Assist and Grow Program of Support
Enhance Your Child’s Support with Speech Pathology Assistants
At A Growing Understanding, we know that timely, consistent support can make a meaningful difference to a child’s communication development. Assist and Grow is a structured program that brings together the expertise of Speech Pathologists and the consistency of Speech Pathology Assistants to support children’s speech, language, and communication goals.
The Assist and Grow Program is designed to enhance your child’s therapy journey by providing regular, supported practice, while maintaining close clinical oversight by a qualified speech pathologist. This approach allows children to practise skills more frequently, build confidence, and generalise their learning into everyday environments such as home, school, or daycare.
We offer the Assist and Grow Program to provide consistent, goal-focused support for your child’s speech and language development, guided by our experienced speech pathologists.
What Is the Assist and Grow Program?
Assist and Grow is a Program of Support where therapy sessions are delivered by a Speech Pathology Assistant, following an individualised therapy plan developed and supervised by your child’s speech pathologist.
Speech Pathology Assistants work closely with our clinical team to deliver engaging, goal-focused sessions that support progress between speech pathologist appointments. All therapy is carefully planned, monitored, and reviewed to ensure it remains safe, effective, and tailored to your child’s needs.
This model helps reduce waiting times, increase access to care, and provide families with greater continuity and consistency in therapy.
The Assist & Grow Program may be ideal for children who require support with:
- Speech sound development
- Preschool language skills
- School-aged language skills
- Confidence, self-advocacy, and self-understanding
- Early literacy or literacy-supporting language skills
- Generalising communication skills in real-life settings such as home, school, or daycare
Your child’s suitability for the program is always determined by a qualified speech pathologist following an assessment or review appointment.
Our Commitment to Families
We understand that every child is unique. The Assist and Grow Program is designed to provide consistent, supported practice while maintaining close clinical oversight by a qualified speech pathologist, so you can feel confident your child is receiving safe, personalised, and effective care.
How Assist and Grow Works
Delivered as face-to-face services at our Newcastle or Lake Macquarie centres, in your child’s school or daycare, through home visits, or via virtual sessions where appropriate, Assist & Grow follows a clear, supported pathway designed to provide consistent therapy with strong clinical oversight.
- Initial Identification
Your child’s Speech Pathologist, in partnership with you and your family, will determine whether the Assist & Grow Program is the right fit for your child’s needs and goals. - Planning Session
You and your child will attend a Planning Session with a Speech Pathologist. During this appointment, therapy goals are confirmed, the structure of the program is agreed upon, and a clear plan is developed. All relevant information is then shared with the Speech Pathology Assistant to ensure continuity of care. - Weekly Therapy Sessions
Your child will participate in weekly therapy sessions delivered by a Speech Pathology Assistant. These sessions run over a 10-week block and focus on actively working toward your child’s individual goals, under the ongoing supervision of their Speech Pathologist. - Review and Future Planning
At the end of the block, a Review and Future Planning Appointment is held to assess progress, reflect on outcomes, and discuss next steps. This may include recommendations for additional blocks of support or adjustments to your child’s therapy plan.
Assist & Grow is delivered as a Program of Support and is compatible with a range of funding options, including NDIS funding. Specific cost information and funding options can be discussed with our team during your enquiry or planning appointment.
Assist and Grow FAQs
Before starting therapy, your child will complete an assessment with a qualified speech pathologist. This assessment identifies goals and determines whether Assist and Grow is appropriate. If suitable, your speech pathologist will discuss the program with you and arrange an Initial Planning Appointment.
Assist and Grow provides regular, supported therapy sessions, helping reduce waiting times and giving children more opportunities to practise their skills. Families benefit from consistent care, clear communication, and ongoing clinical oversight by a speech pathologist.
All therapy is supervised by your child’s speech pathologist and the Assist & Grow Program Coordinator. Speech Pathology Assistants receive weekly mentoring, and therapy plans are regularly reviewed.
Yes. Children can continue to attend sessions with a speech pathologist alongside Assist & Grow therapy if recommended.
Progress is monitored throughout the program. If needed, therapy plans can be adjusted or an early review scheduled to ensure goals remain appropriate.
Yes. Online sessions are available for children who are suited to telehealth.
Sessions follow an individualised therapy plan and include structured practice, engaging activities, and supported skill development. Assistants do not independently assess or change goals — all adjustments are guided by the speech pathologist.
A Program of Support is a structured block of therapy sessions designed to provide consistent, goal-focused support over a set period of time.
Rather than booking sessions one at a time, families commit to a block of sessions that follow a clear plan, with regular review and clinical oversight from a speech pathologist. This approach supports skill development, continuity of care, and progress toward meaningful goals.
For Assist & Grow, the Program of Support includes:
- An Initial Planning Appointment with a speech pathologist
- A block of weekly therapy sessions delivered by a Speech Pathology Assistant
- A Review and Future Planning Appointment to assess progress and next steps
Programs of Support are commonly used with NDIS funding and have different cancellation and attendance conditions to single sessions. Your speech pathologist will talk you through what this means and help you decide whether this approach is the right fit for your family.
Enquire About Assist and Grow
If you’d like to learn more about whether Assist and Grow is right for your child, please complete the enquiry form below and our team will be in touch.
If you need more help, contact our friendly team on (02) 4044 1122 or feel free to send us an email.