Referral Process

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 Clients can access speech pathology services either directly or through a referral from a healthcare or education professional. Common pathways include:

• Direct Booking: You or a family member can make an appointment without a formal referral.
• GP Referral: Required for some Medicare rebates (e.g., Chronic Disease Management Plan).
• NDIS Referral: Support coordinators or therapists can assist participants in accessing services.
• School/Teacher Referral: Educators may recommend therapy for school-aged children.
• Other Health Professionals: Occupational therapists, psychologists, or paediatricians may refer as part of a broader care plan.

If you're interested in our services, getting started is easy! Simply complete our referral form, available under the 'Forms' section. This form helps us gather all the necessary details to support your needs.  If you have any questions or need assistance along the way, don't hesitate to reach out—we’re here to help.

To provide the most effective support, it is important to understand the communication abilities, mealtime behaviours, and developmental progress of the individual. An initial assessment helps us identify areas of difficulty so we can tailor a therapy plan to meet specific needs. Without this information, therapy cannot be planned effectively to ensure the necessary support is provided.

If the individual has previously seen a speech pathologist and the assessment was conducted within the last 6 months, we may be able to use existing results to inform the treatment plan.

At Nova Speech Clinic, we work with individuals of all ages who have a variety of communication and/or mealtime challenges. The type and duration of an assessment will depend on the nature of the difficulty. Some assessments may take only one hour, while others may require multiple sessions.

To ensure the best results, sessions for young children or those with complex needs are limited to no more than one hour at a time, as fatigue or loss of focus can affect assessment quality.

When you contact us to book, we will ask a few questions to help determine the most appropriate assessment. Our pricing guide outlines the services we offer. In some cases, a combination of assessments may be necessary (e.g., a comprehensive communication and swallowing assessment), which may require more than one session.

Following the assessment, we carefully analyse the results and prepare a detailed report or summary. This documentation typically includes:

• Analysis of Results: Review of formal and informal assessment findings.
• Clinical Findings: Key observations and clinical insights.
• Recommendations: Suggested next steps, including therapy options, further assessments, or other evidence-based resources.
• Plan of Action: An outline of an appropriate intervention plan based on the assessment results.