About Nicole Wilkinson | Queenstown Speech Language Therapy

Nicole Wilkinson

Hello. My name is Nicole Wilkinson. I live in Queenstown with my husband, our two children and three dogs. I also have a cat called Rabbit, and a horse.

Before embarking on this career I was in the NZ Army, and then spent 19 years with NZ Police. I also have a BA majoring in psychology.

I have a Masters Degree in Speech Language Pathology from the University of Canterbury. I am currently doing further research into the nature of dysfluencies arising from people who have sustained brain injuries.

Why I became a Speech Language Therapist

I became a speech language therapist because I wanted to help people communicate. I am interested in all areas of communication — working with people who have lost their ability to communicate through strokes or head injuries, through to working with the very young who are struggling with their sounds or language.

My approach

I try to work holistically with my clients; for children — involving their families and schools/preschools — and for adults, involving those who support them. I believe that communication is a two-way process and it is very important for those around my clients to understand the nature of their difficulties, and what they can do to help.

Frequently Asked Questions

My child isn't talking yet, and I'm worried.

Generally, if it's worrying to a parent or family member, it’s worth seeking advice. Getting an expert, clinical opinion from a Speech Language Therapist can provide reassurance, and get started on intervention in a timely manner if needed. But it is also worth getting their hearing tested if this hasn’t been done recently.

People keep telling me my child will outgrow this delay in their language

There is a lot of variability in when children start to talk and how quickly this develops. However, there are some risk factors that will increase the chance that your child will need extra support in developing their communication. These include:

If they have trouble understanding language as well as having trouble expressing themselves
If they don’t use a lot of gestures
If there is a family history of speech and language delays
If there are other concerns with your child’s development or any neurological issues
If they were born prematurely

My child is hard to understand, should I be concerned?

Typically by about three years of age, parents will be able to understand their child 100% of the time. But children take until they are about four years old before people less familiar with them to be able to understand them all the time.

Is speech language therapy only for children?

Speech language therapy can be accessed at any age, from young children to adults, depending on needs. Some common reasons for seeing a speech language therapist are:

Delays in the development of speech sounds
Delays in the development of language
Voice disorders
Stuttering (developmental or acquired)
Speech and language disorders from strokes, brain injuries or conditions such as Parkinson’s disease
Voice and communication changes for transgender people
Accent modification
Following treatment for head and neck cancers
Pragmatics (social communication)
Rehabilitation of swallowing or assistance with safe eating

How long does a session take?

Sessions can be 30 minutes, 45 minutes or an hour. This will depend on whether the session is assessment or treatment, the age of the client and the complexity of the treatment.

How many sessions will it take?

There is no definite answer to this question, but at the start of your sessions, you’ll be involved in setting the goals you want to achieve. As therapy progresses, we’ll review these goals so we can discuss how long therapy should continue and the frequency of sessions.