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Speech Therapy

Improved outcomes for communicating, eating and drinking

Father and son playing with bubbles

Achieve your communication or mealtime goals

Speech therapy can support you to express yourself and understand the people around you. Whether you communicate verbally or in another way that works for you, our experienced therapist can support you to achieve your goals!

Speech therapy can also help you feel safe and comfortable eating the food you love so mealtimes become enjoyable and stress-free.

After doing some speech pathology sessions, this little one shocked us all. She went from not using verbal language at all to saying full sentences

Nassren

Our team works with children and adults who have difficulty with communication, eating and drinking. If mealtimes are challenging, we can make changes to the textures of the food or drink that you have issues consuming, and make sure you’re swallowing safely. Or perhaps you’re a fussy eater and want to make mealtimes something you look forward to. 

For communication, you can develop your speech and language abilities. You’ll be able to make your needs and wants known, ask and understand questions, and confidently  respond. We’ll focus on verbal skills if appropriate, but of course communication is more than just speech. We can support you with Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), which will give you the tools you need to be understood.

Developing social skills will also assist you in your communication goals. For children, you can practice your play skills, sharing, and taking turns. Teens and adults can build confidence in making friends, using online platforms to communicate with others, and becoming an active part of your workplace and everyday life.

Enjoy Meals

Communicate

Social Skills

How our speech therapy services can support you

We’ll look at your individual situation, establish the desired outcomes, and apply the right strategies to achieve those outcomes.

Communicate with others

Communicating with others and being understood is important. With a speech pathologist you can build your communication skills including:

  • Learning to speak clearly and be understood by others
  • Working on stuttering so you can speak smoothly
  • Understanding what your voice sounds like and its volume. Some of our clinicians are qualified in Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT)
  • Building language skills to better understand others and putting ideas and thoughts together. Some of our clinicians are qualified in the Hanen approach
  • Using different forms of communication with Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), for example communication boards, technology, and  Key Word Sign
  • Improving your literacy with reading, spelling and written expression

Manage swallowing difficulties

A swallowing problem can happen at any stage of life. We’ll work with you to understand the signs and symptoms of swallowing difficulties. These can include:

  • A feeling that food or drink gets stuck in your throat or is going down the wrong way
  • Long meal times or eating slowly
  • Coughing, choking or frequent throat clearing during or after eating and drinking
  • Becoming short of breath or your breathing changes when eating and drinking
  • Avoiding certain foods because they’re difficult to swallow
  • Unplanned weight loss or failing to put on weight because you avoid foods or find it hard to eat

Build your independence

Build your skills to create a more independent life. These skills might include:

  • Practicing ordering food, drink and buying things, either verbally or using communication aids (alternative and augmentative communication)
  • Confidently asking and answering questions
  • Working on your play or social skills so you can interact with others, make friends and maintain friendships
  • Assistance at mealtimes to make sure you can eat safely and comfortably

Strategies tailored for you

We can provide therapy in a way that works for you.

We can provide one-on-one sessions to develop your skills. Therapy sessions can be conducted in person at your home, workplace, day program, school, day care or in our clinics. For children, we encourage a parent or caregiver present so that the strategies worked on in sessions can be applied to the relevant environment. We can also provide therapy services through telehealth sessions.

In consultative sessions, we’ll work with your support people, like your supervisor in the workplace, or a teacher in an educational setting. Our speech pathologist will provide strategies to your team, which they can then use to support you. These strategies could be delivered face-to-face, over the phone, in emails or handouts.

Better results come with consistent, daily practice in the right environment. Your caregiver, teacher or accommodation staff member can continue to work with you outside of sessions to reach your desired outcomes sooner.

Get more time and support to achieve your goals

You can achieve your goals faster by working with an Allied Health Assistant (AHA). An AHA works under the guidance of your speech therapist, supporting the program your therapist has created for you. The affordability of an AHA gives you more time to work on your goals. Our AHA’s are either qualified with a Certificate IV in Allied Health Assistant, studying their undergraduate degree to become Allied Health Professionals, or both.

NDIS Funding for Speech Therapy

  • National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)
    • Capacity Building – Improved Daily Living
  • Private fee payment
  • Medicare Rebate with a Chronic Disease Management Plan (CDMP)
  • Private Health Insurance

Enquire about Speech Therapy

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If you have any questions, please speak to your Service Manager, Service Coordinator or call us on 1800 818 286.

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