What is Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)? Autism Spectrum Disorder is a term that current medical/allied health professionals use to encompass the diagnoses of Autism, Atypical Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome. In general, individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder presents with: Social skills deficits Social communication impairments, and Restrictive and or repetitive patterns of behaviours 什么是泛自闭症障碍 […]
Our Speech Pathologist, Fiona Low, has re-written her blog on helping children learn two languages in Mandarin: 如何让孩子学习两种语言 澳大利亚是个多元文化的国家。许多家庭中，会说多种语言的孩子非常多。如今，英语虽仍是澳洲的官方语言，越来越多的家庭都选择让孩子在家里或在学校里学习各种外语；那，孩子从小接触多种语言，会不会影响孩子的语言发展呢？ 关于儿童学习双语的错误观念： 误区1: 学习两种语言会混淆我的孩子的语言发展。 现实：当孩子在同一个句子或谈话中使用两种语言时，一些父母担心这是语言混乱的迹象。 事实上，语言对换 （在一个句子或对话中使用两种语言）是常见的。 其实，一些语言专家认为语言转换是掌握双语能力的现象。 误区2：学习两种语言会延迟语言发展。 现实：虽然一些学习双语的孩子可能在开始说第一句话时，会比同龄学习单语的小孩来得稍慢，但他们仍然会像单语小孩一样达到语言发展的各个目标。 例如，他们仍然会在8-15个月之前说出他们的第一句话。 如果您的小孩无法达到这些指标，这些语言延误可能是由语言学习障碍导致的而不是由学习双语而引起的。 一个专业的言语治疗师可帮有沟通障碍的儿童学习语言交流。 误区3：父母在教孩子说两种语言时应该使用“一亲一语”的方法。 现实：一些家长认为，通过一亲一语治，（例如说，孩子跟妈妈说英语，跟爸爸说中文），孩子将会很均匀地接触两种语言。虽然这是教孩子两种语言的许多方式之一，目前为止，没有科学证据表明这是教孩子两种语言的最佳方式。事实上，我们可以用很多方法去教两种语言。 与孩子交流的最好方式是使用最自然和最舒适的方式去和孩子交流。 误区4: 如果想让孩子说英语，避免与孩子以母语交流。 现实：目前为止，并没有证据表明在家庭环境中使用第二种语言是必要的，以便孩子在其他社会环境（例如在学校）成功地使用这种语言。 父母应继续以母语和孩子交流， 因为根据数据显示，让孩子有坚实的母语基础能够增强孩子的第二语言学习能力。 防止孩子学习家庭语言可反而导致孩子在家庭环境中感到孤立，影响孩子的社交能力。 误区5: 说双语的人在沟通时需要从第一语言翻译到第二语言来沟通。 现实：会说双语的儿童是有能力用两种语言思考的。一些人认为，会说双语的孩子只能用一种语言思考，然后在必要时将其翻译成另一种语言。但是，这是没有科学根据的。 误区6: 年龄越大，掌握第二种语言的能力就越差。 现实：虽然孩子们在越小的时候开始学习第二语言越可能有本土化的发音，年龄较大的孩子和成年人都能与幼儿一样能掌握第二语言的能力。 误区7: 有特殊需要或语言迟缓的儿童不能学习两种语言。 现实：其实，没有证据表明有语言障碍的儿童无法学习两种语言。 […]
What is an Employee Assistance Program? An Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is an arrangement between an organisation and its employees to provide a variety of support programs for the employees. This can include assessment, short-term counselling, referrals, and on-site support for critical incidents. EAP is a voluntary counselling service designed to assist employees to address […]
June 12th 2017 marks the start of Men’s Health Week. Although it’s very normal for my peers and I to see a psychologist for support, us psychologists are very much aware of the stigma around seeking this type of assistance, which is even more amplified for men. Why? One reason is because you must be […]
Across the world, most individuals are either bilingual (speaking two languages) or multilingual (speaking multiple languages). Today in Australia, many children grow up being exposed to more than one language. While English remains the single community majority language spoken, a sizable proportion of the Australian population reported speaking a language other than English at home. […]
Sleep is an important part of our well-being. Just ask a shift worker, a new mother, emergency service employees, a student studying for an exam, people who travel overseas for work… being tired and exhausted doesn’t feel good. Sleep can affect: How we feel How we meet the demands of the day How well we […]
Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety condition involving intrusive negative thoughts and the repetition of certain behaviours. What is the difference between obsessions and compulsions? Obsessions are thoughts or images which can be quite intrusive and distressing. Although these thoughts can often be irrational, they can be extremely difficult to ignore and result […]
Coming to see a Psychologist can be rather daunting. Who wakes up in the morning and says, “I’d love to chat to a complete stranger about my deepest fears, thoughts, and feelings, and see what they think”? We understand that the idea of speaking with someone about your worries opens the floodgates to “what if…?” […]
Postnatal depression (PND) is a type of depression that many parents experience after having a baby. It usually affects mothers after giving birth although it can also affect fathers and partners (though this is much less common). Research suggests that up to 1 in 10 new mothers suffer from PND. Symptoms of Postnatal Depression Many women […]
Anxiety is a feeling of unease, worry or fear. Everyone feels anxious at some point in their life, but for some people it can be an ongoing problem. Although we used the words “anxiety” and “stress” interchangeably, they are slightly different. Stress is a response to a specific threat or challenge, and subsides when the stressor […]