Little Big Talk is a free program that began in response to the number of children entering school with speech, language or communication concerns.
Since 2016, the Program has run as a partnership between the Department of Education and Training (DET), DPV Health, Sunbury Community Health, Hume Council and Whittlesea Council. Little Big Talk allows parents to discuss their pre-school aged child’s speech, language and general development concerns with a speech pathologist, without the need for a referral or pre-arranged appointment. It runs as a drop-in service, where a speech pathologist speaks with each family to assess whether their child can be linked in with a universal service or referred to an allied health provider.
Each month, the drop-in clinic operates in primary schools across both Hume and Whittlesea Local Government Areas. Parents and guardians are asked to bring children to a session if they have questions or concerns about the child’s communication skills. While no appointment or referral is required, please note a limited number of spaces are available. You may be required to wait, or asked to attend another date if the session is full.
Intended for children aged birth to school entry, Little Big Talk enables earlier identification of children at risk of communication difficulties. Families who are not currently engaged with or on a waiting list for speech pathologist or early intervention services will be given priority. If deemed appropriate, a Speech Pathologist will talk to you about ways to help your child’s communication, and may refer you to another service.
Attendees can also hear from Playgroup Staff about local Council-run services and speak with a Maternal & Child Health Nurse about any other concerns they may have.
For further information, please feel free to email Sue.Pakakis@education.vic.gov.au
Language
