Speech pathology involves assessing and treating problems with communication and swallowing, and it serves a bigger group of people than many of us realise. I used to think it was mostly about kids who couldn’t pronounce their Rs. I was wrong, or at least only about a third right.
What Does a Speech Pathologist Do?
Speech pathologists work on speech, language, voice, fluency (stuttering), social communication and early literacy. They also treat swallowing and mealtime problems, which is called dysphagia. I’m not sure why swallowing sits under the same profession as talking, but I believe it comes down to the fact that it’s the same muscles and the same bit of anatomy doing both jobs.
Clients include toddlers who haven’t started speaking yet and older adults with swallowing difficulties caused by a stroke, Parkinson’s disease or dementia. Children with autism, ADHD or dyslexia are also frequent clients. For people who can’t speak, there are communication devices and systems called augmentative and alternative communication, or AAC. These let them express themselves in other ways.
Where Speech Pathology Happens
You might imagine a clinic with a waiting room and a fish tank. That’s one option, but providers offering speech pathology services nationally, such as National 360, run most sessions in your everyday environment. That means your home, school or preschool, somewhere in the community, or over telehealth by video or phone.
I think this matters more for kids than it sounds. Practising in a lounge room or a classroom is probably more useful than practising in an unfamiliar room, and it saves a car trip, which any parent will tell you is half the battle.
Do You Need NDIS Funding for Speech Pathology?
No. National 360 is a registered NDIS provider, but it also sees private clients, people receiving aged care and those funded through other insurance schemes. Whether you can refer yourself or need a referral from a doctor depends on how your funding is arranged, so a quick phone call is the sensible first step.
When Should You Get an Assessment?
If you’re wondering whether your child’s speech is “just a phase”, I’d book an assessment sooner rather than later. Early support tends to lead to the best results, and a single assessment will tell you whether you’re worrying over nothing or catching something early. Waiting and hoping is a strategy, just not a particularly good one.
Speech Pathology in Cheltenham and Melbourne’s Bayside
If you’re in the south-east, National 360 runs a clinic offering speech pathology in Cheltenham. It’s open weekdays by appointment and sits alongside occupational therapy, physiotherapy and behaviour support. The clinicians also travel to clients across Bayside and the south-east, from Brighton and Sandringham through to Mordialloc, Frankston and Dandenong, so you don’t have to come to the clinic if that’s a hassle.
If something about how you or a family member speaks, understands language or eats has you wondering, an assessment is a simple way to find out. And if any of this is incorrect, let me know and I’ll fix it.
