Speech Pathology for Children and Adults in Brisbane

No. You can book with us directly by phone, email or our contact form, without a referral. If you're a support coordinator, teacher or health professional referring someone to us, our referral form lets you send their details and the reason for the referral, and we'll be in touch with the family. If you or your child already have reports from a hearing test, a paediatrician or a previous therapist, bring them to your first appointment. They help us build a full picture and plan the assessment.

The first appointment is an assessment. Your speech pathologist will ask about your concerns, your or your child's history, and any reports you bring. For young children, much of the assessment happens through play, so it feels relaxed. Depending on the concern, we may also use standard speech, language or literacy tests. At the end, we talk through what we found and suggest next steps, including the goals we would work on and how often sessions could run. You are welcome to ask questions at any point.

Speech therapy can be funded by the NDIS when it relates to the goals in a participant's plan. It is usually paid for from the Capacity Building budget, under Improved Daily Living. As a registered NDIS provider, we can work with participants whose plans are self-managed, plan-managed or NDIA-managed. If you're not sure what your plan covers, your support coordinator or plan manager can check for you, and you're welcome to call us to talk through how sessions would be claimed before you book.

Our fees follow the NDIS price limits for therapy, which are set for each financial year. Clients without NDIS funding are welcome and pay the same rates. The total cost depends on how often you have sessions and how long they run, which we agree with you after the assessment. For NDIS participants, sessions are claimed from your plan's funding. Contact us before you book and we'll tell you the current rate and what it includes, so there are no surprises.

In practice there is none. Speech pathologist is the professional title in Australia, while speech therapist is a common everyday term for the same job, and the UK uses speech and language therapist. All of them describe university-trained professionals who assess and treat communication and swallowing difficulties. In Australia, the Certified Practising Speech Pathologist (CPSP) credential from Speech Pathology Australia shows a speech pathologist meets the association's standards for qualifications, recent practice and ongoing professional development. Our team includes Certified Practising Speech Pathologists.

Yes. Our speech pathologists work with adults as well as children. We support adults with aphasia after a stroke, communication difficulties after a brain injury, voice changes with Parkinson's disease, stuttering and swallowing difficulties, and we help people living with dementia and their families with practical communication strategies. Sessions can take place at our Runcorn clinic or at home. Adults with an NDIS plan can usually use their Capacity Building funding, and private clients are welcome.

Yes. As well as seeing clients at our clinic in Runcorn, our speech pathologists visit homes, schools and kindies across Brisbane's southside, including Logan, Underwood, Springwood, Woodridge, Inala, Stretton, Calamvale, Browns Plains and Acacia Ridge. Seeing a child where they spend their day lets us work with their family, teachers and educators, and practise skills in the places they are used. Tell us where you would like sessions to happen when you get in touch, and we will confirm what we can offer in your area.

Yes. Our team includes speech pathologists, occupational therapists and behaviour support practitioners, so a child who needs more than one kind of therapy can be seen in one place. Speech and occupational therapy often work on related skills, such as communicating during play, following daily routines, or the fine motor skills needed for writing, so having both in one team makes it easier to set shared goals. Let us know when you get in touch if you think your child may need both.

We see children from age 2. Every child develops at their own pace, but some signs are worth checking with a speech pathologist: talking later than other children their age, speech that family or teachers find hard to understand, stuttering, frustration when trying to communicate, or difficulty following instructions. Our article on the signs your child may benefit from speech therapy goes through what to look for. If you're unsure, an assessment can tell you whether therapy would help and what to focus on first.

Yes. Stuttering and cluttering are part of fluency therapy, which our speech pathologists offer for children and adults. Stuttering is when the flow of speech is interrupted by repeated sounds or words, stretched sounds, or blocks where no sound comes out. Many young children go through a period of stuttering, and it is worth getting advice if it lasts for months, is getting worse, or your child is upset by it. Therapy depends on the person's age and goals, and we involve families so practice continues at home.

Yes. Our speech pathologists work with children and adults on the autism spectrum on communication that works for them, including understanding and using language, social communication, and other ways to communicate, such as picture systems or devices, when speech is limited. Because our team also includes behaviour support and occupational therapy, we can coordinate speech goals with any other support your child receives. Our autism support page explains how our team works together.