speech pathology

Speech pathologists:

• Study, diagnose and treat communication disorders
• Help children overcome difficulties speaking, listening or understanding language
• Help children improve their reading, writing and social skills
• Support families to help their child communicate more effectively.

See who we help

We’ve all felt stuck in the mud sometimes. At Lotus Speech Pathology, we take our inspiration from the lotus flower. This beautiful water plant grows through the mud then blooms at the right time. That’s what we want for your child.

Any therapy for a child needs to be fun. Firstly, children learn through play. Secondly, children do better when they want to participate in their therapy – and they’re more likely to engage if the therapy is fun.

That’s why we take time to get to know your child. Then we can incorporate their interests into their therapy sessions.

We use a range of physical and digital resources to help babies, toddlers, children, and teens to communicate more clearly and confidently.

“If they can’t learn the way we teach, we teach the way they learn.”
– Dr O. Ivar Lovaas.

Every child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is completely different and has a different set of needs and challenges around language and eating. That is why we utilise a neurodiversity-affirming approach, where we value every brain equally.

If your child may benefit from it, speech therapy sessions may teach them to use augmentative-alternative communication (AAC), such as a picture communication system. Our goal is to help children to have fun and develop the ability to communicate in a way that works for them and their families.

Many parents tell us how easy and convenient they find our online sessions.

Even before the session starts, you’ve avoided many of the stresses associated with traditional therapy, such as long drives, parking difficulties or battling traffic to arrive on time.

With us, all you need to do is sit down in front of your computer.

Don’t worry – we don’t expect them to!

In face-to-face speech pathology, there often comes a point when the child gets tired and their attention wanders. That’s OK.

We work with your child when they’re focused and engaged, using toys and games that match their interests. If your child prefers to sit on the floor and play, just move your laptop to the floor too and we can continue to engage through whatever activity your child has chosen.

When your child’s had enough, our attention shifts to you – just as it would in a face-to-face session.

We see your child once or twice a week at best. But you’re with them most of the time. That’s why a great deal of children’s speech therapy focuses on coaching parents and other carers to learn how to encourage their child’s progress. We teach you various techniques to practise with your child during the week and talk you through any difficulties you may have encountered with last week’s exercises.

We know family life can be busy and crazy, especially when you have a child with additional needs. One of the reasons we provide online therapy is to make life easier for you. 

So you really don’t need to do much to get ready for online speech therapy. If you can, though, here’s how to get the most from online speech therapy:

• Ensure the device you’ll be using is fully charged – that way you can unplug it and move it if you need to
• Ensure any older siblings are occupied and any younger ones are looked after
• Have a pen and paper handy – note down any questions you have or any important guidance we give you
• Take your child to the toilet before our session
• Encourage your child to gather any special toys so they can share their interests with us
• Have a drink or snack on hand if you think it’ll be helpful.

When you made your booking, you should have received all the instructions you need to join the online therapy session (it’s pretty easy). Other than that, all you need to do is be ready on time and we’ll see you soon.