Starting from September 20th, Lorelle will be joining our school as a consultant practitioner, offering her expertise in speech pathology services to AISB families as well as families whose children may attend other schools in the region.
🌟 Meet Lorelle Evans: A Champion in Paediatric Speech Pathology 🌟
Lorelle Evans is an Australian-based speech pathologist with an impressive 20 years of experience in paediatric speech pathology. Her career has spanned various roles in early intervention, school-age therapy, and disability support. Lorelle brings a wealth of knowledge and clinical expertise to our community, particularly in the areas of early intervention, speech sound disorders, and bilingual language development.
One of Lorelle's key passions is advocating for improved engagement and training for parents and teachers to better support children with Speech Language and Communication Needs (SLCN). Her dedication to this cause is evident in her work, which extends beyond her home in Sydney's Northern Beaches.
In fact, Lorelle has already made significant contributions to our community. She has conducted professional learning programs in SLCN for AISB Early Childhood teachers, and earlier this year, she led a school-sponsored parent education series on language development in young children called "Talking About Talking." We are excited to announce that we plan to offer similar programs for parents in the upcoming 2023-24 school year. 👨👩👦👦
🗣️ The Vital Role of Speech Pathology
Speech Pathologists, also known as Speech Language Pathologists (SLPs), Speech Therapists (STs), or Speech & Language Therapists (SLT/SaLT), are allied health professionals who specialize in speech communication. This includes understanding spoken language, expressing ideas through speech, and various related skills. SPs work with children facing challenges in areas such as language comprehension, vocabulary, correct speech sounds, reading, writing, social skills, stuttering, and even feeding routines.
Importantly, speech pathologists like Lorelle understand the complexities of bilingual language development, helping to distinguish between learning English as a second language and potential underlying language difficulties.
🎉 Speech Pathology Support Services at AISB
Our partnership with Australian Therapy Services Asia (ATSA) has brought Speech Pathology Services directly to the families of AISB students. Through this collaboration, we can provide assessments and therapy sessions at school or through telehealth sessions, ensuring accessibility and convenience. Additionally, through ATSA, we have access to other vital allied health services, including occupational therapy, physiotherapy, and post-natal health advice.
💡About Australian Therapy Services Asia (ATSA)
ATSA is a speech pathology service dedicated to improving access for children in the ASEAN region through telehealth-based advice and therapy sessions. Their mission aligns perfectly with ours: to provide quality, innovative, and integrated speech pathology services regardless of location. ATSA also understands the international school environment and has been working with children in International Schools in Thailand for three years.
🤗 Access to ATSA Services for All
We extend our warm welcome to parents whose children attend other schools. You are more than welcome to take advantage of ATSA's services, as they are here to support the well-being and development of all children in our community. 🤝👪
📧 Get in Touch
For any enquiries regarding Speech Pathology or other allied health services available through ATSA, please reach out to Ms. Hannah, Head of Teaching and Learning at AISB, via email at hannah.carew@australianisb.ac.th.
If you have concerns about your child's speech and/or language skills, you can also contact Lorelle directly at lorelle@australiantherapyservices.com to arrange a free 15-minute initial consultation. 🗣️📱
At AISB, we are dedicated to nurturing the holistic development of our students, and Lorelle Evans's presence on our team is a testament to our commitment to their well-being. We look forward to the positive impact she will have on our community and the many lives she will touch through her expertise in speech pathology.