Getting started
First email to first session.
You do not need a referral or a diagnosis. If you have noticed something and you are not sure what to do next, an email is enough to begin.
First contact
Email a short description of what you are noticing, including:
- The client's age and any relevant information (diagnoses, background information)
- What feels tricky, including anything school, family or other professionals have raised. Not sure what is going on, but something feels off? Tell me what is happening and how it is affecting daily life.
I will reply with availability, an idea of what the first session involves, and whether speech pathology is the right fit.
If I am not the right person, I will tell you and point you towards someone who is.
Assessment
We talk through your concerns and history, then I assess using a mix of formal tools, structured tasks and observation, often disguised as games. Assessment may take one or more sessions depending on what we are looking at.
Parents and caregivers are required to stay in the room as quiet observers.
Therapy
Together we organise where therapy will happen, whether that is your home, a school, or a bookable community space such as a room at a local family centre. School sessions depend on the school agreeing, along with clearances, timetabling and a suitable space. We agree on a small number of clear goals and a schedule that suits, usually weekly or fortnightly. Sessions are active and practical, and they finish with a short plan for what to practise before my next visit. Goals are reviewed openly, and if something is not working, we change it.
Where possible, parents and carers are part of every session. If you cannot be present during therapy sessions, a summary of goals, outcomes and home practice is emailed to you, so you are always in the loop.
Reporting
After assessment you receive a written report covering results, what they mean, and what I recommend. Reports can be shared with schools, GPs, paediatricians or NDIS planners. With adequate notice, NDIS end of plan reports can be prepared when plan reviews come around.
Report writing is billed as indirect service time. See the fees page for detail.
Paperwork
All the forms, once, at the first session.
Nothing to print or scan beforehand. I bring everything to the first appointment and we go through it together, so you can ask questions before you sign anything.
Read the privacy policy (PDF)Intake and consent forms
Your details, the client's history, and consent for assessment and therapy.Cancellation policy
How much notice is needed, and what happens when illness or a hard day gets in the way.Complaints policy
How to raise a concern, and how it will be handled, directly and without awkwardness.Privacy policy
How your information is stored, who it can be shared with, and your right to access it. Download PDF
Ready to make a start?
Email is the fastest way to reach me, with a personalised answer sent usually within 4 business days.