Speech Therapy Gold Coast

Test hearing first

A child’s hearing can change over time – even if they passed the newborn hearing screen. When a child is having speech and language delays, it’s important to check their hearing first to rule out hearing loss.

Hear and Say’s paediatric audiologists do hearing tests for babies, toddlers and children of all ages as well as hearing tests for adults.

Qualified Speech Pathologist on the Gold Coast

Hear and Say offers both hearing and speech therapy services for all ages on the Gold Coast, including young people and adults. Once you’ve had a hearing test, book a speech and language assessment with our qualified speech pathologists to get more information about your child’s developmental level and their communication.

Common Signs of Speech Delays

In some cases, it can be tricky to tell if a child is taking a bit longer to reach a developmental milestone than their siblings or friends, or whether they're having speech and language delays. There are a few key signs of speech and language delays to keep an eye out for before they are two years old:

Not using two word sentences by two years old
Finds it hard to follow instructions
Has a hard time putting words together to form a sentence
Leaving key words out of sentences
Has trouble understanding what has been said to them
Not saying individual words by 15 months old
Their speech isn't clear and/or is hard to understand

Our Speech Pathology Services

At Hear and Say, we support children who have been diagnosed with a hearing loss as well as children who do not having a hearing loss, and may be having speech and language difficulties including:

Not talking or late to talk
Any middle ear issues
Delay in their speech clarity or articulation

Speech pathology for kids

To ensure speech therapy is individually tailored to each child, before starting therapy, our paediatric speech pathologists will do a speech and language assessment. The assessment uses standardised tests and looks at a child's level of development and how they communicate with others around them.

Speech pathology for babies and children with hearing loss

Some children will be picked up at birth via the newborn hearing screen where as others will be picked up a little later. Children with hearing loss can grow up to hear and speak and go to mainstream school – just like their siblings and peers. This is through a combination of hearing technology and specialist speech therapy support (known as listening and spoken language therapy).

Group Speech Therapy

Hear and Say offers Group Social Skills programs or group speech therapy to teach babies, children and young adults how to work on their social and communication skills. These workshops are run by our experienced speech pathologists and audiologists using a range of activities suited to each age group.

Online and Telehealth

Hear and Say offers online speech therapy for children, no matter where you’re living. Some families even opt to have a combination of in-centre and online speech therapy appointments.

The Hear and Say Approach To Speech Therapy

Hear and Say’s unique approach works with families to teach children to learn to speak through listening. We coach parents so that they’re comfortable to practice strategies and activities in everyday situations such as play, reading books or singing along.

Visit Our Gold Coast Speech Pathology Clinic - in four easy steps

Referral

Each persons referral pathway to Hear and Say may be different depending on your individual situation, for example when and how your child was diagnosed with hearing loss.

If your child was born with hearing loss, you might hear about Hear and Say's Early Intervention program via your Family Support Facilitator.

If your child is having suspected speech and language delays you may be referred by your GP or school teacher.

Booking

You can book an initial assessment for speech therapy sessions by requesting a booking here or by phoning our friendly team.

Arrival

Before you come into our clinic for your appointment, our team will share a link with you to fill out some background information which will be useful in your first appointment.

Your First Session

All appointments at Hear and Say are tailored to each individual's circumstances by our speech pathologists.

Speech Therapy FAQs

What is speech therapy?

Our team of qualified speech pathologists work with children and their families to develop a child’s speech using listening. This approach aligns closely to a child’s natural developmental progression in listening, language, speech, literacy, cognition as well as social skills. Before our team start any speech therapy, they will undertake a speech and language assessment to have a full picture of a child’s development and communication levels.

What is a speech pathologist?

A speech pathologist is a university qualified health professional who works with people who have communication difficulties such as with speaking, listening, language, reading and more.

Do I need a referral for speech therapy?

You don’t need a referral to access speech therapy however to get some Medicare rebates you can get a Team Care Plan or a GP Management Plan. If you have private health care cover, you may be eligible for a rebate via your extras cover.

How to get speech therapy for my child?

If you want to get speech therapy for your child, you can request an appointment online or phone our friendly team to book an appointment.

How much does speech therapy cost?

The cost of speech therapy varies depending on the length and number of sessions needed.

Is speech therapy covered by medicare?

Whilst speech therapy is not fully covered by Medicare, you might be able to get a Team Care Plan or GP Management Plan. You may also be eligible to get NDIS funding for a speech therapist.

How effective is speech therapy?

The overall effectiveness of speech therapy is dependent on whether the strategies learnt in sessions are carried out in the home or day to day environments. Our speech therapists will work closely with families to make sure they feel comfortable practicing evidence-based individualised activities at home.

How long is a speech therapy session?

A speech therapy session will usually go for about 30 to 45 minutes on a regular basis. This will also be based around the goals determined from a child’s speech and language assessment.

What age should my child start speech therapy?

There is no specific age at which a child should start speech therapy – this will vary for each child depending on the types of delays they might be having. As soon as you have a concern, a speech and language assessment is a great start as early identification is key.

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ABN 32 058 430 069

Acknowledgement of country
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of all the lands on which we meet, work and live, and pay our respect to Elders, past, present and emerging. We respect their continuing culture and the contributions Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples make through their resilience and strength.

29 Nathan Avenue, Ashgrove Qld 4060 ABN 32058 430 069

Acknowledgement of country
We acknowledge the traditional custodians of all the lands on which we meet, work and live and recognise that this land has always been and always will be Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander land.

Test hearing first

Qualified Speech Pathologist on the Gold Coast

Common Signs of Speech Delays

Our Speech Pathology Services

Speech pathology for kids

Speech pathology for babies and children with hearing loss

Group Speech Therapy

Online and Telehealth

The Hear and Say Approach To Speech Therapy

Visit Our Gold Coast Speech Pathology Clinic - in four easy steps

Referral

Booking

Arrival

Your First Session

Speech Therapy FAQs

Get the latest updates...

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