Do you struggle to communicate effectively? Would you like some support to improve your speech, language or social communication skills?
Difficulties with communication can impact your self-esteem, confidence, ability to learn effectively and socialise, and develop relationships.
Speech pathologists are health professionals qualified to diagnose and provide support for communication disorders that affect attention and listening, understanding, speaking, social communication, and literacy. Speech pathology support can help you build skills in these areas so you can feel more confident and better prepared for life ahead.
Some of the signs that indicate you might benefit from speech therapy include:
- Difficulty following and understanding spoken information
- Difficulty expressing thoughts, ideas, and emotions, or making yourself understood
- Difficulties articulating certain speech sounds
- Difficulty interacting with others, or understanding or responding in social situations
- Difficulties with reading, writing, or spelling
- Stuttering or dysfluent speech
- Husky, dry, or breaking voice
Our highly qualified speech pathologists have extensive experience assessing communication skills and providing support for young people to overcome a wide range of speech, language, and communication challenges.
Our therapists work with you to develop goals and an individualised support plan. This may include communication strategies to incorporate into your daily life, or activities, exercises, or games to help you to practice and extend your skills.
Together, you’ll develop tools for addressing your specific speech, language, and communication goals to reach your potential.
Our sessions are designed to be fun and interactive and help you to feel comfortable and supported.
Depending on your goals, our expert team can provide support with:
- Articulating speech sounds
- Improving fluency of speech
- Receptive language skills (understanding spoken language)
- Expressive language (using language to express feelings, thoughts, ideas, or to tell stories)
- Social skills and communication
- Reading, writing, and spelling
Our speech therapists also offer speech and language assessments where appropriate to check speech, sound, clarity, and language functioning and determine if they are in line with what is expected for your age range.
If you are registered with the NDIS and have a plan that includes funds for the support category ‘Improved Daily Living Skills’, your speech therapy services may be funded by the NDIS.
Our team can provide speech pathology services and assessments to both self and plan-managed NDIS participants.
We’ll work with you, and the people in your chosen support network to help you identify goals and work towards achieving them.
Find out moreFrequently asked questions
Do I need a referral?
No, you do not need a referral to see a speech therapist. You can request an appointment without a referral.
However, if you are wishing to access Medicare rebates, you will require a written referral addressed to Solasta from your doctor, along with a Chronic Disease Management Plan.
For more information about Medicare rebates and other funding options, visit our Funding Options and Fees webpage.
What should I expect at my first appointment?
Before your first appointment starts, you may be asked to complete a registration and consent form that covers things such as confidentiality, sharing your personal information and other important information.
The first appointment is an opportunity for you to get to know the clinician and discuss the reasons you have decided to start therapy.
The clinician will try to develop a thorough understanding of your issues or concerns and any relevant history such as your family, social relationships, work history etc.
They will also work with you to develop some goals and a plan for therapy.
How long is an appointment?
Therapy appointments are typically 50 – 60 minutes in duration. Shorter appointments are available if required.
How many appointments will I need?
The number of appointments will depend on why you are coming in and what you are hoping to get out of the session.
The speech pathologist will be able to give you a clearer idea of how many appointments may suit you once they have developed an understanding of your needs and circumstances.
How can I pay for my appointments?
Depending on your eligibility, there are a number of funding options available to support you to access our services, including NDIS, Medicare and Private Health.
If you are unable to access any of the funding options, you can choose to pay for your therapy services.
Visit our Fees and Funding Options webpage for more information.
Do you also work with teachers?
We always communicate with the person’s whole team – it is important to work together to share our strategies and ideas to make sure that you are supported by everyone around you. This can include teachers, parents, grandparents, other health professionals or support workers – the best support happens when we have everyone working together.
Will my services be confidential?
Any information that you disclose is confidential and will not be shared with anyone else without your permission. There are two exceptions to this rule – the first is if you are at risk of harm either to yourself or someone else, and the second is in relation to court orders. Your clinician will discuss the limits of confidentiality at your first appointment.
More information about how we collect and handle your personal information can be found in our Privacy and Consent Brochure – also available in Easy English format.
Ready to get started?
Simply fill-out our appointment request form and we’ll be in touch.
If you have any questions, we encourage you to contact the team on (08) 7160 1900 or info@solasta.net.au
Our speech pathologists
Ashlyn is a dedicated Speech Pathologist with a special interest in early speech and language development, social skills enhancement, and augmentative and alternative communication. Ashlyn is passionate about providing person-centred practice that embraces and affirms neurodiversity and is led by the unique strengths of each individual.
Ashlyn’s comprehensive background in speech pathology ranges from consulting in private practice, early learning and education, aquatic therapy, academia, and clinical education. Presently, her practice is centred on providing assessments and tailored therapy for children and adolescents, with a primary focus of supporting young people to develop their communication skills.
Ashlyn adopts a collaborative approach, engaging closely with individuals, families, and interdisciplinary teams to develop goals that are strength-based, functional, and holistic. Using a creative and multimodal approach, she strives to ensure therapy is inclusive, motivating, enjoyable, centred around individuals and their families, and ultimately supportive of social and emotional wellbeing.
In 2015, Ashlyn completed a Bachelor of Speech Pathology at Flinders University and is recognised as a Certified Practising Member of Speech Pathology Australia.
Melissa is a Certified Practising Member of Speech Pathology Australia and brings a wealth of experience spanning over three decades to her role.
Throughout her extensive career, Melissa has been dedicated to empowering children and families in both community and hospital settings. With a focus on developmental delays and disabilities, particularly autism, Melissa has a comprehensive understanding of the array of services available services for children. Her steadfast commitment to supporting parents of children with special needs underscores her holistic approach to care.
More recently, Melissa has enjoyed the complexities of diagnosing autism spectrum disorders in both children and adult cases. Her skill in differentially diagnosing autism from other childhood neurodevelopmental disorders is complemented by significant experience in addressing behavioural issues and trauma in children.
Melissa's multifaceted approach reflects her unwavering commitment to enhancing the wellbeing of individuals with diverse needs and challenges.
Our space
Get a sense of what attending an appointment at Solasta would feel like.
We offer a carefully designed, modern and inviting therapy space. Our carefully designed, spacious and light-filled rooms create a safe and comfortable environment. From the wait-room to your time in our consult rooms, we have consciously created an enriched space to ensure your experience at Solasta is a positive one.
For children, we also have rooms specifically designed to accommodate sensory needs, complete with toys, soft lighting and thoughtfully selected furnishings to create a calming environment.
Explore the photos of our space below or check-out our virtual tour.
Klemzig
Play is a child’s work, and this is not a trivial pursuit.