Building communication skills that make everyday life easier

Communication affects almost every part of our lives.

It allows us to express what we want, understand other people, make decisions, develop relationships, participate in the community and find and maintain employment.

For some people, these everyday communication situations can be challenging.

Speech Club provides individualised support to develop practical communication skills that can be used across different people, places and situations.

Support may include:

• expressing needs, ideas and opinions

• understanding instructions and information

• asking questions

• requesting assistance

• making choices and decisions

• starting and maintaining conversations

• communicating with unfamiliar people

• recognising and repairing communication breakdowns

• developing confidence communicating independently

• understanding social communication

• self-advocacy

• using communication technology or AAC

• transferring communication skills into everyday life.

Taking communication beyond the therapy room

Being able to demonstrate a communication skill during a therapy activity doesn't necessarily mean someone can use that skill independently in everyday life.

Speech Club places a strong emphasis on generalisation.

Where appropriate, intervention can occur within everyday community environments, so participants have opportunities to practise communication with different people and in different situations.

Goals might include learning to:

• approach someone and ask for assistance

• communicate with unfamiliar people

• participate in conversations

• understand and follow information

• make arrangements

• solve problems through communication

• advocate for yourself

• manage misunderstandings

• participate more independently in the community.

The environment is selected according to the participant's individual goals, interests, abilities and support needs.

Developing communication skills for the workplace

Finding and maintaining employment involves much more than completing the practical requirements of a job.

Communication is an important workplace skill.

Speech Club can support adolescents and adults preparing for employment, entering the workforce or experiencing communication difficulties within an existing workplace.

Intervention may target:

• understanding workplace instructions

• asking for clarification

• communicating with supervisors

• communicating with colleagues

• participating in workplace conversations

• understanding workplace expectations

• explaining when something has gone wrong

• requesting assistance

• communicating during job interviews

• telephone communication

• problem solving

• self-advocacy

• managing communication breakdowns

• developing greater independence at work.

Where appropriate, intervention can occur within the participant's actual workplace or employment environment.

Preparing for life beyond school

The transition from school into adult life can create a completely different set of communication demands.

Young people may suddenly be expected to communicate with employers, service providers, businesses and unfamiliar members of the community with much greater independence.

Speech Club can help adolescents develop the functional communication skills required for this transition.

Rather than focusing solely on traditional therapy tasks, intervention can increasingly focus on how communication skills are used in everyday adult life.

This may include preparation for:

Employment • Further education • Community participation • Relationships • Independent living • Self-advocacy

Communication difficulties can continue throughout adulthood or occur following an injury, disability or change in circumstances.

Speech Club provides individualised assessment and intervention based upon the communication demands of the person's everyday life.

The aim is to identify communication barriers and develop practical strategies that increase participation, confidence and independence.

Practise. Participate. Become more independent.

Some participants understand communication strategies but have difficulty applying them independently.

Communication mentoring provides opportunities to practise functional communication skills in everyday situations with appropriate support.

The focus is on gradually reducing assistance and increasing the participant's ability to manage communication situations themselves.

Communication mentoring may target:

• confidence

• independence

• conversation

• problem solving

• self-advocacy

• social communication

• community participation

• employment communication

• generalisation of previously learned communication strategies.

Speech Club also provides assessment and intervention for adolescents and adults experiencing speech difficulties.

Support may include:

Speech Sound Difficulties

Assessment and intervention for persistent speech sound difficulties affecting intelligibility and confidence.

Stuttering

Individualised assessment and evidence-based intervention for adolescents and adults who stutter.

Speech Intelligibility

Support for people whose speech can be difficult for others to understand, including development of strategies to improve communication effectiveness.

Selective Mutism

Building confidence to communicate, without pressure

Selective mutism is an anxiety-based communication difficulty where a person may be able to speak comfortably in some situations but find speaking extremely difficult, or impossible, in others. It can affect children, teenagers and adults, and is much more than simply being shy or choosing not to speak.

A child may talk freely at home but be unable to speak at school. A teenager might communicate comfortably with trusted friends but struggle with teachers, unfamiliar people or community situations. For adults, selective mutism can affect study, employment, relationships, appointments and everyday interactions.

At Speech Club, support is focused on reducing communication pressure and gradually building confidence. We work with the person to understand where communication feels comfortable, where it becomes difficult, and what strategies can help them participate more successfully.

Support may include developing a gradual pathway towards speaking in more situations, practising communication in real-life environments, building confidence with unfamiliar communication partners, developing self-advocacy skills, and helping families, schools, workplaces and support teams understand how to respond without increasing pressure.

Importantly, speech is not the only measure of successful communication. We can also explore alternative ways to communicate while confidence develops, including gestures, writing, messaging, AAC or other communication strategies.

Communication at your pace

The goal isn't to force someone to talk. It's to create the conditions where communication feels safer and progressively more achievable.

For some people, that might mean answering a question at school. For others, it could be ordering at a café, speaking to a university lecturer, attending an appointment independently, participating in a workplace conversation or simply feeling more confident communicating outside the home.

We meet people where they are and work towards communication that supports greater confidence, independence and participation in everyday life.

Speech Club provides individualised literacy intervention for adolescents and adults experiencing difficulties with reading and spelling.

Intervention can focus on developing the literacy skills required for everyday life, education and employment.

Some people benefit from alternative or additional ways of communicating.

Speech Club can assess, trial and support the implementation of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC).

A major focus is ensuring that communication systems are not simply available to the participant but are actually useful in everyday life.

Support can include communication systems, communication apps and other technology appropriate to the participant's individual needs.

Building confidence to communicate, without pressure

Selective mutism is an anxiety-based communication difficulty where a person may be able to speak comfortably in some situations but find speaking extremely difficult, or impossible, in others. It can affect children, teenagers and adults, and is much more than simply being shy or choosing not to speak.

A child may talk freely at home but be unable to speak at school. A teenager might communicate comfortably with trusted friends but struggle with teachers, unfamiliar people or community situations. For adults, selective mutism can affect study, employment, relationships, appointments and everyday interactions.

At Speech Club, support is focused on reducing communication pressure and gradually building confidence. We work with the person to understand where communication feels comfortable, where it becomes difficult, and what strategies can help them participate more successfully.

Support may include developing a gradual pathway towards speaking in more situations, practising communication in real-life environments, building confidence with unfamiliar communication partners, developing self-advocacy skills, and helping families, schools, workplaces and support teams understand how to respond without increasing pressure.

Importantly, speech is not the only measure of successful communication. We can also explore alternative ways to communicate while confidence develops, including gestures, writing, messaging, AAC or other communication strategies.

Communication at your pace

The goal isn't to force someone to talk. It's to create the conditions where communication feels safer and progressively more achievable.

For some people, that might mean answering a question at school. For others, it could be ordering at a café, speaking to a university lecturer, attending an appointment independently, participating in a workplace conversation or simply feeling more confident communicating outside the home.

We meet people where they are and work towards communication that supports greater confidence, independence and participation in everyday life.