Speech pathology focuses on the assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of speech, language and communication, voice, and fluency disorders.
Speech Pathology can help with a wide range of issues, including disordered or delayed language development, difficulty speaking clearly, stuttering and difficulty understanding or using language.
Improve speech clarity, enhance language skills, increase fluency, enhance social communication and boost self-confidence
Our Speech Therapists use a wide range of personally tailored therapy techniques to best suit your needs. As well as being fully qualified and accredited, our therapists have extensive training.
Practical support delivered by trained assistants and guided every step of the way by your child’s therapist.
Book an appointment arrow_forward
Allied Health Assistants (AHAs) are able to support and nurture your child’s goals, under the guidance of a qualified Allied Health Professionals, such as Speech Pathologists and Occupational Therapists. An AHA might work on a range of skills, like helping your child with handwriting, working on their speech sound development, or being their 1:1 support in a social group. Whatever you need, our AHA team can provide accessible, affordable, and guided intervention. At Inner West Paediatrics we are committed to providing family-centred, accessible support that helps your child learn new skills across everyday routines.
Your child’s AHA sessions are always guided and supported by a qualified clinician. This ensures therapy support is consistent, safe, and focused on your child’s goals.
Here’s what to expect:
Each session is carefully planned by your child’s speech pathologist or occupational therapist. The AHA follows this plan to deliver fun, goal-focused activities.
Between every session, the clinician meets with the AHA to review progress, answer questions, and adjust activities as needed.
After each session, the clinician reviews the AHA’s session notes before they are shared with your family. This helps make sure you receive clear updates on how your child is going.
The AHA Program begins with an assessment and goal meeting with your child’s qualified therapist. This helps us understand your child’s strengths, needs, and priorities, and ensures the therapy plan is tailored to your family. Alternatively, your current clinician may recommend an AHA program as a next step following an assessment or a block of intervention with them.
The AHA Program is delivered as a block of sessions as directed by the treating therapist. This allows us to focus on specific goals and measure progress in a consistent way.
After the agreed number of sessions, your child will have a review appointment with their therapist. Together, you will look at progress, discuss strategies that are working well, and decide on the next steps.
If your child is still building skills toward their goals - or if new goals emerge - the therapist may recommend another block of AHA sessions. The therapist will meet with the AHA to plan the next block, ensuring continuity and the right level of support.
Referrals cannot be made directly for an AHA program. If you are new to Inner West Paediatrics, get in touch with our Customer Service team. We will first book you in for an initial assessment with an Occupational Therapist or Speech Pathologist, so we can identify how to help you meet your goals. Once the assessment is completed, your therapist will help with allocating you to an AHA, meet with you to set your goals, and then write the AHA program.
If you are already a client of Inner West Paediatrics, speak to your therapist in your next session to see if an AHA program is right for you.
AHA sessions make therapy much more flexible and accessible. Sessions can be delivered:
AHA sessions are an affordable option for therapy, while maintaining high-quality care. They can also be a great option for practising your skills in between therapy sessions if you would like to increase your one-on-one support.
AHA sessions are billed at the hourly rate of $86.79.
Your child’s AHA program is designed and closely supported by a qualified therapist. This means that clinician time spent on session planning, supervision, and reviewing notes is also billed, in line with our standard therapy rates.
If sessions take place offsite (for example, at school or home), travel time and related costs may also be billed.
Initial assessments, review appointments, and any therapist-led sessions are billed at our usual therapy rates.
A qualified therapist has completed university-level education in an allied health field, such as Speech Pathology, Occupational Therapy, or Physiotherapy. An AHA may be currently studying a relevant allied health degree. They may also hold a certificate 3 or 4 in Allied Health Assistance.
You can use your NDIS funding for AHA sessions, under the Capacity Building – Improved Daily Living funding in the NDIS Price Guide (Early Childhood Intervention Professional - Therapy Assistant - Level 2 & Therapy Assistant - Level 2).
AHA sessions are not eligible for Medicare or Private Health insurance rebates.
Speech Pathology can help with a wide range of issues, including disordered or delayed language development, difficulty speaking clearly, stuttering, difficulty understanding or using language and difficulty with social communication.
Speech pathology also supports non-speaking individuals to access language and communication using AAC systems.
Improve speech clarity
Speech pathology can help your child speak more clearly and be understood more easily by others.
Enhance language skills and access total communication
Speech pathology can help your child improve their language skills, such as vocabulary, grammar, and comprehension. Language skills are not always spoken, and it is important that not-speaking individuals have access to a language system that works for them. Speech pathology can help with this by supporting trials of different AAC devices to find the right fit.
Increase fluency
Speech pathology can help your child overcome stuttering or other fluency disorders.
Enhance social communication
Speech pathology can help your child improve their ability to understand and use nonverbal communication, such as facial expressions and body language.
Boost self-confidence
Speech pathology can help your child feel more confident in their ability to communicate effectively, which can have a positive impact on their overall self-esteem.
Our Speech Pathologists have experience using a wide range of therapy techniques and tailor their approach to best suit your needs. As well as being fully qualified and accredited, our therapists have extensive training and experience in the following:
Want to know more about how our services can help meet your child’s needs?
