Speech Pathology Toowoomba provides assessment, diagnosis and intervention for people with communication difficulties in our friendly clinic. We generally have a paediatric focus but also work with some adult clients.
Each of our therapists has areas of interest within speech pathology. We are able to work with people with difficulties in speech sound production, understanding and expressing spoken language, social communication and pragmatic language.
We provide services to people with intellectual impairment, autism spectrum disorder, hearing impairment and other disabilities, along with people who have no diagnosis and require support in communicating. Some of our clients require support in written language (reading and spelling), and some need Augmentative Communication (signing, symbols, and high- and low-tech communication devices).
Each speech pathologist individualises treatment plans to their clients’ specific needs and goals. At times, this involves liaising with other health or education professionals for a team approach. We provide our sessions in private and confidential consulting rooms in our clinic, so you can get the most out of your allocated time with your speech pathologist. Most of our sessions are 30 minutes long but please ask your therapist if a shorter or longer session time might be right for you.
Most appointments are half an hour in duration. We try to be as punctual as possible to minimise any impact on school, work or other commitments. Please plan to arrive a few minutes ahead of time for each appointment. If you are attending for the first time, please arrive at least 10 minutes early so that you can complete the registration paperwork.
While we do our best to accommodate your preferences with regard to clinic appointments, there are only a limited number of before and after school sessions available. You may need to consider bringing your child to a session during school hours. We have found that teachers are supportive of attendance at speech therapy sessions.
Please bring your referral if you have any, such as letter from your doctor, Medicare forms or NDIS plans. Please note, that these are not necessary in order to access our services.
Before attending for the first time, it may be helpful to think about your child’s development so far – did they babble as a baby, when did they say their first word, at what age were other milestones such as walking achieved, how is daycare/ kindy/school progressing? If you have reports from other professionals such as hearing test results, Occupational Therapy, Psychology, Guidance Officer, Paediatrician or Classroom teacher, it is a good idea to bring them with you.
If you are concerned about your child’s eating or drinking abilities bring a range of foods that they would be willing to try during an assessment.
If you are accompanying an adolescent or adult also consider bringing relevant reports and information regarding their communication skills and where they currently using them.
When you first attend Speech Pathology Toowoomba, your Speech Pathologist will ask about relevant medical, educational and social history so that a complete picture of your needs can be formed. If you are bringing a child, your Speech Pathologist will then spend time with them to determine which aspects of their communication need to be formally assessed. If time permits assessment may commence at the end of your first visit. Alternatively, your second visit may be an assessment session and this may be preferred as your child will be familiar with the Speech Pathologist and the clinic when they attend.
Speech Pathology intervention is a positive experience as therapy is always structured so that your child can succeed at their communication goals. For younger children intervention is often play-based because play is their “work”.
We use a wide range of therapy resources including toys, books, DVDs, iPads and computers.
You are welcome to bring siblings to your child’s therapy appointment. You can then discuss with the therapist whether the involvement of siblings appears to contribute positively to your child’s communication intervention or whether, at times, their presence is a distraction. You can always spend time reading with your other children in our waiting room while some of the therapy session is underway.