Speech Pathology is the field of healthcare focused on diagnosing and treating communication and swallowing disorders. Speech Pathologists, or speech therapists, work with individuals of all ages to improve speech, language, voice, fluency, and social communication skills. They also address issues related to feeding and swallowing difficulties. Through personalized treatment plans, speech therapists help individuals enhance their ability to communicate effectively in everyday life.

Communicate to Self-Advocate focuses on a relatively niche area of practice with adolescents and young adults.

A Neurodiversity Affirming approach recognizes and values the natural variations in brain function and behavior, emphasizing that neurodivergent individuals (such as those with autism, ADHD, and other “conditions”) should not be pathologised. It focuses on understanding and supporting individuals based on their unique strengths, challenges, and needs, rather than attempting to "fix" or "cure" them. This approach promotes acceptance, inclusion, and the celebration of diverse ways of thinking and experiencing the world. It encourages empowering neurodivergent people by fostering self-advocacy and autonomy.

Social-emotional literacy refers to the ability to understand, express, and manage emotions in a healthy way, while also recognizing and responding to the emotions of others. It involves skills such as emotional awareness, empathy, self-regulation, and effective communication. This literacy helps individuals build strong, positive relationships and navigate social situations with confidence. By developing social-emotional literacy, people improve their mental well-being and enhance their ability to work with others in both personal and professional settings.

Self-advocacy is the ability to speak up for oneself and communicate one’s needs, rights, and desires in a clear and confident manner. It involves understanding one’s strengths and challenges, and actively seeking support or accommodations when necessary. Self-advocacy empowers individuals to take control of their own lives, make informed decisions, and navigate various environments more effectively. This skill is essential for promoting independence, building self-esteem, and ensuring that one’s voice is heard in both personal and professional settings.

Speech Pathology for social-emotional literacy and self-advocacy focuses on helping individuals develop communication skills that enhance their emotional awareness and ability to express themselves. It involves teaching skills such as recognizing emotions, understanding social cues, and using language to assert needs and make decisions. The goal is to build confidence in navigating social interactions and advocating for oneself effectively in various contexts. This type of speech therapy supports individuals in improving both their interpersonal relationships and their overall emotional well-being.

I offer Telehealth services to provide convenience and flexibility for clients, allowing them to access therapy from the comfort of their own home.

Additionally, it is what works best for me personally. Outside of my business hours I am a full time stay-at-home-mum.

Telehealth offers young people the flexibility to receive therapy from a familiar, comfortable environment, making it easier to engage in sessions without the stress of commuting or sitting in an unfamiliar clinical environment. For teens and young adults, it provides a private, less intimidating space to work on sensitive issues like social-emotional literacy and self-advocacy. Additionally, the convenience of online sessions fits well with busy schedules, allowing them to prioritize therapy without interrupting school or work commitments.

Communicate to Self-Advocate works with individuals aged 12 to 30, focusing on helping them develop social-emotional literacy, self-advocacy, and communication confidence. This age range allows me to tailor my approach to the unique challenges and goals that teens and young adults typically face.

I like to offer opportunities for participants to take the lead in their sessions. I tend not to have a specific plan or activity of focus unless collaboratively determined in a previous session.

In a typical session, we’ll start with a brief check-in to discuss any progress, challenges, or updates since our last meeting. This often flows into an organic discussion that then shapes the rest of the session. We’ll engage in activities and/or discussion related to specific goals. These may include discussing real-life scenarios, working through hypothetical scenarios or explicit teaching (explanation of and working through relevant concepts). Throughout the session, I’ll validate your emotions and experiences, provide feedback, support, and strategies to help you apply what you've learned in everyday situations.

To prepare for your first session, make sure you have a quiet, well-lit space with a reliable internet connection and a device with a camera and microphone. You can ask your support people to attend if you like - it can be helpful to have a safe and familiar person present for support and information gathering.

It’s helpful to have any relevant information or goals ready, such as specific challenges you're facing or areas you'd like to work on. Feel free to write down any questions or concerns you'd like to discuss during the session.

Additionally, you will need:
- A completed referral form with as much information about you and your goals as possible/comfortable.
- A signed initial Service Agreement. We will review this together and update it as required for ongoing appointments.

Finally, fidgets, water and snacks or whatever helpful regulation tools and strategies you like to use. Initial sessions can be up to two hours long. We can take breaks if need be.

If you're not ready to be on camera, we can adjust the format to suit your comfort level—whether that's using the camera for just part of the session or focusing more on conversation and activities that don’t require it. My goal is to help you feel comfortable and confident throughout the process. As much as I value and enjoy seeing faces via telehealth, I can appreciate that this does not suit everyone and have no problem making accomodations.

Your progress is tracked through regular check-ins, informal assessments, and feedback. We’ll set clear, individualised goals at the start, and give these goals ratings based on how you feel about your progress. exercises, and real-life applications. You’ll also be encouraged to reflect on your experiences and challenges. Together, we’ll review your achievements and adjust the plan as needed to keep you on track toward reaching your goals.

As required, I will write a progress report (plan re-assessment report) to support your NDIS plan. I like to write these in collaboration with you. I feel that the report provides a wonderful opportunity to review and reflect on your progress, achievements, facilitators, challenges and barriers.

Session length for an initial appointment is typically 1.5-2 hours. Subsequent assessment and goal planning can vary between 1-2 hours and therapy sessions tend to be 1-1.5 hours. Session length is subject to time availability, funding availability and frequency of appointments.

Due to my limited availability and reduced business hours, I currently have a waitlist. It is open at the moment; however, it may close in the future as I may not have the capacity to accommodate all referrals.

The length of the waitlist can vary depending on the demand and my availability. I will provide an estimated timeframe when you join the waitlist, and I’ll keep you updated on any changes as spots become available.