Michele Witty Speech Pathology in Gold Coast, Queensland | Speech pathologist

Michele Witty Speech Pathology

Locality: Gold Coast, Queensland

Phone: +61 7 5597 5011

Address: 14 Kinloch Ave Benowa 4217 Gold Coast, QLD, Australia

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23.01.2022 Confused about the advanced phonemic proficiency debate? Psychologist Steve Dykstra, brings some clarity. This is his post from The Reading League page. A numb...er of scholars have recently made the argument that advanced phonemic proficiency is not a contributor to improved reading, but the result. They have made the case that children do not become better readers by being taught advanced phonemic proficiency. They get better at advanced phonemic proficiency because they become better readers. Let me start by saying that I have not read all of their arguments in detail. Even so, the claim that the relationship between better reading and advanced phonemic proficiency is a one-way street provokes my skepticism. Very little if anything in reading development has turned out to be a one-way street. Learning phonics improves reading, and reading improves phonics. Teaching phonemic awareness improves reading, and reading improves phonemic awareness. Simply observing that better reading leads to improvements in advanced phonemic proficiency is not evidence that teaching advanced phonemic proficiency does not improve reading, and we should be cautious of any claims to the contrary. Furthermore, these kinds of claims have a dubious history in the running debate over how to teach reading. For decades, whole language defended against the need for explicit instruction in foundational skills by claiming that those skills came from improved reading rather than caused it. They insisted the relationship was a one-way street. It was not. We must also consider that even if the typical course of reading development is for children to develop advanced phonemic awareness hand-in-hand with better reading, absent explicit instruction in advanced phonemic awareness, that still leaves the question of what to do when the course of development is not typical. To understand this problem it helps to consider some familiar examples. Both walking and talking are developmental achievements for which we are prewired, and which typically require no explicit instruction, just experience and opportunity. Children get stronger and therefore better at walking because they walk. There is no need to provide specific exercises to support the process, to make them stronger. Likewise, children get better at all aspects of talking, including articulation and prosody, simply by talking and any explicit instruction is unnecessary. But what about when development is not typical? We are prepared to intervene, to provide exercises and instruction that is not typically necessary when prewired, natural development does not occur as expected. In the case of learning to read, which is not a prewired, natural developmental task, should we hesitate to intervene when the expected course of development goes awry? It may well be the case that in typically developing children they reach a point where the process of learning to read, the relationship between improved reading and advanced phonemic awareness, becomes self-supporting, and neither requires nor particularly benefits from outside intervention. Doing so would be like prescribing exercises to help children learn to walk with no indication that they are struggling to walk entirely on their own. But compared to learning to walk, learning to read is both less natural and more likely to go wrong. What then? Even if for most children advanced phonemic awareness develops from increased reading and requires no outside support, what about the times it does not? Certainly, there are those times, and simply observing that many children develop advanced phonemic awareness without instruction is no comfort or benefit to those for whom it is not true. This still leaves us with the questions of which children might need instruction in advanced phonemic awareness, which will do fine without it, and whether the cost in time and resources is too high to simply give it to everybody when many children may not benefit. I am in no position to answer those questions and they continue to be debated. We should also acknowledge the scientific research base supporting advanced phonemic awareness instruction is incomplete, though not absent. My point is simply that the argument that advanced phonemic awareness is the result of better reading, not the cause, and therefore there is no reason to teach it, should be viewed with skepticism, and greatly resembles previous arguments about other skills which have all been cast aside. And even if it is true for most children it is certainly not true for all children, and what do we do for them? Just as most children learn to walk and talk without specific intervention, that obvious fact should not dissuade us from offering therapy to those children who are less typical.

18.01.2022 Learn, practise, master. It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3! The Read3 learning system integrates the following in a 3-step daily routine: HEAR - Hearing sounds or... sound segments in words SEE - Learning how letters and letter patterns represent sounds AUTO - Being able to do both quickly and without thinking In our program, each day your child will complete 3 activities - HEAR + SEE + AUTO - to ensure all 3 foundational skills are being developed in a systematic and integrated way. We start small, introduce a few letters at a time, and build from there. We require mastery (hence the AUTO focus) at every step to ensure the foundation we are building is ROCK SOLID. Oh, and we use games. Good old fashioned get-a-pack-of-cards type games! Any questions about the Read3 learning system? Feel free comment below or DM us! See more

17.01.2022 Some video games can be fun and educational for your child, while others can be a waste of time or even cause problems. With the holidays coming up, your child might have a few games on their wish list. Here’s how to tell which video games are productive and which ones to avoid.

14.01.2022 The magical art of magnetic resonance imaging to study the reading brain. Written by Nora Maria Raschle, Réka Borbás, Carolyn King, Nadine Gaab. This article..., published in Frontiers forYoung Minds, a journal which makes scientific articles accessible for younger audiences, discusses how magnetic resonance imaging (or MRI) can be used to study the secrets of the human brain, including how it looks, works, grows and learns. The young people in your life may find it interesting! https://multilitwebsite.s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com//N

13.01.2022 EARLY WARNING SIGNS OF DYSLEXIA When parents first approach us about concerns over their child’s reading, one of the most common questions is When should I wor...ry? All too often parents are told to ‘wait and see’ the idea being that literacy will come and children pick it up in their own time. This just isn’t true. Our advice? Trust your gut. If you’re worried, seek help ASAP. Early warning signs of dyslexia may include: - Can't remember all the alphabet - Can't write many letters - Can't remember sight words - Having difficulty learning to write his/her name - Often mispronounce words, especially longer words - Had difficulty learning rhymes and songs - Is showing behavioural changes - either withdrawing or acting out And MOST IMPORTANTLY, if anyone in the family dislikes or avoids reading and writing then BE ALERT. Dyslexia is hereditary. Remember, dyslexia is a relatively new diagnosis so be sure to ask uncles, aunties and grandparents.

01.01.2022 Phonemic awareness is just one of the FIVE keys to reading. The FIVE From FIVE website has an abundance of helpful information for both teachers and parents to ...help them to understand what it is and how to help students develop their PA skills. https://fivefromfive.com.au/phonemic-awareness/

31.12.2021 The DLD Project has been working with the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) in Australia that oversee the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS),... to raise awareness and understanding of DLD. Today, we proudly share this fantastic piece prepared by Julie from NDIA featuring the remarkable Siena and her mum Shaheida, a tireless DLD advocate. Congratulations Siena on graduating High School! Read the story here ==> https://www.ndis.gov.au//7139-siena-proves-dld-no-barrier- We thank the NDIA for the opportunity to continue our collaboration. We are looking forward to seeing more people with DLD access supports so they can live their best life. We'd also like to acknowledge the dedicated and highly skilled team at The Glenleighden School for their outstanding work in helping students with DLD find their voice. #DLDSeeMe #devlangdis #advocacy #NDIS #ndisplanners #ndiscoordinators #ndisprovider #ndisregisteredprovider #ndissupport #disabilityawareness #disabilityadvocate #disability #disabilityinclusion #disabilityrights

24.12.2021 CAN YOU HELP? Researchers from the University of Bath are looking for adults with Developmental Language Disorder. This important study aims to capture the e...xperiences of people with DLD during adulthood but also when growing up. If you think you may be eligible, please don't hesitate to reach out to the research team via email at [email protected]

22.12.2021 Today is World Prematurity Day - raising awareness of the challenges of preterm birth and shining a light on the risks and consequences faced by preterm infants... and their families worldwide. Premature babies are born before 37 weeks of pregnancy. Find out more in our essential guide covering premature birth, babies, development, NICU and more.

02.12.2021 Technology is a part of everyday life for most families, so it’s important for you all to make the most of it. It’s also important for you all to use technology... in safe, healthy and positive ways. You can start by looking at how your family uses technology now. Then decide as a family on what’s going to work best for you all. In our recent webinar presented by Daniel Donahoo, he looked at: how to work out whether technology is a problem for your family and what you might want to change how a strong relationship with your child can help you to guide them towards safe, healthy and independent technology use why playing, having fun, role-modelling and guiding are all important ways to shape your child’s relationship with technology how to create a family technology plan that focuses on family needs rather than family rules. You can now watch a recording of this webinar https://raisingchildren.net.au/guides/podcasts-and-webinars And if you're interested in future webinars, you can subscribe here https://raisingchildren.us11.list-manage.com/subscribe

17.11.2021 Why does the Read3 program have such appeal to reluctant readers? Well, our top little tip is that there’s nothing like a good card game and a bit of strategy t...o get a reluctant reader on board. Sam, the father of a 9 year old let us know all about how much his son was enjoying the program: "We love Read3 in our house!! We were beginning to worry our son would never be able to read but with daily home practise, and the 60 Word Stories at school, he is now completing Module 2! He loves the U-Know Words card game - we play it with him every day." In U-Know Words children are using evidence-based strategies to decode words quickly and accurately. And with tips for simplifying and extending play the game can be adjusted to suit every child. U-Know Words is our most popular game. It's loved by kids and parents and is a central part of each step of the Read3 program. Of course, a card game is just a card game. If you're looking for an integrated approach to learning - not just a single resource - then Read3 is for you. The format is suitable for home use by parents, or we can link you up with our network of Read3 Speech Pathologists who can provide extra support to get you started if necessary. If you want to learn more, just send us a message.

10.11.2021 We are a proud partner of Let’s Grow, a research study to help parents of 2-year old’s learn skills and strategies for healthy happy children. There's still time to join the Let’s Grow study. Find out more: https://bit.ly/39cGmuy

05.11.2021 Toddlers are little people with big emotions that they don’t always have the words for. Play gives them a chance to explore and express their emotions and also ...practise managing them. This is good for your child’s self-regulation, behaviour and relationships. And you have a key role in your toddler’s play and development. Through play, you can help your toddler understand what they’re feeling and why. For example, if your toddler is sad because their toy is broken, you can say, ‘I can see you’re sad that your toy is broken. It’s OK we can fix it’. Find out more about: why toddler play is important for emotional development what to expect from toddler emotions play ideas to encourage toddler emotions [image: toddler with curly hair and wearing a pair of long shorts is outside and playing with a small dog with as frisbee in its mouth]

17.10.2021 NDIS WEBINAR for Families & Health Professionals | Join The DLD Project and Mark Edmonds from the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) who oversee th...e Australian National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) as we discuss how to access the NDIS, what evidence is needed to support your application and how to apply for a review if you are declined. Additionally, we will be joined by a speech pathologist who has supported a client to have a declined application reviewed which has led to the client with DLD now being funded under the NDIS. Don't miss this very practical webinar for families and health professionals. 6:30pm-8:30pm (QLD time). This will be a FREE to join webinar hosted on the Microsoft Teams platform. ACCESS THE WEBINAR AT THIS LINK VIA MICROSOFT TEAMS: https://teams.microsoft.com//19%3ameeting_MGJlYTJmYTQtN/0

12.10.2021 No one starts out wanting to be that mom. I can promise you this. Circumstances though usually make it such that a parent to a child with disabilities has no ...choice. I worked in the school system and so I know better than to blame the teachers. I personally believe the whole system needs an overhaul because it’s never been fully funded to begin with. It’s a systemic problem. However, just because I know the why’s, doesn’t mean I stop advocating. I have to. It’s my job as Ashlynn’s mother. I hate sending emails knowing I’m potentially giving the teacher anxiety. I hate questioning goal progress (or lack there of). I will when I have to though because there is no greater responsibility in my life other than being her mother and advocate. #specialneedsmom #developmentaldisabilities #apraxia #learningdisabilities #slpsofinstagram