Frequently asked questions & NDIS guide

We’re a registered NDIS provider and work with two of the three NDIS management types:

• Plan-managed. Your plan manager pays our invoices directly. This is the simplest option for most families — nothing changes about how you book or attend sessions.
• Self-managed. We invoice you, and you claim back through the myplace portal. Our invoices include all the line items and codes the portal needs.
• NDIA-managed (agency-managed). We don’t currently see NDIA-managed participants. If your plan is NDIA-managed and you’d like to work with us, you’d need to switch to plan-managed or self-managed at your next plan review.

Our hourly rate sits at the current NDIS price guide for capacity building — improved daily living. You can check the current rates on the NDIS Pricing Arrangements page; we update our fees each year when the guide changes.

If your plan hasn’t been approved yet, or you’re waiting on a review, get in touch and we’ll plan around the timing.

It changes the paperwork but not the therapy.

• Plan-managed. Your plan manager (a separate provider you’ve nominated) receives our invoices and pays us directly out of your plan funds. You don’t see the invoice unless you ask. Fastest option for most families.
• Self-managed. You receive our invoices, pay them, then claim back through the myplace participant portal. You’re in full control of which providers you use and at what rate.
• NDIA-managed (agency-managed). We don’t currently see NDIA-managed participants. The simplest path is to switch your plan to plan-managed or self-managed at your next plan review — your plan-manager or Local Area Coordinator can walk you through it.

If you’re not sure which type your plan is, check the “Plan Management” section of your NDIS plan document — it’s stated explicitly there.

Yes. Many families come to us before NDIS funding is in place — either as self-funded private clients or while waiting for a plan to be approved.

If you’re applying for the first time or about to have a plan review, we can provide a written report or letter of support to include in the evidence pack. Mention it when we first chat and we’ll plan the sessions around the timing.

No — anyone can self-refer. You don’t need a GP, paediatrician, or anyone else to write a letter before you contact us. Send an enquiry and someone from our team will be in touch within 1–2 business days.

If you’re using a Chronic Care Management Plan (CCMP) from your GP for Medicare rebates, you’ll need that referral for the rebate, but it isn’t needed to book.

We see children and adults of all ages — from babies (in our Baby Sign Language classes) through to older adults working on swallowing or stroke recovery.

Most of our day-to-day caseload sits under five years old. If you’re not sure whether your concern fits what we do, send us an enquiry and we’ll either book you in or point you to a colleague who’d be a better fit.

Most sessions happen in clinic at Cronulla. Home, school, and preschool visits can be arranged in specific cases — for example, when a child’s communication is best assessed in their everyday environment, or when an adult patient is house-bound after a stroke.

Travel time is billed at the standard NDIS rate if you’re on a plan, and location depends on capacity. Mention it in your enquiry and we’ll talk it through.

You submit the short form on the enquire page. Someone from our team reads it that day or the next morning and gets in touch within 1–2 business days by your preferred method — phone, text, or email.

That first contact is a short, no-pressure chat (10–15 minutes is typical) to understand what’s going on and check we’re the right fit. If we are, we book your first session. If we aren’t, we’ll tell you who to call next.

A standard therapy session is 30 minutes. The initial assessment is 45 minutes.

Frequency depends on what you’re working on. For early intervention with young children we usually start weekly, then move to fortnightly as things progress. For adults with stable goals, fortnightly or monthly is common. For severe communication change after stroke, twice-weekly for a short block sometimes makes sense.

We review the schedule every six to eight sessions.

Yes — for children under about eight, a parent or carer stays in the room for the whole session. We work as a team. You see what we’re doing and why, and you leave with one or two things to try at home that week.

For older children and teenagers, some sessions are one-on-one and we update you in the last few minutes. We never close the door if that feels uncomfortable for either of you — you choose.

Not much — just yourselves and:

• A list of your concerns (in your own words is fine).
• Any reports from a paediatrician, audiologist, school, or previous speech pathologist — copies, not originals.
• For NDIS clients: a copy of your current plan, or your NDIS number and plan manager’s details.
• For children: a comfort item if your child needs one, and a favourite book or toy if you’d like us to see them at their best.

You don’t need to dress up. We work on the floor with kids and the toys get used hard — wear what your child can move in.

Yes, for the right cases. Telehealth works well for:

• Adult therapy (voice, fluency, mild aphasia maintenance).
• Parent coaching sessions where the child isn’t expected to engage on screen.
• Our Baby Sign Language course — that one is online by design.

It works less well for an initial assessment of a young child, or for any swallowing or feeding work, which both need to be in person. We’ll be honest about which mode suits each goal.

Telehealth sessions run on a secure video platform; we send the link by email before the session.

Our fees sit at the current NDIS price guide hourly rate for capacity building — improved daily living. The rate changes once a year when the NDIS updates its Pricing Arrangements; we move with it.

A standard therapy session is 30 minutes; an initial assessment is 45 minutes.

For private (non-NDIS) clients, the same hourly rate applies. Medicare may rebate part of the fee if you have a Chronic Care Management Plan (CCMP) from your GP (usually 5 sessions per calendar year).

We’ll email you our current fee schedule before your first session — no surprises on invoice day.

We ask for 24 hours’ notice if you need to cancel or reschedule. Life happens — kids get sick, cars don’t start — so the first occasion is free. Repeated short-notice cancellations and no-shows are charged at the full session rate.

Yes. The clinic is at street level on Kingsway with a step-free entrance. The therapy rooms, the waiting area, and the accessible bathroom are all on the same level — no internal stairs, no lift required.

There is on-street parking directly out front and disability parking close by. If you’d like a wider-than-standard space reserved on a particular day, let us know when you book.

We can arrange:

• TIS interpreters (the free Australian Translating and Interpreting Service) for over 150 languages, by phone or in person. Tell us your preferred language when you book.
• Auslan interpreters through the NDIS interpreting framework or privately as needed.
• Sensory-friendly sessions — low lighting, no overhead fluorescents, background noise managed, breaks built in. Mention it when you book and the room is set up before you arrive.
• Hearing supports — we work next to you, not across a desk, and the rooms have good acoustics. If you use a hearing aid or cochlear implant, let us know if you prefer the FM-system seating side.

If something else would make the room easier for you, tell us. We’d rather adjust before the session than discover the problem during it.