Therapy Assistant Programs

At Speak and Succeed, we are privileged to have therapy assistants on our team who also provide services to clients and support our Speech Pathologists to administer group programs.

Our therapy assistants are trained to deliver specialised therapy to your child under the guidance and support of your child’s Speech Pathologist. All our therapy assistants are currently studying a Speech Pathology degree and work closely with our team to best support their clients.

Please note, your Speech Pathologist will work with you to determine your child’s eligibility to work with one of our therapy assistants. Parents/carers are encouraged to discuss this with their child’s Speech Pathologist if they would like further information.

Lower costs per session
As our therapy assistants are not yet qualified, fees are reduced for sessions conducted solely by one of our therapy assistants.
Please note, Medicare and private health rebates are not available for sessions conducted by a therapy assistant. NDIS funds can be used to claim for sessions conducted by a therapy assistant.

Can increase frequency of sessions
If your child requires additional sessions to work on their skills, they may be able to do so with a therapy assistant rather than their Speech Pathologist. This can help reduce costs of increased therapy sessions, while still providing your child an opportunity to practice their skills.

More flexibility with appointment times and greater opportunities for before and after school appointments
We understand we do not always have availability with your child’s Speech Pathologist on your preferred day/time. Our therapy assistant program allows us to offer more appointments to clients in peak times of the day, including in the busy before and after school times.

Your child’s Speech Pathologist develops a therapy plan and provides specific training to the therapy assistant to work with your child towards their goals.

The Speech Pathologist and therapy assistant discuss the child’s progress after each session and make changes as needed. At the completion of every 5 sessions, the Speech Pathologist will review the child’s goals and develop a new therapy plan for the therapy assistant.

The Speech Pathologist may request a session with the child at the completion of 5 sessions if necessary to review the child’s progress and continuing eligibility for the Therapy Assistant Program. If this is required, your Speech Pathologist will contact you to discuss this.

Before a child is offered a Therapy Assistant Program, they must meet with their Speech Pathologist and begin working towards their goals. The point at which a child is ready to transition to a Therapy Assistant Program will be at the sole discretion of the Speech Pathologist.

Your child’s Speech Pathologist will work with you to determine your child’s eligibility for a Therapy Assistant Program if appropriate.

A child’s eligibility may be determined by:

  • The age of the child
  • Their current goals and therapy approach
  • The child’s ability to work with a different person
  • Whether the therapy assistant will be a good match for the child

Please note, particular therapy programs require a qualified Speech Pathologist to administer and therefore, cannot be administered by a therapy assistant (e.g. stuttering treatment programs, some early intervention programs etc.).

Programming fee
When your child first joins the Therapy Assistant Program, an initial programming fee will apply to cover the Speech Pathologist’s time spent preparing the therapy plan. A programming fee will then apply again at the conclusion of every 5 sessions conducted with the therapy assistant.

Session fee
As our therapy assistants are not yet qualified, fees are reduced for sessions conducted solely by one of our therapy assistants.
Please note, Medicare and private health rebates are not available for sessions conducted by a therapy assistant. NDIS funds can be used to claim for sessions conducted by a therapy assistant.

Please contact us to discuss fees for the Therapy Assistant Program.

Start helping your child succeed today

Speech Pathology Australia