work towards
– Work through any questions or concerns you have. No question is too small
– Map out what therapy will look like for you
By the end of the first session, you will have a clearer understanding of what is happening and what the next steps look like. You will leave the practice with your first therapy session booked.
Therapy begins after that. This is an entirely personalised process. No two people are the same, and no two sessions look the same. Your therapy plan is built around you and your goals.
A note for parents bringing a child: assessments for children are designed to feel engaging and age-appropriate. For younger children especially, assessment often looks a lot like play, because that is exactly how children communicate best.
The honest answer is that it varies. Here’s why: duration and intensity are established based on your specific needs, goals, and progress. Some patients see significant change in a focused block of sessions. Others benefit from longer-term support, particularly where there is an underlying condition or where goals are broader. There is no single timeline that fits everyone.
What I can tell you is this: you will never be in therapy longer than you need to be. We do regular check-ins to track progress, reassess goals, and adjust the plan as needed. You will be kept up to date on where you are in the process and what we are working towards.
If you’d like a clearer sense of what to expect for your specific situation, the best place to start is an initial assessment. That conversation will give you a much better picture.
Yes, Connected Speech Therapy accepts medical aid. Please note that a co-payment applies.
For full details on pricing, payment, and which medical aids we work with, get in touch directly. We’ll give you everything you need to know before your first appointment.
This one causes some confusion. Let’s clear this up:
Speech refers to the sounds we make: how clearly and accurately we produce words. A child with a speech delay or speech sound disorder or a motor speech disorder may be difficult to understand, even by familiar adults.
Language refers to the words we know (comprehension) and how we use them (expression). Understanding what is said to us, building vocabulary, forming sentences, and expressing ideas. A language disorder affects a child’s ability to use or understand language.
A child can have a speech difficulty without a language difficulty, a language difficulty without a speech difficulty, or both at the same time.That is exactly why assessment comes first. Effective therapy depends on a clear and accurate understanding of your child’s specific profile.
If you are not sure which applies to your child, a diagnostic assessment will give a clear answer and a precise place to start.
Bilingualism does not cause speech or language delays — that’s an important myth worth addressing. What bilingualism can do is make assessment more complex. A thorough assessment needs to consider your child’s full language profile — all languages they’re exposed to — rather than evaluating against a single-language standard. Where possible, therapy is most effective in the child’s dominant or home language. If you’re concerned about a language barrier, please get in touch.
Yes. I offer communication coaching for adults who want to become more effective, confident, and authentic communicators.
Sessions draw on evidence-based communication strategies, mental scaffolding techniques, and targeted voice work. You will develop a toolkit that is practical, personalised, and immediately applicable to your real life and goals.
Whether you are preparing for high-stakes presentations, navigating leadership conversations, or simply wanting to feel more confident in how you express yourself, this is for you.