Small Talk - Speech, Language & Literacy Centre

19/05/2026

16/05/2026

In this episode, Dr. Mike breaks down the 2024 update to the 2019 AAO White Paper on obstructive sleep apnea and orthodontics, published in the AJODO in Apri...

29/04/2026

We often talk about speech like it’s just sounds and articulation.

But speech doesn’t develop in isolation.

It relies on executive function.

If a child isn’t noticing the speech around them, that’s perception.

If they can’t focus to it long enough to take it in, that’s attention.

If they can’t hold onto the sounds long enough to imitate or use them later, that’s working memory.

If they’re not catching their own errors and adjusting, that’s self-monitoring.

These aren’t “speech issues” in the way we’ve been taught to think about them.

They’re executive function demands.

And when we only target the output (the sounds) without supporting the system behind it, progress is slower, harder, and often doesn’t generalize or carryover to other settings as easily.

29/04/2026

12/04/2026

06/04/2026

Speechies change lives! That’s why we are delivering on our election commitment and have expanded access to speech pathology support services for children and young people with severe speech and language disorders.

We’re investing $74.9 million to ensure more than 385,000 patients under 25 years of age can access life-changing speech pathology services through Medicare.

This means Medicare rebates for speech therapy including up to eight assessments and 20 treatment sessions available with a GP or specialist referral.

This will help so many young people.

18/03/2026

17/03/2026

The Calming Point on the Roof of the Mouth
There is a natural calming mechanism built into your child’s body.

When the tongue rests gently on the roof of the mouth, just behind the front teeth. It stimulates branches of the trigeminal nerve and supports parasympathetic activity.
Children who mouth-breathe often have low tongue posture. That means they’re missing constant gentle stimulation of this calming pathway.
Teaching children to rest their tongue up (not forcefully, just gently) can improve nasal breathing, jaw development, and emotional regulation.

This isn’t about control. It’s about alignment.

Yours in health,
Julia Rudakova
Naturopath | NLP & Functional breathing practitioner
www.oxygenrevolution.com.au
IG:
FB: juliarudakovanaturopath

26/10/2025

12/09/2025