A speech pathologist who reads your file before they meet you.
For children and adults. In our Strathfield South clinic or by telehealth, anywhere in Australia. Medicare, private health, NDIS, DVA, self-funded — we’ll help you work out what applies.
You don’t need a diagnosis to come. You don’t need a referral. Wondering is reason enough.
Your child’s speech or language is behind.
Fewer words than other kids their age, sounds that are hard to understand, or a preschool teacher who’s gently raised it. You’d like an honest look.
Reading and writing aren’t clicking.
Literacy is language work. If school is flagging reading, spelling, or understanding instructions, a speech pathologist is often the right first look.
Something changed for an adult.
Voice, word-finding, or speech after a stroke or illness. Or eating and swallowing that’s become effortful or unsafe. These are speech pathology’s territory too.
How our speech pathologists work
Speech pathology covers more than speech sounds — language, understanding, literacy, voice, alternative and augmentative communication (AAC), and safe eating and swallowing. Our speech pathologists start by understanding how communication or mealtimes actually go in your day, then look closely at what’s underneath.
Sessions are 45 minutes for children and 50 for adults. For kids, sessions are built around play and books — that’s where language lives. We use structured, evidence-based approaches matched to what you bring to the room, and if we’re going to use a specific one with you, we’ll explain what it is and why we think it fits. Families leave each session knowing what to practise and how.
If a speech pathologist thinks you’d also benefit from occupational therapy, psychology, or physio input — say, sensory needs alongside language, or feeding work that touches both disciplines — they’ll ask you before they mention it internally. Nothing about you moves inside our team without your say-so.
Your first session
Before you come in.
You’ll fill out a short form about how communication or mealtimes go day to day. Your speech pathologist reads it before they meet you.
The session itself.
For kids, it’s built around play and books. For adults, it’s conversation and some structured tasks. Toward the end, your speech pathologist says plainly what they noticed and what they think would help.
After.
You’ll leave with a sense of whether this is a good fit, what a reasonable next few sessions look like, and something concrete to practise at home. No pressure to rebook on the spot.
Speech pathology funding at a glance
With a GP’s Chronic Disease Management plan, Medicare rebates part of your session fee for up to 5 allied health sessions per calendar year. [VERIFY] current session cap.
Some funds cover speech pathology. Coverage varies — HICAPS on the day.
No referral needed. Fee stated up front.
Self, plan, or agency-managed ([VERIFY] per registration). Reports written for plan reviews at no extra charge to you.
Meet our speech pathologists
Speech pathology questions
No. You can book directly. A GP referral (Chronic Disease Management plan) changes what Medicare covers, but it isn’t required to see us.
You often don’t — and that’s exactly what an assessment is for. A speech pathologist can tell you honestly whether what you’re seeing sits within the typical range or is worth working on now. Either answer is useful.
Alternative and augmentative communication — tools that support or stand in for speech, from picture boards to speech-generating devices. If AAC might help, your speech pathologist will explain the options and involve you in every choice.
Yes. Safe eating, drinking, and swallowing (dysphagia) for adults, and feeding and mealtimes for children — often alongside our occupational therapists, sharing one file so you don’t explain twice.
Speech pathology is self-regulated in Australia — our speech pathologists are Certified Practising members of Speech Pathology Australia (SPA) rather than AHPRA. Membership numbers are on each bio, and the same national standards for complaints and conduct apply.