by on 13/09/2024 163
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Pacific Speech Therapy and Learning Centre, Penang is a one-stop multidisciplinary intervention centre for individuals aged 18 years and below. Established in 2010, the centre offers a wide range of special needs services from comprehensive assessments to therapies under one roof. If your child shows significant delay in reaching expected milestones in areas such as sensory processing, motor skills, visual perception, socialising with peers and self-regulation, then it’s time to seek help; Pacific Speech Therapy and Learning Centre rightly is the place to approach for support. “We are a team of highly qualified professionals who are dedicated to improving the child’s quality of life, as well as for the family as a whole,” says Ms Oh, a qualified speech-language pathologist/therapist who founded the centre.
The centre’s stance is predicated on the benefits that early intervention can bring for children with: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Speech-language delay, Social skills difficulties, Sensory Processing Disorder, Handwriting difficulties, Dyslexia, Learning difficulties, and other developmental disorders, delays or disabilities.
No matter how challenging the hurdle is, treatment is customised for each child based on their unique needs and is provided in a non-stressful, positive environment. “At Pacific Speech Therapy and Learning Centre, we believe in maximising children’s potential through constant scaffolding. We equip the child with essential skills during individualised therapy sessions (Speech Therapy, Sensory Occupational Therapy or Early Intervention Programme). Then, we strive to help the child generalise the skills learnt by providing a platform (School Readiness Programme or Social Skills Group) for them to rehearse. Lastly, our Shadow/Personal Learning Assistant Programme plays an important role in scaffolding the child in mainstream school settings by nurturing the social communication skills in real-life settings,” explains Ms Oh on the approach used to address children’s developmental progress.
The breadth of programmes and service offerings listed below are designed to give children and adolescents beneficial outcomes to overcome the challenges they face:
The Speech-Language Pathologists/Therapists at Pacific evaluate, diagnose and provide evidence-based therapy for children with concerns in their communication, specific language impairment, unclear speech, hearing impairment, interaction difficulties, stammering, echolalia (parrot talk), or even feeding disorders. The therapy sessions utilise Oral Motor exercises and the TalkTools® approach individualised for the child to ignite his ability to interact with the world.
Occupational therapists focus on improving children’s function in their sensory processing, fine and gross motor skills, and daily self-care skills. Pacific has a remarkably unique sensory room called a Snoezelen room – the first private centre in the Northern Region of Malaysia to have this premium facility in 2018 – which provides a controlled multisensory environment to promote adequate levels of relaxation and stimulation through tactile, visual and interactive activities tailored to improve the child’s overall functioning.
The School Readiness Programme (SRP) acts as a platform for children to rehearse the skills they have learnt so that they can experience a smooth transition to mainstream schools. It emulates school activities in a small group setting of 1:4 teacher-to-student ratio.
The Early Intervention Programme (EIP) is an individualised intervention programme aimed at helping children develop the skills needed to navigate a mainstream school. The EIP covers the main domains of development, including cognitive, fine and gross, language, social-emotional, and pre-academic development, as well as daily self-care.
The Personal Learning Assistant (PLA) Programme is the key supporting wing to ensure the child has a smooth transition from a therapeutic setting to a mainstream school setting. With an aim to boost the child’s level of independence, the PLA Programme includes multidisciplinary Individual Education Programme (IEP) meetings with the school and family, weekly individual intervention sessions for academic revisions, and weekly social skills sessions using Alex Kelly’s Talkabout™ modules.
Pacific strives to be the catalyst for change in the area of children with special needs by organising workshops and events to empower parents, teachers, allied health professionals and medical practitioners. Keep your eyes peeled for future international certification workshops with speakers from authorised international organisations, and multilingual workshops for local parents and teachers. Past certification workshops included Feeding Therapy: A Sensory-Motor Approach by Ms Lori Overland from the U.S., and Assessing and Teaching Social Skills by Ms Alex Kelly from the U.K. In addition, the centre is also well recognised by both local government universities and private colleges for internship placements.
Established in 2018, Pacific Play House is the supporting wing of Pacific Speech Therapy and Learning Centre. This is a significant milestone for Pacific in terms of providing holistic therapy and care for children with special needs. Here, children can apply and generalise all the skills learnt during their one-to-one therapy sessions in their real-life daily routines. Pacific Play House offers the following programmes to help children develop better self-esteem and live a happier life: Social Play Group, Talkabout™ Social Skills Group, Kids Fun Baking, and School Holiday Programmes.
If there’s a concern that your child’s development is delayed or if there’s an identified disability, get in touch with Pacific Speech Therapy and Learning Centre today to schedule for a screening appointment. For those who are unable to visit in-person, the centre offers an alternative online therapy platform where children and families can still get all the support they need. The therapists are qualified, experienced, passionate and nurturing specialists who are committed to ongoing professional development which enables them to assist with a wide range of paediatric conditions. “We emphasise that, where possible, early intervention is the key to optimise successful outcomes for children with special needs.”
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