Speech Pathology Services

L4Life Speech Pathologist and Clinical Consultant, Nilushi Goonetilleke

Communication is more than speech

In April 2021, Learning for Life established our first Speech Language Pathology position. Since then, one in five of all Learning for Life children have been referred for assessment and have received speech therapy to facilitate their communication and learning. Nilushi Goonetilleke, our Speech-Language Pathologist and Clinical Consultant talks about the diverse communication needs of the children in our Early Intervention and School Age Consultancy programs.

We often talk about the diversity of communication needs of autistic children. What does this diversity look like for our Learning for Life children?
NG: Firstly, it’s important to understand that communication is not just about speech. It is about the many ways that a message can be conveyed and expressed, and how that message is interpreted by another. So, it’s important to give children the best opportunity to express themselves authentically and as accurately as possible. This means giving autistic children the communication tools that best match their needs as they grow and learn.

Our children may be verbal, pre-verbal, emergent or may need to use technology-assisted communication for their long-term voice. My work integrates communication through speech and language, facial and hand gesture, body language, rate and pace of speech, intonation and any other information that helps me to understand how and what information a child is wanting to share. 

What is the age range of children you see at Learning for Life?
NG: The autistic and other neurodivergent children I currently work with are between 2 years and 11 years of age, although any child using a Learning for Life service can be referred for speech therapy. The children I see now are in our Early Intervention and School Age Consultancy programs. Due to the complex nature of autism, a child may have accompanying neurological, developmental or health issues and therefore have complex and multiple communication needs. A child can have periods of progress and then stagnation, depending if other neurological factors are at play, for example ADHD. At Learning for Life, I work collaboratively with the Psychologists and Clinical Consultants to provide holistic intervention. This benefits the child greatly as all professionals working with the child work towards the same goals.

How can technology make a difference to autistic children’s communication and learning?
NG: Our children use a wide range of communication methods to learn and to express themselves, with some using more than one method at any given time. They may use speech therapy for practice of articulation, communication boards and speech generating voice-assisted technology including applications such as Proloquo2Go, text-to-talk apps and LAMP. These latter tools are what we call Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) and offer ways for a child to communicate in conjunction with or apart from using their voice.

What does a speech therapy session at Learning for Life look like?
NG: For many of our children sitting at a desk is not appropriate, so I use a mix of active and quiet activities during a session. It is important for all children, but especially those on the autism spectrum to be able to anticipate what will happen in a learning situation so that anxiety and emotions can be manageable for the child. With my background in behaviour management working as a Clinical Consultant, I use proactive methods such as incorporating visual schedules and timers into sessions to assist with transitions. This allows for the child to engage more actively during the session and helps to make each session fun and joyful so that learning ‘just happens.’

Each session is face-to-face or conducted via telehealth and lasts 50 minutes. Parents are always present, with parent coaching in-session important for generalising the skills learnt to the child’s home, school and community. We use games, obstacle courses and other physical activities, books, toys, and iPads for applications, programs and videos – all and any of which will support learning and reinforcement of skills.

How important is the role of the family in developing their child’s communication skills outside of Learning for Life sessions?
NG: Family involvement is crucial and has a direct impact on their child’s communication development. Best outcomes of speech therapy in building a child’s communication resources require a family-centred approach to address the child’s individual needs. This is why upskilling parents and family members through in-session coaching has far reaching consequences for their autistic child or children in breaking down communication barriers within the home and the broader community. If a parent feels confident and continues to want to learn how to communicate with and understand their child as they grow, then their child will feel better understood and be motivated to continue to develop their communication skills.

What stands out as the best part of your work with autistic and other neurodivergent children?
NG: The greatest challenge and joy of my job is being able to help our children to find and unlock their ‘voice’, and to figure out what are the best ways for them to express themselves now and as their communication needs change as they grow older. At Learning for Life, one of our philosophies is that if a child is not learning then it is up to us to change our method and find a way to help them learn best. We provide our children with individualised approaches as no child is the same and it is crucial that, as clinicians we are adaptable.

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Enquire Now To learn more about our Consultancy Model, please call us at (03) 9853 4607 or email us at enquiries@learningforlife.com.au.