Children develop at different rates, but speech pathologists can give professional advice on whether a child’s difficulties are expected for their age or if an assessment is warranted. Essentially, you may find speech pathology beneficial for your child if:

• your child takes longer than average to learn new words or build sentences
• you or others have difficulty understanding your child
• your child has difficulty following instructions or understanding new information
• you find yourself repeating or rephrasing instructions and information for your child
• your child is becoming frustrated as he / she is finding it difficult to communicate
• your child struggles to form sentences or tell stories
• your child displays oral motor or feeding difficulties
• your child has difficulty with speaking clearly, or has a stutter
• your child is having voal difficulties ie. speaks loudly, very softly or with a harsh or husky voice

We urge parents to seek early assessment, diagnosis and treatment for communication problems, particularly prior to school entry.

You don’t need a GP/specialist referral to see a speech pathologist. However, if you are wanting to see a speech pathologist working in private practice then your GP may be able to write an Enhanced Primary Care Plan/Chronic Disease Management Plan. This plan will provide you with access to up to 5 appointments, where a rebate of $52.95 can be applied.

If you have concerns about your child’s communication skills, an up-to-date hearing assessment is recommended before seeing a speech pathologist. An updated hearing assessment is also recommended if your child has a history of middle ear infections.

You can contact us by phone, email or use the contact page on this website. Our staff will collect information from you such as your child’s age, contact details, appointment preferences and what you are concerned about. Typically, an appointment time can be provided to you at that time of contact.

There are a number of funding solutions that may be available for your child as follows:
Medicare Allied Health Initiative for Chronic Disease Management Items – previously known as Enhanced Primary Care – (EPC) plans. A rebate of $52.95 is available for up to 5 appointments when a Chronic Disease Care Plan has been completed by a GP.

Private Health Funds – Speech Pathology services can be rebated if you have Ancillary cover with your private health fund.

Contact your health fund directly to determine the rebate amount and the maximum amount you can claim per person or family in a calendar year. You cannot claim through both Medicare and your Private Health Insurer for the same session.

A Growing Understanding Speech Pathology is committed to keeping costs low. That is why we take the time to talk with families and ensure we can meet your child’s needs and deliver a service that is appropriate for you and your budget. We can also help identify any assistance programs that you could access including The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)

A Growing Understanding Speech Pathology is a registered provider for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and a panel member for FaHCSIA Helping Children with Autism (HCWA) and Better Start. If you would like more information on the funding that could be available to your family, please discuss this with us at your first consultation.

Speech pathologist can work with children and adults to help them develop and grow their communication skills. At A Growing Understanding Speech Pathology we work with and treat children who have difficulty with speech, language, communication and even swallowing.