Sharon qualified as a Speech and Language therapist in 2007 at the University of KwaZulu Natal. She then worked in the UK for 4 years, where she gained much experience with young children who presented with a variety of speech and language difficulties such as, Specific Language Impairment, Stuttering, Dyspraxia as well as communication difficulties as a result of Down syndrome, Cognitive delay and Autism. She worked closely within a multidisciplinary team ensuring the child was treated holistically so all their needs were met. She ran health promotion workshops to raise awareness of speech and language delays and disorders and trained health professionals on early identification of these.
When she moved back to South Africa she started working in the Upper Highway area providing therapy to children with a variety of communication needs. Sharon has a special interest in stuttering and is trained in the Lidcombe Program as well as the Palin-Parent-Child Interaction therapy. She enjoys working with children with special needs and trained in the Picture-Exchange-Communication-System (PECS) which is a very successful program that helps children with Autism learn to communicate.
Sharon is passionate about early intervention and helping little ones improve their communication skills so they can socialize, make friends and learn without anything holding them back. She believes parents play an integral part in facilitating their child’s communication development. A child has a better prognosis if any problems are identified early and treated early, as the pathways in the brain can adapt and change more readily before 5 years of age.
Sharon provides assessment and treatment of:
- Language delays and disorders.
- Pronunciation difficulties /speech delays and disorders.
- Auditory Processing disorders-difficulty with auditory memory and problems following instructions.
- Speech difficulties associated with repaired Cleft lip and or palate.
- Fluency disorders/ stuttering (Lidcombe program).
- Written Language difficulties-reading/spelling problems.
- Feeding problems-difficulties with chewing/sucking/swallowing.
- Communication impairments associated with Autism, cerebral palsy and Down Syndrome.
Red Flags for speech and language development
Signs that may indicate a need for a speech and language assessment
By Age Two
- No two-word meaningful phrases (without imitating or repeating) by 24 months.
- Does not follow simple two step commands such as “Get the ball and put it on the table”.
- Speech is not at least 50% understandable.
- Cannot point to pictures of items in books when asked.
By Three Years
- Is not using three and four word sentences.
- Speech is not at least 75% or more understandable.
- Child is leaving the beginnings or ends off of most words.
- Cannot accurately answer yes/no questions.
- Cannot answer simple “wh” questions like “who is that” or “where is the truck”.
- Does not play with other children.
- Is experiencing stuttering behaviour for more than 6 months.
By Four to Five Years
- Is not 90-100% understandable to strangers despite age appropriate articulation errors (may not be able to say /r, sh, ch, l, or th yet).
- Is not consistently using 4+ word, complex sentences.
- Is not asking a variety of questions to gain information (who, what, where, why and when).
- Is having difficulty with grammar or pronoun use.
- Cannot tell a simple story on topic.
- Cannot follow simple two step directions.
- Has difficulty answering simple who, what, where and why questions.
- Is not yet able to name a few letters, numbers, and rhyming words.
Contact details:
- Contact:
- Cell:
- Email:
- Address:
- Sharon de Klerk
- 074 997 7066
- info@sharondeklerk.co.za
- The Atrium Lifestyle Centre,
10 Old Main,
Road Gillitts