Central Gippsland Speech Pathology
Frequently Asked Questions
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A speech pathologist is an allied health professional specialising in the assessment and treatment of individuals with communication and/ or feeding disorders. Speech Pathologists are qualified to work with individuals who are having difficulty with:
- Producing language
- Understanding language
- Saying sounds (articulation)
- Social communication
- Play
- Literacy (including reading, spelling and writing)
- Stuttering
- Feeding
- Swallowing
- Producing an appropriate voice quality
For more information on the role of a speech pathologist, please see the Speech Pathology Australia Website.
There is no difference. ‘Speech Pathologist’ is a newer term, along with ‘Speech-Language Pathologist.’
No, you do not need a formal referral to see a speech pathologist at our clinic. Clients can be self-referred, or referred by a parent, paediatrician, GP, specialist or other allied health professional. If you have NDIS funding for speech pathology services, you do not require a formal referral to visit our clinic (NDIS clients must be self-managed or plan-managed only).
Communication starts at birth. If you have concerns regarding your child’s communication skills, social interaction skills and/ or their feeding skills, no matter how young they are, speech therapy may be beneficial to support their development. An initial assessment can help to identify areas of delay or concern, and research shows that early intervention is optimal. If you are unsure whether to book an appointment, please call the clinic on 5174 7585 to discuss whether an assessment with one of our speech pathologists is warranted.
From an early age, children learn to communicate in verbal and non-verbal ways. Typically, skills develop rapidly, so it is important to monitor any delays or concerns carefully. ‘Wait and see’ strategies are not recommended, as children can quickly fall behind in their speech, language and/or communication skills. If you have concerns about your child’s development, chances are there is something worth investigating. For further information about communication norms from birth to five years, please see the below link.
View Communication Milestones
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) has been rolled-out in our local area and we can accept clients who are self-managed or plan-managed. We do not provide services to NDIA-managed clients. If you have an NDIS Plan, please contact us to see if we have availability on our caseload.
There are a number of reasons, including a national shortage of speech pathologists (particularly those willing to work in regional and remote areas), longer-term services being offered to clients on NDIS plans, a reluctance by clinicians to relocate during the pandemic, and an increased need for services within our local schools. We are aware of the impact of long waiting times on child development and communication success, and we are doing all we can to address the core issues impacting services.
This varies significantly and is dependent on factors such as developmental progress, background, family history, disability, response to intervention, the amount/consistency of support provided, what the research tells us about different communication issues, and individual circumstances. Some children attend for a block of therapy to address one or two issues (for example, speech sounds or stuttering), whereas others have broader and/or longer-term needs that might affect more areas of communication (for example, comprehension, expression, articulation and/or social communication). Intervention is often much more successful when the client is completing regular practise at home, under the guidance of their therapist. Our speech pathologists usually consider discharge or review status once all of the agreed goals have been achieved.
This varies significantly and is dependent on factors such as developmental progress, background, family history, disability, response to intervention, the amount/consistency of support provided, what the research tells us about different communication issues, and individual circumstances. Some children attend for a block of therapy to address one or two issues (for example, speech sounds or stuttering), whereas others have broader and/or longer-term needs that might affect more areas of communication (for example, comprehension, expression, articulation and/or social communication). Intervention is often much more successful when the client is completing regular practise at home, under the guidance of their therapist. Our speech pathologists usually consider discharge or review status once all of the agreed goals have been achieved.
Therapy is conducted at our two clinics in Traralgon, as well as via Telehealth and across a range of local primary and secondary school settings. We can also accommodate kindergarten or home visits if necessary.
This is entirely up to individual schools. Some of our schools provide partial rebates to families, whilst some offer appointments for privately-paying or NDIS-funded clients only. We encourage you to speak with your school regarding school-based therapy availability.
You may receive a rebate from your private health service if you have extras cover for speech pathology services. As all plans and providers are different, please contact your service directly to determine your eligibility for speech pathology cover. If you are accessing Telehealth services, it is also your responsibility to check your provider’s level of cover for online services.
Additionally, you can speak with your GP directly regarding your eligibility for Medicare rebates through the ‘Chronic Disease Management Plan’ (CDMP) Program. If eligible, you may receive a partial rebate for up to five speech therapy sessions per year (note that the CDMP does not rebate the full therapy cost).
For NDIS self-funded clients, fees are due on the day of service and can immediately be claimed back through your NDIS portal. For NDIS plan-managed clients, we will send your invoices directly to your nominated plan manager service.
All NDIS clients, whether self- or plan-managed, need to sign a two-way service agreement with us. The Service Agreement outlines the responsibilities and terms for both parties throughout the course of the agreement. NDIS Service Agreements can be altered as necessary, in writing, throughout the course of the agreement. Please contact us if you would like to discuss this further.
Our allied health professionals want to be available for your needs, and for the needs of all our clients. When a client does not show for a scheduled appointment or cancels with minimal notice, other clients lose the opportunity to be seen and this impacts our clinic financially. Due to our timetabling, sessions are fully planned at least two days prior to each session so that materials can be booked, reserved and organised in readiness for your session, across a range of sites.
Private client cancellations: We understand that unplanned issues can arise and you may need to cancel an appointment. Should this occur, we respectfully ask that scheduled appointments be cancelled at least 48 hours in advance or a $50 cancellation fee will apply.
NDIS client cancellations: Where an NDIS client cancels with less than 48 hours’ notice, the recommended NDIS cancellation fees will apply. In this instance, the client’s missed appointment time may be spent preparing documentation for necessary NDIS reporting.
We are a communication clinic, and we encourage you to communicate directly with us if you have any feedback or concerns that you would like to raise. Please know that your feedback will be addressed promptly and in full confidence. General feedback can be sent to our main email intake (hello@cgsp.com.au), or more confidential matters can be communicated to our Office Manager or Practice Manager directly (admin@cgsp.com.au).
NDIS clients are encouraged to contact our reception staff directly, or may ask to speak with the Office Manager or Practice Manager. If the participant does not want to contact the clinic directly or if a problem is not being fixed, they can contact the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) which will provide information about what to do. The NDIA can be contacted on 1800 800 110.
As Certified Practising Speech Pathologists, we are bound by the Australian Privacy Principles, which means that our Telehealth services must meet strict privacy standards. For this reason, we primarily use Coviu (an onshore provider) for all telehealth services, however we sometimes need to use the Zoom platform for optimal connection. If choosing to access telehealth services with us, you will be asked to sign a Telehealth Consent Form, which clearly outlines the platforms and permissions for both options.
