Speech Therapy for Children in Queensland 

Are you looking for reliable, enjoyable Speech Therapy for children in Queensland? At SpeechEase Speech Therapy, we have three clinics across Queensland where you can access Speech Therapy for your child. 

Our passionate Speech Pathologists in Townsville, Mackay, and Brisbane are ready to support you and your child in reaching therapy goals. But before we get to that, let’s explore a little bit more about what Speech Therapy for Children looks like. 

 

What does a Speech Pathologist do? 

Speech Pathologists are trained to assess and provide targeted Speech Therapy to clients across the lifespan. As you’re looking for Speech Therapy for kids specifically, you may have been recommended to seek out a Paediatric Speech Pathologist in particular. 

Our team of talented Queensland Speech Pathologists have plenty of experience assessing, therapy planning and treating communication and speech difficulties in children. Whether the disorder or challenge is related to language, socialising, communicating with others, speaking, listening, writing, reading, swallowing or even eating a variety of different types of foods (fussy eaters) we can help your child.  

  

How do I know if my child needs Speech Therapy? 

There are many different scenarios in which Speech Therapy may be suggested for your child. Generally, a medical professional like a GP or other Allied Health professional, like an Occupational Therapist, will make the recommendation and provide a referral. You may also notice that your child is a bit behind other children you know and want to get them assessed to see how they are going.  

Here are a few of the most common reasons a child may need Speech Therapy: 

– Using less words than other children of the same age 

– Difficulty following directions 

– Stuttering 

– Reading and spelling challenges 

– Difficulty feeding and swallowing 

– Picky or fussy eating (potentially due to sensory challenges) 

– Difficulty answering questions 

– Becoming upset when they aren’t able to get their message across 

– Not reaching language or communication milestones 

– Difficulty understanding what they are saying  

  

What age is best for Speech Therapy? 

The sooner your child is able to access the Speech Therapy they need, the more successful Early Intervention will be. As Speech Pathologists with big hearts, we’d always like to be able to help our clients as soon as possible so they’re able to confidently shout to the world who they are.  

Unfortunately, the waitlists for Speech Therapy in Queensland (and just about everywhere!) are long, so the sooner you can get on a waitlist, the better. 

 

What to expect in your first Speech Therapy session.

During your first appointment with a Speech Pathologist, you’ll share what is going on for your child and discuss family history before exploring what some of the potential causes might be. Depending on what is happening for your loved one, we may not have all the answers in this first appointment and further investigations may be needed.  

From here, a formal assessment may be recommended. For some children, this can be completed in the first session or in the very next sessions. For some, we may need to spend more time building rapport before an assessment will be able to be completed effectively. And for some other children we may need to do the assessment over a few sessions. This is because we want to give your child the best chance to show us what they can do! Whenever an assessment is completed, your Speech Pathologist needs to spend the time after the appointment analysing and interpreting the information to get a full picture of what is going on for you little one.  

Once this has been completed, your therapist will have an appointment with you to discuss the results of the assessment and come up with specific targets and goals for therapy. Your therapist will then determine the best approach to achieve these goals and start planning therapy specific to your goals and your child’s needs. With the help of your Speech Pathologist, you’ll begin working towards a targeted Speech Therapy plan to get your child moving in the right direction.  

At SpeechEase, we know that every child is unique and different. During your time with us we’ll be here to guide you and your family and to provide support for your child’s communication needs. Our friendly and fun Speech Pathologists will create and implement a customised Speech Therapy plan to support your child in reaching their therapy goals so they can proudly shout to the world who they are. 

 

Find a local Speech Pathologist in Queensland

At SpeechEase Speech Therapy, we have Speech Therapy clinics across Queensland in Townsville, Mackay, and Brisbane. We also provide our services in the form of home visits for select locations and offer a highly engaging Telehealth service. Our team love providing targeted, enjoyable Speech Therapy for children, so get in touch today to start your journey with us.  

If however, you are outside of these locations and are still seeking Speech Therapy for Children in Queensland, take a look at the Speech Pathology Australia website to find a local Speech Pathologist. 

For more information about Speech Therapy for Children, please visit www.speechease.net.au/our-services/speech-therapy-for-kids