Start Smart Tasmania | Medical and health

Start Smart Tasmania

Phone: +61 3 6388 8457

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23.01.2022 With the recent explosion in the production of podcasts, it is great to see a wide range of options for children. For inspiration, start with https://www.ellaslist.com.au/articles/best-podcasts-for-kids or try https://www.huffpost.com//podcasts-for-kids-education_l_5d

22.01.2022 Now that many children have settled into the reality of life under a partial shutdown you may notice a range of reactions, from the child with no apparent change in behaviour, to the child who swings between over-excitement and tearful meltdowns in the blink of an eye. These times can be very tough on our little people. Alongside our love and cuddles, we can support them to develop strategies to regulate the big emotions they may experiencing. We love the visual presentation of these strategies, perfect for bedroom walls. (And we think theyd work with big kids too!)

22.01.2022 Teachers understanding Developmental Language Disorder is crucial, as DLD is common and impacts on literacy and wider learning. Find out more at radld.org

21.01.2022 What a wonderful new resource, especially for our MSL families. The schwa, that pesky sound that is just so hard to identify and spell, is nicely explained in this great animated clip.

21.01.2022 And here it is! The full list of CBCA 2019 Book of the Year Winner and Honour Books. Congratulations once again to all the authors, illustrators and publishers. Head to our website for the details: https://www.cbca.org.au/winners-2019 #cbca2019

21.01.2022 Today (14 October) is Allied Health Professionals Day (AHPs Day). Speech pathologist are university trained allied health professionals with expertise in the as...sessment and treatment of communication and/or swallowing difficulties. Speech Pathology Australia is the national peak body for the speech pathology profession in Australia. Allied health professionals have been working on the frontline in hospitals in Australia’s response to COVID-19 and adapting to new methods of service delivery in primary care. From the ICU to community-based rehabilitation, allied health professionals have an important role to play in physical and mental recovery for COVID-19 survivors. We are proud to represent this great profession and to be a member of Allied Health Professions Australia. On AHPs Day celebrate the work that allied health professions love doing and raise their profile by highlighting the important role they play in health and social care systems. https://bit.ly/3lVADxV #AHPsDay #AHPsDay2020 #strongertogether #alliedhealth

20.01.2022 Merry Christmas from the team at Start Smart Tasmania! We look forward to working with you in 2020.

20.01.2022 On this miserable day bring the children to Kid I Am at the Silverdome. Lots of amazing activities to try. Come to the Start Smart Tasmania stand and say hi!

20.01.2022 Are we mistaking ADHD for underlying sleep disorders? In the last years there has been a number of studies that demonstrated that ADHD symptoms are very often l...inked to when the brain not sleeping correctly. The connection is especially apparent in children, and is a concern because sleep issues may often be misdiagnosed during crucial years for brain development. Sleep-disordered breathing refers to a spectrum of conditions, including snoring, where normal breathing is compromised during sleep. Obstructive sleep apnea is one of the most serious forms of sleep-disordered breathing. The symptoms of snoring and particularly of OSA can be very similar to the symptoms of ADHD: distractedness and difficulty focusing, emotional reactivity and moodiness, hyperactivity, impulsivity, restlessness, and daytime tiredness. Research has found half of children with ADHD show symptoms of sleep disordered breathing, compared to 22 percent of children without ADHD. Research also indicates that 20-30 percent of people with ADHD also have obstructive sleep apnea. OSA is closely linked to obesitybeing overweight or obese increases the risk for sleep apnea, as well as snoring. People with ADHD are more likely to be obese, and have higher-than-average body mass index scores. All this research points to a complicated relationship among these conditions: OSA, obesity, and ADHD. However the thing we are often missing is that development of the jaw and airway (crooked teeth) can affect risk of sleep disordered breathing. A high-arched palate is difficult to sleep and breathe in. Maintaining magnesium levels can have a stabilizing effect on mood. Low magnesium in children has been linked to several of the hallmark symptoms of ADHD, including impulsive behavior, hyperactivity, and inattention. Studies have found as many as 95 percent of children with ADHD may be deficient in magnesium. If you or a family member have been suspected of ADHD, investigating sleep, including a functional dental examination that assesses mouth breathing during sleep. Good sleep needs a well-functioning airway. Do you or a family member suffer symptoms of a sleep disorder?

18.01.2022 Wow - what a wonderful thirty minutes of television this evening. Australian Story told the tale of Australian artist, Vincent Fantauzzo. Vincent talked about his experiences with dyslexia and how he used his superpower to reach the top of his field. Well worth a watch.

17.01.2022 Imagine the changes we could make to speech, language and literacy outcomes with 50 more speech pathologists in Tasmanian schools! Thank you to those who champion the key role speech pathology should play in education for all our kids.

17.01.2022 We are delighted to formally welcome our newest staff members to the Start Smart Tasmania team! Sherryl and Carolyn are joining us as Literacy Instructors. Both have significant teaching experience and have recently completed the Orton Gillingham course, which focuses on strategies for students with Dyslexia and related literacy learning difficulties. Virginia joins us as a Senior Allied Health Assistant, and is working with both literacy and speech pathology clients.

16.01.2022 Some sound advice to all parents with children at home this morning: be kind to yourself Make this time a special one - play, explore, cook, garden, read, laugh.

16.01.2022 Square Pegs Launceston Dyslexia Parent Network meeting is on tonight at the Northern Childrens Network, 59D Amy Rd, Newstead, at 6.00pm. Whether your child is already diagnosed, or is just having some literacy learning difficulties, all are welcome to come along.

15.01.2022 The Five from Five page is a good one to follow for information and resources on evidence-based reading instruction. This October, for Dyslexia Awareness Month, a series of posts have been published which bust the myths often associated with dyslexia. This one disproves the idea the dyslexia just involves letter reversals.

15.01.2022 Square Pegs Tasmania are wonderful advocates for students with literacy difficulties. If your child is experiencing such challenges, support is available. Next meeting: Tuesday 26th November, at 6.00pm.

14.01.2022 How about some positive news for a change?! This month our literacy instructors have been participating in a virtual run organised by Code Read, a wonderful dyslexia charity. We are each walking 42km throughout March to raise money and increase awareness of dyslexia. Follow the Code Read page for their latest news.

11.01.2022 Start Smart Tasmania is delighted to welcome Rachael Zeeman to the team. Rachael is an experienced speech pathologist with an interest in articulation and early language development. Contact us today if your little one could benefit from some support in these areas.

11.01.2022 At Start Smart Tasmania we value ongoing professional learning to offer high quality support to our clients. Today Clare is privileged to be listening to David Kilpatrick, an expert on reading difficulties from the United States.

11.01.2022 Some great discussions at our recent Speech Aide training day, working with some local schools on how they can best support learners with articulation difficulties. Contact us if youd like to hear more. Oh, and the catering was !

11.01.2022 Could your child benefit from some additional support with reading and spelling? We have had some vacancies open up for evidence-based literacy instruction in 2020, in Launceston and Bridport. Contact us on 0408 528 098 for more information.

11.01.2022 Two of our Literacy Instructors, Clare and Sharon, recently participated in the Code Read Virtual Run to raise awareness of dyslexia. They covered 84km during March, a great effort in what was a tough month. Well done ladies!

11.01.2022 Pooh was such a wise bear! We consider ourselves very fortunate to be in a profession that allows us to look at ways of supporting families other than face-to-face. Studies show that online therapy is a very effective way of delivering speech pathology and literacy services to children. We have therefore decided that the best way for us to keep everyone safe is to continue to see our families online or by phone only. Our office will be closed from Wednesday 25th March and remain closed until social distancing recommendations are reviewed. Please keep talking to us about how we can continue to offer you and your child support through these very uncertain times if phone, online or therapy services generally present a challenge.

11.01.2022 In a busy start to the year, we are delighted to announce some new members of staff - Sharon, our Assistant Literacy Instructor; Loren, our Administration Assistant; and Jacinta, our Junior Allied Health Assistant. These fantastic ladies are already helping to create positive outcomes for our families. Welcome to the team!

10.01.2022 World Breastfeeding Week 1st - 7th August This years theme, Support breastfeeding for a healthier planet, was chosen to focus on the impact of infant feeding on the environment and the imperative to protect, promote and support breastfeeding for the health of the planet and its people. Breastmilk is a natural, renewable food that is produced and delivered to the consumer without pollution, packaging or waste. When we protect and support mothers and breastfeeding, we are also reducing the impact on our air, water and land, protecting our young ones and future generations.

09.01.2022 With school just around the corner it will soon be time to get children back into routine. For those who struggle with organisation, visuals are essential. This simple but effective schedule could easily be adapted for morning or evening routines.

09.01.2022 A look at some lovely moments of connection - something to consider as our days return to normal.

09.01.2022 Start Smart Tasmania is delighted to welcome Erin Bowring to our team. Erin is our new Literacy Instructor and has availability for new students in Bridport and Launceston. If your child could benefit from some extra support in reading and/ or spelling, please give us a call.

08.01.2022 Speech Pathology Australia supports Developmental Language Disorder Awareness Day on Friday 16 October because more light needs to be shed on a hidden condition... that affects on average two children in every classroom. DLD is a condition that causes difficulties with speech, language understanding, communication, and reading (with an associated high risk of dyslexia). Developmental Language Disorder is now the accepted term for language difficulties where the language disorder has no other differentiating or influencing condition (e.g. the absence of Autism, Down Syndrome, Fragile X, etc.). The term DLD describes children who are likely to have a language problem that endures into middle childhood and beyond; without diagnosis and specialist support this condition has a significant impact on their everyday social interactions and schooling. If you are concerned a child you know has DLD, contact a speech pathologist. Find a speech pathologist via the Speech Pathology Australia website.> https://bit.ly/3k4PNjx

07.01.2022 What a huge week it has been for Start Smart Tasmania! We have bid farewell to our humble little office, where Start Smart was born over two years ago. We look forward to welcoming clients at our new offices this week, still at the Amy Rd complex.

07.01.2022 This beautiful tale of a mother's love and hard work to support her son with dyslexia may resonate with some of our amazing parent advocates. Have the tissues ready! https://www.youtube.com/watch

07.01.2022 For our MSL families: Each year MSL Club Australia runs a 4-day, non-residential camp for MSL students in Melbourne. The camp was set up to reduce the sense of isolation that dyslexic students feel as a result of struggling with literacy. The camp program includes small-group, MSL instruction in the mornings with fun and varied activities, such as robotics, circus skills, dance, netball, soccer and orienteering, in the afternoon. Registration for the 2020 MSL Camp opens this Sunday, 1st September at 8.00am. Clare was privileged to be involved earlier this year and would love to see some of our MSL students participate in 2020.

07.01.2022 Start Smart Tasmania is proud to be involved with Kid I Am for 2019. It promises to be a fantastic event and we hope to see many familiar faces there. See below for details.

07.01.2022 Just a (new) typical day at Start Smart Tasmania for our staff who are WAY too excited about Zoom backgrounds...

06.01.2022 Speech Pathology Week 23rd-29th August

06.01.2022 We love this display - what an empowering message for students to be reminded of as they head back to school. Tag a teacher if you think they may be interested.

05.01.2022 The next Square Pegs Launceston network meeting is on Tuesday 17th March at 6.00pm. It would be wonderful to have lots of our fantastic parents come along. We will be discussing Learning Plans.

05.01.2022 Free workshop series for pregnant women and breastfeeding mums. Please share

05.01.2022 Phew! What a big week its been! Our Literacy Instructor, Clare Weare, has just returned from Melbourne where she had the most fabulous week working with students with dyslexia and related literacy difficulties. Set up to reduce the sense of isolation such students experience, the SLAM CAMP offers students a range of wonderful learning experiences, from literacy and maths, to cooking and zoology. For any of our families who may be interested in future camps, give this page a follow.

04.01.2022 With so many kids away from school at the moment, the folks at Australian Decodable Readers are doing their bit to help students stay on top of their reading. These fabulous apps each include 20 beautifully illustrated decodable books and are on sale for $5.99 for a limited time.

02.01.2022 Today's post is one for teachers as they begin to unwind and reflect upon the last term. Check out this short clip on the importance of frequent 'brain breaks' to learning. https://www.youtube.com/watch

01.01.2022 This free resource is full of great ideas to keep kids occupied at home. The Big Life Journal facebook page is worth a follow for ideas on helping children develop resilience and a growth mindset.