Speech & language therapy

“Speech and language” sounds like one thing, but it’s really two — and they need different work. Most people who come to see us have one, the other, or a mix of both.

Speech (articulation)

Speech is the physical act of producing sounds — getting the lips, tongue, jaw, and breath to make the “s,” “r,” “th,” and every other sound clearly enough for others to understand. When a child says “wabbit” for “rabbit,” or an adult’s words slur after a stroke, that’s an articulation question.

Language

Language is what’s underneath the sounds — the words, the grammar, the ability to follow what’s being said, and the ability to put your own thoughts into a sentence someone else can follow. A toddler who isn’t yet using two-word phrases, a school-age child who can decode a book but can’t retell what it was about, an adult struggling to find words after a brain injury — all language questions.

How sessions look

For toddlers and pre-schoolers sessions look like play. We follow your child’s interests — cars, animals, sand, water, dolls — and build words, sentences, and back-and-forth turns around what they’re already doing. A parent or carer is in the room and learns the same techniques to use at home, because the hours between sessions are where most of the change happens.

For school-age children sessions are more structured. We work on speech sounds, sentence-building, telling stories, understanding what’s being asked, and the language skills that underpin reading and writing. We coordinate with the classroom teacher when that helps.

For adults the work is goal-led — clearer speech, easier conversation, language recovery after stroke or brain injury, voice care for teachers and singers. You set the agenda each time.

Session length

• 0–10 years: 30 minutes. Short, focused, age-appropriate. Most young children give their best for that long and the work transfers home better with a tight session and a clear parent take-away.
• 10+ years and adults: 45 minutes. Longer attention span, more structured work, and time at the end to set the next step.

Our approach is evidence-based and informed by current Speech Pathology Australia clinical guidelines. We are not affiliated with any single “method” or “program” — we choose tools that suit the person, not the other way around.