Welcome to Speech with Sumayya. Since qualifying as a Speech Language Pathologist, I have worked in a rural clinic, an urban assessment and therapy centre, as well as a special school for the physically disabled and visually impaired before opening my own practice. I have furthered my studies and obtained a Masters in Early Childhood Intervention, and am passionate about intervention at the earliest possible level.
I am a strong advocate for a holistic therapy approach, which is characterized by the treatment of the whole person, taking into account cognitive and social factors, rather than just the symptoms of the delay/disorder.
I currently work in private practice from my rooms in Sandton, conduct school screenings and visits, and offer a wide range of home programs and parent manuals which can be found under the shop tab of this website. With 10 years of experience, rest assured you’re in good hands.
• Try imitating speech sounds
• Say a few words, such as "dada," "mama" and "uh-oh"
• Understand simple instructions, such as "Come here"
• Recognize words for common items, such as "shoe"
• Turn and look in the direction of sounds
• Recognize names of familiar people, objects and body parts
• Follow simple directions accompanied by gestures
• Say as many as 10 words
• Use simple phrases, such as "more milk"
• Ask one- to two-word questions, such as "Go bye-bye?"
• Follow simple commands and understand simple questions
• Speak about 50 or more words
• Speak well enough to be understood at least half the time by you or other primary caregivers
how we say sounds and put sounds together into words. Other words for these problems are articulation or phonological disorders, apraxia of speech, or dysarthria
how well we understand what we hear or read and how we use words to tell others what we are thinking. In children, this may be a receptive or expressive langauge disorder. In adults this problem may be called aphasia.
also called stuttering, is how well speech flows. Someone who stutters may repeat sounds, like t-t-t-table, use "um" or "uh," or pause a lot when talking. Many young children will go through a time when they stutter, but most outgrow it.
how well we read and write. People with speech and language disorders may also have trouble reading, spelling, and writing.
how well we suck, chew, and swallow food and liquid. A swallowing disorder may lead to poor nutrition, weight loss, and other health problems. This is also called dysphagia, and can be present in preterm infants or adults post surgery/a stroke
An inability to speak properly is often embarrassing, and many adults are reluctant to seek help. It may be time to seek out speech therapy if your loved ones experience any of the following symptoms: Speaking softly or barely able to whisper, Rapid rate of speech with mumbling, Hoarseness, breathiness, or nasal and stuffy-sounding speech, Poor vocal quality, Decline in memory, Decline in ability to produce or understand language, Difficulty with non-speech movements such as sticking out the tongue.
Bachelor Communication Pathology (UKZN); Master Early Childhood Intervention (UP)
