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Speech Therapy that goes beyond words: How a Transdisciplinary Team supports your child 

Some parents walk through our doors thinking, "We just need a quick evaluation." Others say, "My child is having some trouble speaking clearly." Often, what starts as a simple concern leads to a much deeper understanding of a child’s needs. 

How a Transdisciplinary Team supports your child | Speech Therapy | Singapore

At Total Communication, we don’t isolate issues. We don’t work in silos. Our transdisciplinary team collaborates across specialisations consisting of speech therapy, educational therapy, and developmental therapy to see the full picture of your child’s development. 


We believe speech therapy isn't just about pronunciation or sentence structure. It’s about what lies beneath: the motor skills, the sensory responses, the emotional regulation, and the cognitive load that all shape how your child communicates. 


What is a Transdisciplinary Approach? 

A transdisciplinary approach means professionals from different fields work together in real time to understand, plan, and support your child’s development. Not just sharing notes. Not just referring from one person to another. It means sitting down as a team, discussing insights, and designing strategies that are truly integrated. 



For you, that means: 

  • One clear direction for your child’s therapy journey 

  • Consistent updates aligned towards the same goal 

  • Time saved and confusion reduced 


For your child, it means: 

  • Less stress from bouncing between unrelated sessions 

  • Strategies that reinforce each other across settings 

  • A team that notices the connections others might miss 


Why this matters in Speech Therapy 

Speech challenges rarely exist in isolation. When a child struggles with expressive or receptive language, we ask: 

  • Is it due to attention difficulties? 

  • Are there sensory issues interfering with their ability to stay focused? 

  • Is anxiety playing a role? 

  • Could poor motor planning be affecting how sounds are formed? 

Transdisciplinary Team supports your child | Speech Therapy

Instead of guessing or trial-and-error, our team comes together to investigate. A speech therapist might raise a concern. A therapist might observe how the child reacts to noise or touch. An educational therapist might notice a pattern in classroom behaviour. Together, we map what’s going on. 


The Evaluation Process: More than a checklist 

It often starts with a parent’s instinct. Maybe your child isn’t talking much. Or they talk a lot but don’t make much sense. You want clarity. 


Our evaluation isn’t just a screening. It’s a guided discovery process. 

We use: 

  • Standardised assessments (CASL, CELF, QUIL, TOPS)   

  • Observational tools 

  • Parent interviews 

  • In-session testing across disciplines 


That’s how we uncover issues such as auditory processing difficulties, social-pragmatic delays, and working memory gaps, all things that aren’t obvious in a regular speech therapy assessment. 


And when we find something, we don’t just point it out. We walk you through it. We help you understand what it means for your child today and what might happen if left unaddressed. 


A Real Example from Our Centre 

A 5-year-old girl came to us because she "wasn’t talking like her peers." 

After our speech therapist ran through her standard evaluation, she suspected more was going on. A therapist observed her during a play task and noticed how she flinched at certain textures. The educational therapist tried to engage her with a storybook and saw that her attention drifted every 30 seconds. 


In our case discussion, it became clear: This child had significant sensory sensitivities and attention regulation difficulties. The speech delay was present but it was a symptom, not the root. 


Today, she receives speech therapy alongside sensory integration support and educational therapy. Her progress didn’t come from focusing on speech alone, but from supporting all the systems behind it.      


What parents often say after 

"I had no idea so many things affected speech." 

"This is the first time someone explained my child to me in a way that makes sense." 

"I wish I had brought them in sooner." 


When you speak with our therapists, we’re not trying to convince you of anything. We’re trying to understand. And we want you to understand, too. 


Because when you do, the decisions you make for your child become clearer. You feel less alone. You have a team behind you. 


How you can start 

If your child is struggling to communicate, don’t wait for a crisis. Sometimes what looks like a speech issue is just the tip of the iceberg. And sometimes, it really is just a mild speech delay. But wouldn’t you rather know? 


Here’s what you can do: 

  • Book a consultation to speak with one of our therapists 

  • Let us know what you’ve observed at home or in school 

  • Ask questions even the ones you’re afraid to ask 


We’re here to listen, not to judge. 


At Total Communication, we believe that every child deserves support that looks at the whole picture not just one part of it. 


Call/WhatsApp: +65 9115 8895


And sometimes, that starts with a simple conversation. 

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