Monkey see, monkey do, takes on a whole new approach with Charles Sturt University-led research app 'Say Bananas' which aims to support parents of children with speech sound disorders (SSD) to deliver individualised speech therapy remotely.  

'Say Bananas' is a Mario- style video game which aims to assist children with speech sound disorders (SSD) and their parents living in less populated areas. 

National Speech Pathology Week 2022 came to a close yesterday (Saturday 27 August) and leading Research Professor of Speech and Language Acquisition Sharynne McLeod in the Charles Sturt School of Education says that now is the time to focus on speech pathology services in regional areas.  

"Speech pathology services are crucial within rural and remote Australia, especially for children," Professor McLeod said. 

"Speech pathologists work with children to assess and identify communication problems. Seeing a speech pathologist can prevent and reduce lifelong consequences that can be a result of communication issues." 

However, distance can prove a major barrier to children receiving timely services to support their speech development.

"Particularly in rural and remote areas and the critical window for early intensive therapy is often missed due to long waiting lists, geographical barriers, and insufficient funding for speech pathology services", Professor McLeod said.  

The 'Say Bananas' app provides an opportunity for rural and remote children to improve their speech accuracy by engaging them in an individualised and targeted game that provides high- dose speech therapy.  

"The beauty of 'Say Bananas' is that it brings a super fun approach to something that can be really challenging for children to experience. It has been incredibly motivating to watch children take part," said Professor McLeod. 

"Speech is like anything in life, you have to practice it. Just like you have to practice learning to type or kicking a football- practice makes perfect!" 

"Research results from the app were very motivating. We found that the more the children practiced the game, the more they improved. The children were tested before and after using the app and we saw huge developments." 

There are early signs that the 'Say Bananas' app can be an option for providing equitable, timely, and cost-effective access to speech pathology serves for families living in areas of low population density, such as the NSW western plains.  

Speech is no small matter 

Communication issues can have detrimental effects on a child's social, behavioural and academic future. Professor McLeod said that as kindergarten enrolments loom, if parents have any sort of concerns about their child's communication, it is important for them to see a speech pathologist.  

"Deciding whether your child is ready for not for school can be a stressful time for parents. There is a huge flow on effect for children that experience speech- sound disorders and developmental language disorders if they do not seek speech therapy," she said. 

"It can impact their lives socially, behaviourally and academically. Without effective intervention programs in place, children will experience increased difficulty in academic areas including issues with reading, spelling, writing and even mathematics". 

"Parents and teachers need to be aware that speech issues can have huge impacts on more than just educational outcomes but social outcomes at school. A child's ability to be able to communicate and articulate the world around them is so important. For example, if a child has issues in the playground area and cannot articulate themselves they can get into trouble and this can form huge behavioural issues within the future," she said.  

Speech therapy works best when done often. Unfortunately speech therapists can be hard to reach in rural and remote areas.

Help is out there 

Professor McLeod says that even though face-to-face speech pathology services are limited, they are available and should be used more by rural and remote communities.  

"Parents who are concerned their child is experiencing speech- sound disorders and developmental language disorders should contact their local community health centre or hospital for a free speech pathologist assessment," she said. 

"This assessment is more beneficial for young children, specifically 2-3 year olds, however all ages are welcomed. There is no stigma attached to this free assessment and it is actually really fun for the child taking part. The speech pathologist takes the child through games and gives a thorough assessment and advice". 

"You can also contact your local GP and receive 5 free sessions. Even though 5 sessions is not enough for younger- aged children, it is a great start and can be very beneficial," Professor McLeod said.  

More to come 

The 'Say Bananas' app is just the start for more rural and remote speech pathology program initiatives that Charles Sturt University is working on to benefit rural and remote health within Australia.  

"The 'Say Bananas' app is still underdoing trials for children with speech sound disorders. However, it is great to see rural and remote areas being recognised and incorporated within these initiatives to ensure everyone is receiving the highest quality of service available," Professor McLeod said.