Language4Life

About Me

Karen Blundell

Language4Life is owned and run by Karen Blundell, a fully qualified Speech and Language Therapist and registered member of the New Zealand Speech-Language Therapists’ Association.

With a Masters Degree in Speech and Language Sciences gained in the UK, Karen has over 12 years experience working with children and young adults with various communication difficulties. She has worked with children and young adults in England and in New Zealand, both in the public education, community and private sectors.

What an Experience With Me Will Be….
  • Initial free of charge telephone consultation with the client/parent/caregiver of the child to discuss concerns.
  • Client/child is then booked in for an initial assessment. Assessment can last from 1 to 1 ½ hours depending upon how complex the issue is. The level of complexity would be determined during the initial phone consultation.
  • A brief Case History questionnaire about the client’s/child’s physical and communication development will be sent to complete prior to attending the assessment.
  • A report detailing the client’s/child’s communication strengths, areas of need and identified goals (in consultation with you) to work on will then be sent to you.
  • Therapy sessions usually last 45 minutes and the client/ child can be seen weekly/fortnightly. Depending upon availability, I would aim to see the client/child for therapy within 1-2 weeks from the assessment.
  • Assessment/therapy is provided in the client’s/child’s home or in their educational setting. Parental involvement (as appropriate) in the session is encouraged so that the goals can be carried over into the child’s home/educational environment to help them progress quicker.
  • The client’s/child’s progress will be frequently reviewed and with your consultation, therapy will continue or cease dependent on the client’s/ child’s progress.

 

How does Language4Life deliver therapy to help a client/child achieve their communication goals?

This is dependent upon the age of the client, their level of learning ability and their area of need. I use a range of materials which could include: toys, games, pictures/photos, books, media, communication boards and Apps that are specifically designed to promote the development of speech and language skills.

Is financial assistance available for the cost of therapy?

Yes, perhaps, depending upon the circumstances. Contact me on (021 126 3013) to discuss further.

Services

Assessment (formal and/or informal) and intervention for children/young adults with:

  • Autism Spectrum Disorder
  • Learning disability such as Down Syndrome
  • Speech and Language Delay
  • Speech and Language disorders
  • Stammering/Stuttering – school age children, adolescents and young adults
  • Articulation and phonology disorders and delays
  • A training service is also offered for professionals/parents to help raise their awareness of communication problems in young people and how to manage them as required.

To keep prices affordable and competitive, assessment/therapy sessions take place in a community that includes the family home, early childhood centres, schools, and colleges, according to the client’s needs.

Services

Assessment (formal and/or informal) and intervention for children/young adults with:

  • Autism Spectrum Disorder
  • Learning disability such as Down Syndrome
  • Speech and Language Delay
  • Speech and Language disorders
  • Stammering/Stuttering – school age children, adolescents and young adults
  • Articulation and phonology disorders and delays
  • A training service is also offered for professionals/parents to help raise their awareness of communication problems in young people and how to manage them as required.

To keep prices affordable and competitive, assessment/therapy sessions take place in a community that includes the family home, early childhood centres, schools, and colleges, according to the client’s needs.

“My usually very shy son was immediately put at ease during his first session with Karen. Her easy nature and inventive learning games meant that he really enjoyed his sessions and got the most out of them. Karen was also a great support to us by providing us with plenty of material for our home sessions”
Cheru (Auckland)

“My daughter had difficulty with her speech. She is shy and hardly expresses herself even to family as she needs time to think about what to say and often misses her timing. Karen is very friendly and my daughter looks forward to seeing her every week. Even at the end of first session, my daughter laughed and talked a lot to Karen. Karen is really good at finding weak points and working hard to improve them, which is impressive!! We had struggled with how to approach my daughter’s speech issue but Karen taught us activities to use with my daughter in between sessions that we can practise together as homework which is enjoyable. Thank you so much Karen.”
Yuka (Auckland)

“Karen has been working with our Down Syndrome son for over a year, and is lovely to deal with. She provides therapy tailored specifically to his needs, and establishes fun, productive therapy. It is a pleasure to see our son learn in a way that is motivating and enjoyable. Karen is encouraging, yet always professional and goal-oriented. I’m really impressed with the results and couldn’t be more thankful! I highly recommend her! ”
Robyn (Auckland)

“Karen was great with our son and the work she did each session was specifically tailored to what our son was finding difficult and we saw a huge improvement in our son’s ability to communicate more effectively. I would completely recommend Karen to anyone looking for a speech therapist.”
Nicola (Auckland)