Parents may seek an Infant & Toddler Communication Assessment if they have concerns about their child’s early communication, such as limited eye contact, reduced babbling or gestures, delayed first words, difficulty understanding language, or uncertainty about whether their child’s communication is developing as expected. Some families also seek reassurance, particularly if there is a family history of speech or developmental differences, premature birth, or other early risk factors.

This service focuses on understanding how your child is communicating right now and how to best support their development moving forward. The assessment looks at interaction, play, understanding, and early expressive communication within a warm, play-based environment. A key component is parent coaching/training i.e. helping caregivers understand what to look for and how to support communication naturally during everyday routines such as play, meals, and caregiving.

Families often seek a Feeding & Oral Skills Assessment if feeding feels stressful, difficult, or doesn’t look like what they expected. This may include concerns such as difficulty transitioning to solids, gagging, coughing during feeds, prolonged feeding times, food refusal, limited textures, or uncertainty about oral-motor skills needed for eating.

This service aims to understand the underlying factors influencing your child’s feeding, including oral-motor skills, sensory responses, positioning, and feeding routines. The assessment is gentle and responsive, with a strong emphasis on supporting both the child and the caregiver. Parents receive practical, achievable strategies to improve feeding experiences and build confidence, with guidance that fits into real-life routines rather than rigid feeding rules.

A Complex Feeding & Dysphagia Assessment may be recommended for infants or young children with medical complexity, suspected swallowing difficulties, or feeding challenges linked to conditions such as prematurity, neurological differences, genetic syndromes, respiratory concerns, or developmental delay. Families may notice signs such as frequent coughing or choking during feeds, wet or gurgly voice quality, recurrent chest infections, poor weight gain, or fatigue during feeding.

This assessment involves a comprehensive review of medical, developmental, and feeding history alongside a detailed non-instrumental swallowing assessment. The goal is to identify risk factors, support feeding safety, and guide next steps. Recommendations are made collaboratively, often involving coordination with GPs, paediatricians, lactation consultants, dietitians, or other allied health professionals to ensure care is well-integrated and appropriate for the child’s needs.