And so a little about me..
Great to meet you!
In case you haven’t figured it out yet, I’m passionate about early language development and the real difference that every parent, grandparent, carer and educator can make when it comes to teaching their child to communicate.
I’ve been a paediatric speech pathologist for almost 19 years, working in both Melbourne and Perth. I currently work both in early language development and child health research, which I absolutely love.
My other, and most important job, is being Mum to two beautiful daughters. When we’re not busy reading books, splashing in puddles or checking the letterbox, I also enjoy taking Oskar (our first and furry baby) for walks, going to the beach and getting out in the veggie patch.
I hope that you find the information, videos and tip sheets on this website helpful. If you have any suggestions I’d love to hear from you, so send me an email at karen@talkable.org.au
Happy chatting!
Karen Nitsche
Why Talkable?
I must thank my little friend Lucy for the name Talkable. When she was three and a half she was playing with my daughter, Ella, who was 6 months old at the time. Lucy was chatting away to her and Ella was watching, listening and babbling back. Lucy turned to me and said “She’s very talkable, isn’t she?”. Lucy was using her amazing grasp on the English language to express a complex idea. Not only was Ella very talkable but Lucy was too. I thought to myself, this is what it’s all about – talking with babies and little ones to help them learn language so they can relate to others and express themselves (even making up words to do so!).
When the idea of an online speech therapy resource for parents was in its early infancy Talkable seemed like the only logical name for the site, and so here we are – thanks to Lucy!
About Talkable
Talkable is a social enterprise aiming to help all parents raise Talkable toddlers. It receives funding through grants, sponsorship and some fee-for-service programs. This model allows Talkable to offer support and expert advice to parents at low or no cost. To date, Talkable has collaborated with many childcare centres and early parenting services in Perth, training both parents and educators in the best ways to foster early language learning.
About the Talkable app
The Talkable app was developed through a collaboration with Murdoch University, via funding received from a number of community grants. Research has proven that it is an evidence-based way to support parents to develop the skills, knowledge and confidence about helping their baby or toddler learn first words.
You can find out more about the research and access the peer-reviewed paper at the following link:
QUESTIONS? LET’S CHAT.
HAVE QUESTIONS, WANT TO COLLABORATE, OR JUST WANT TO CHAT?
I’D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU.
