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Chithra Kathiresan

Chithra is a speech language therapist with more than 15 years of pediatric experience. Her special interests include early intervention, autism spectrum disorder, and oral motor & feeding difficulties.

Chithra initially worked within traditional models of speech therapy using modified ABA, TEACCH and PECs. Further to her training in sensory integration and Floortime approaches, she has come to recognize the benefits of child directed social-pragmatic approaches. She believes firmly in the role of the family in a child’s development and progress. She strives to empower parents to facilitate their child’s communication skills at home through active parent education. Chithra has conducted the “More Than Words” parent training program here in Singapore since 2004.

Chithra is currently undergoing her DIR/Floortime certification.

Both ‘Floortime’ and the ‘More Than Words’ program are aimed at improving a child’s ability to connect and communicate with the people around him in particular his caregivers. However this does not necessarily translate into good social skills at school or with peers. As part of her efforts to improve social relatedness in children, Chithra underwent a Social Thinking mentorship with Michelle G. Winner in 2006. In 2008 she pursued further training at Michelle G. Winner’s Centre for Social Thinking in San Francisco. Chithra runs social thinking programs for her students.

She also specializes in oral-motor and feeding therapy, an interest that blossomed from her early days in hospital settings. Chithra uses a combination of traditional feeding therapy, M.O.R.E. techniques and Sara Rosenfeld-Johnson’s oral-motor program. Although she no longer works with children with severe feeding/ swallowing disorders, she uses her skills to assist the subtle oral-sensory motor and behavioural feeding challenges of children with communication deficits.

Chithra conducts numerous talks, seminars and workshops for parents and professionals. She is committed to continuing to empower parents, professionals and caregivers to help their children become effective communicators.

Education: B.Sc (Speech Pathology),
Hanen Certified (It Takes Two to Talk & More than Words),
MSHA (S’pore)

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