Quick Answers for Parents
Early support leads to better outcomes—don’t wait and see.
As early as 18 months if concerns are present. Earlier if your child already has a diagnosis.
A structured Early Intervention Programme (EIP Singapore) led by Hanen-trained educators supported by a strong multi-disciplinary team of speech and occupational therapists. Speech Therapy specialties include Motor Speech Disorders, AAC and Feeding Therapy.
Depending on the needs and severity of the issues, typically 6–12 months for non-complex conditions with no other influencing factors.
Early Intervention Programme
TLC’s Early Intervention Programme (EIP Singapore) is a structured, multidisciplinary programme providing early intervention, speech and occupational therapy in Singapore for children with communication, learning, and developmental needs. It integrates speech and occupational therapy, social communication, and school readiness skills to build strong foundations for independence and learning.
The programme is suitable for children (typically 18 months to 6+ years) who show delays in speech, language, social communication, attention, or learning skills. It is especially beneficial for families in Singapore seeking early intervention services with quality consistent speech therapy input and structured support for effective improvement.
Experienced Hanen-trained early intervention educators facilitate the classes. The ST and OT come in at scheduled times each day to facilitate sessions and to give recommendations for communication, feeding, motor and adaptive skills.
The Hanen Programme is an internationally renowned programme that encourages speech, language, communication, learning and literacy in a way that is responsive, natural, practical and socially engaging.
Classes have circle time, therapy time, snacks or feeding intervention, art, sensory play, structured work and breaks. There are consistent routines that will help your child feel more secure.
Children typically attend multiple sessions per week, depending on their needs. This structured approach supports faster progress compared to less frequent sessions.
We offer 2, 3 and 5-days programme. A minimum attendance of three days a week is recommended for your child to benefit from the curriculum while developing trusting relationships with their teachers and therapists. If you or your child have other specific requirements, please contact us to discuss.
While individual speech therapy in Singapore focuses on specific goals, TLC’s EIP Singapore provides a more comprehensive and intensive approach. It combines communication, behaviour regulation, social interaction, and early learning skills in a structured setting, helping children generalise skills across home, school, and community environments.
Children can start as early as 18 months. Early support through early intervention leads to better outcomes in communication, learning, and independence.
Yes, we have a full day Early Intervention Programme with lunch provided, if required. You can pick up your child after your work by 6pm.
Early Concerns & Diagnosis
Communication problems for children can be detected at an early age. This may include: not responding to sound or name, not responding to your pointing to pay attention to interesting objects, not showing interest when you play or interact with him/her. Other general guidelines include:
- First Words by 12-15 months
- Frequent Two-Word Combinations Heard by 21-24 months
- Frequent Three-Word Combinations Heard by 36 months
- Intelligible speech most of the time by age 4 years
- Grammatically complete sentences most of the time by kindergarten age
Common signs include:
- Limited or no words by 18–24 months
- Difficulty following instructions
- Unclear speech after age 3
- Limited social interaction or play skills
- Frustration when communicating
Seeking support from a speech therapist early can make a significant difference.
If your child is not meeting communication milestones, has unclear speech, limited vocabulary, or difficulty understanding instructions, a speech and language assessment is recommended. However, if your child presents with additional issues such as attention, social communication issues, or sensory and motor skills issues, this indicates broader developmental needs. An early intervention programme may be more effective than standalone therapy.
A speech delay mainly affects communication skills, while autism involves broader differences in social interaction, communication, and behaviour. A comprehensive assessment helps determine the underlying needs and the most appropriate support.
Therapy Process & Outcomes
Sessions are play-based or structured, and tailored to your child, depending on their developmental age and needs. In TLC’s programmes, including early intervention speech therapy, children develop communication, social interaction, and learning skills with guidance from experienced therapists.
Most children show progress within 6–12 months, depending on their needs and consistency of support. Early and intensive early intervention programmes often lead to faster and more meaningful outcomes.
Typically for individual therapy, sessions are recommended once or twice a week. The frequency depends on your child’s goals and level of support needed.
Yes. Parent involvement is essential. We encouraged parents in the individual session especially for younger children. TLC therapists provide practical strategies so families can support their child’s development at home, complementing the therapy and early intervention.
School Readiness Programme (SRP) & Learning
TLC’s School Readiness Programme builds essential skills for school, including understanding instructions, communication, social interaction, attention, and early literacy. These are critical for a smooth transition into preschool and primary school in Singapore. Within the 1-3 hours sessions, lessons will be conducted in 20 – 30 minutes to help the children get used to longer lesson time. Activities designed to help your child in academics, thinking skills, social skills and learning behaviours are employed to support readiness.
The therapist will communicate with you regularly and a progress evaluation report will be given every ten weeks.
It is not the same. SRP is targeted for children 5 -8 years old as they get ready for more formal school. They are expected to be able to learn in a group of 4-6 children and be able to follow instructions. SRP can be a transition programme from EIP before they start formal schooling.
Yes. Your child will join a recommended class for an hour to understand and evaluate his/her suitability and needs. The trial fees is $80 for the hour. After which, you can sign up for the 10-week SRP program.
The programme is not affected by school holidays or follows MOE school terms. The SRP programme has 10 sessions in one cycle.
Yes. TLC collaborates with preschools and primary schools across Singapore to support children in real-life learning environments and ensure consistency across home and school.
Feeding & Oral Motor Therapy
Yes. Feeding and oral motor support can be incorporated into a child’s intervention plan. TLC provides specialised feeding therapy as part of a holistic approach.
Signs include:
- Limited food variety or picky eating
- Difficulty chewing or swallowing
- Gagging or choking on food
- Mealtime stress or refusal
A feeding assessment with a trained speech and feeding therapist can help identify the underlying issues.
Feeding therapy helps children who have difficulty eating, swallowing, or accepting a variety of foods. It supports safe eating and builds positive mealtime experiences.
Therapy is tailored to your child and may involve oral motor exercises, sensory strategies, and gradual food exposure in a supportive environment. The feeding therapist may use the appropriate feeding therapy approach to support your child’s feeding journey. This may include the SOS approach, the Food Chaining approach, and the Responsive Feeding approach.
Oral Placement Therapy (OPT), such as TalkTools, focuses on improving the strength, coordination, and awareness of the muscles used for speech and feeding. It uses structured exercises and specialised tools (e.g., straws, horns, chew tools) to help children develop the motor skills needed for clearer speech and safer eating.
Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (OMT) focuses on correcting oral habits and improving how the muscles of the face and mouth function at rest and during everyday activities. This includes breathing, tongue posture, swallowing patterns, and lip seal.
Key differences:
- Focus:
OPT targets speech and feeding motor skills, while OMT targets oral habits and functional patterns (e.g., tongue thrust, mouth breathing). - Approach:
OPT uses external tools and guided exercises; OMT uses exercises to retrain natural muscle patterns and daily functions. - Common goals:
OPT supports speech clarity and feeding skills; OMT supports proper breathing, swallowing, dental alignment, and overall oral function.
In many cases, both approaches can complement each other. A speech therapist will assess your child’s needs and recommend the most appropriate therapy—or a combination of both—for the best outcomes.
AAC & Communication Support
AAC stands for Alternative and Augmentative Communication. It is a great way for someone to express themselves and connect with others, especially if speech is difficult. AAC comes in many forms such as communication boards, speech-generating devices, gestures and sign language. It can be used alongside speech.
AAC does not undermine oral language, and the research is clear about this. AAC supports and often enhances speech development, and is widely recommended in speech therapy practices.
Yes. AAC can be integrated into TLC’s EIP Singapore to support functional communication, reduce frustration, and build confidence.
AAC may be recommended if your child has limited speech, difficulty expressing needs, or struggles to be understood. A speech therapist will assess and guide the most suitable approach.
Yes! One caregiver is allowed per student, especially if the child has mobility issues.
TelePractice
Telepractice, also known as teletherapy or online therapy, is the delivery of therapy services remotely and from a distance (ie without physical contact).
Videoconferencing technology is used for the therapist to carry out assessments, therapy sessions or consultations.
Research on telepractice has found few differences between telepractice and in-person therapy sessions and is considered to be as effective a service delivery method when compared to traditional therapy. Studies have shown similar progress made between participants of both therapy methods, and in certain circumstances, participants in the telepractice group had more improvements.
Telepractice sessions can be carried out no matter where you are in the world, and you can have access to your therapist at TLC Telepractice as long as you are able to connect well to the internet. Telepractice is also beneficial if you live far from easy access to therapy services, or if leaving your home to travel to therapy is inconvenient.
Telepractice reduces transport time and costs, and allows you to have access to quality therapy in the comfort of your own home. In addition, more intensive therapy can be provided and in your natural environment to help with generalisation.
Most are suitable for telepractice. However, to be sure, we will always communicate with you prior to your first session to find out your areas of concern and your unique circumstances before making our recommendations.
A laptop or computer with a webcam and high-speed internet for connecting to your therapist in real-time. A headset is not compulsory, but may be recommended in some circumstances.
Privacy and confidentiality are of utmost importance at TLC Telepractice. All client information are kept confidential. Our video conferencing platform also adheres to strict security and privacy guidelines and no recordings of sessions can be done by either party unless this has been mutually agreed upon beforehand for therapy purposes.
Most materials are prepared by the therapist and are viewed online during the session. Your therapist may send you materials beforehand or use existing toys, books or other resources you have at home.
For younger children, we would require an adult (either a parent or a caregiver) to be present. For the older child who can carry out the tasks independently, this may not be necessary.
Our therapists are experienced with handling children who are distracted in front of the computer. Most of the time, they are able to engage the child with the facilitation of an adult.
Most children are motivated by, and are very interested in online interactive videos. With some facilitation by an adult beside the child, various activities can still be carried out.
On the occasion where the child is unable to sit still, the therapist employs parent coaching techniques to help parents learn speech, language, motor, social-emotional and regulation skills. Parent training is as important during in-person therapy as with telepractice. Empowering parents has been shown in research to be beneficial in the improvement of a child’s communication and regulation skills. It also improves parent-child bonding which enhances the child’s learning.
No. This is because during telepractice sessions, your child will be engaged in goal-oriented and meaningful activities. Your child will be interacting with either you or the therapist during the telepractice sessions.
In the unfortunate event that the session is being disrupted due to poor internet connectivity or other technical difficulties, the therapist will try to re-connect with you again. However, if that is not possible, another session will be rescheduled at no additional charge.
If you live in Singapore or have a Singapore bank account, we accept payment by bank transfer or PayNow. If you live outside of Singapore, payment is to be made via overseas fund transfer or PayPal. Do note that session fees will have to be paid ahead of the therapy sessions being carried out.
Practical Information
No referral is needed. Parents can contact TLC directly to arrange an assessment for any of our programmes including speech therapy and early intervention programme.
You can make an appointment with TLC Speech Clinic by contacting us via WhatsApp, phone, or our website enquiry form. No referral is needed to get started.
The process typically involves three simple steps:
1. Initial Enquiry
Share your concerns about your child’s communication, feeding, or development. Our team will guide you on the most suitable next step.
2. Assessment
A comprehensive assessment is conducted to understand your child’s strengths and needs. This may include communication, social interaction, and developmental skills.
3. Personalised Recommendation & Therapy Plan
Based on the assessment, our therapists will recommend a suitable programme frequency and structure most beneficial for your child, along with clear goals and next steps.
Starting early allows your child to receive the right support at the right time, leading to better progress and outcomes.
TLC is known for its specialised and quality early intervention programme in Singapore, with strengths in speech therapy, AAC, feeding therapy, and school readiness. The programme focuses on practical, functional outcomes that support children in daily life.
TLC Speech Clinic is an Approved Institution registered with Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) under the Baby Bonus Scheme. You can use your CDA (Child Development Account) NETS card to make payment via CDA. This payment can be from your child or his/her siblings’ CDA account. In the case that a sibling’s account is used, you may be required to show the documentary proof (e.g., the birth sibling’s certificate) to verify the sibling’s relationship.
TLC is opened on Saturdays and Sundays. We have weekend assessment, therapy and early intervention programmes available although slots may be limited due to high demand.
Yes. TLC supports children from infancy through primary school and adulthood, with specialised programmes including early intervention, AAC, feeding therapy, and social communication groups.
Myth vs Fact
Fact: Early support through early intervention services leads to better and faster outcomes.
Fact: Some children benefit more from a structured EI programme addressing multiple developmental areas.
Fact: AAC supports communication and is widely used in speech therapy internationally to help develop speech.
