TSH (Teach, Speak, Hear), formerly known as Telethon Speech and Hearing, has been supporting Western Australian children with speech, language and communication difficulties and/or hearing loss, for almost 60 years and has had an important connection with John Wollaston Anglican Community School (JWACS) since 2015.

At JWACS, TSH provide two programs:

1. Talkabout Program

2. Outpost Program

Do you know a Kindergarten aged child who has difficulty communicating? They may be suitable for TSH’s Talkabout program.

TSH proudly runs the Talkabout 4 program at JWACS* every Wednesday during the school term. This program is dedicated to supporting Kindergarten aged children (4 years old) with speech and language delays. The Talkabout 4 program focuses on receptive/expressive language, play/social skills, motor skills and sensory integration.

The class is staffed by a specialist language teacher, education assistant, speech pathologist and occupational therapist who work collaboratively to develop and deliver exceptional programs for children. The maximum number of children in the Talkabout 4 class is 12.

This program is held at the John Wollaston Early Learning Centre and is available to those children who live in the City of Armadale and surrounding areas.

1. Does the child have a limited vocabulary and relies on a small bank of words to communicate?

2. Does the child speak in short sentences, such as two or three-word combinations with no linking words?

3. Does the child have difficulty telling stories or explaining situations they have been in?

4. Does the child have difficulty communicating with other children or adults when trying to get their needs met?

If so, please contact our School Administrator at dsadgrove@tsh.org.au or call on 0411 495 083 for more information.

* Children do not have to be currently enrolled at JWACS and can attend their local school on other Kindergarten days.

The opportunity to pioneer a specialised language program like Talkabout following an Outpost model is very exciting for us,” explains JWACS Head of Primary Tracey Rogers. “We know about the excellent results that TSH has achieved for children with speech and language challenges and we are thrilled to be able to offer that support for students in Perth’s southeast corridor.”

The purpose-built Talkabout 4 classroom, located in the heart of the JWACS Early Learning Centre, is full of natural light, light coloured décor and new resources. The space also includes a wonderful outdoor nature play area and bike track.

TSH Brochure

John Wollaston Anglican Community School was the first Anglican school in WA to host a TSH Outpost. This is a unique union for excellence in education for students with hearing loss and a fantastic resource for the south-east metropolitan region.

Through this partnership with TSH, the Outpost school support program enables children with hearing loss to access the same educational and social opportunities as their peers. Students from Kindergarten to Year 12 at JWACS attend mainstream classes whilst receiving support and individual assistance from a Teacher of the Deaf.

Individual assistance may include developing areas of listening, language, speech, social/emotional skills, and academics, while fostering each child’s independence. Children are assisted in the management of their audiological equipment, including hearing aids and cochlear implants. Education assistants provide support for children in the classroom while Notetakers provide support for secondary students in mainstream classes.

TSH staff are based on campus and run the program in partnership with the JWACS team. An audiologist, speech pathologist, occupational therapist and psychologist, based at the TSH Wembley campus, provides support and visits the school on a regular basis.

For more information on the Outpost program at JWACS, please email TSH Deputy Principal – Richard Wright, on rwright@tsh.org.au or learn more about TSH here.

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