What is a Speech Pathologist?
Speech pathologists help people communicate effectively and manage difficulties with eating and drinking. They are university-educated allied health professionals who work with people of all ages.
Speech pathologists assist those who experience:
- Difficulty understanding and expressing themselves in conversations
- Challenges with reading, spelling, and using technology to communicate
- Issues with speaking clearly, finding the right words, or using a strong voice
- Problems with eating and drinking, including swallowing difficulties that affect nutrition and safety
Services Provided
SPEECH PATHOLOGY EXPERTISE
I offer assessment and management of speech, language, and swallowing disorders for adults, including support for:
- Progressive neurological conditions such as:
- Parkinson’s disease
- Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP)
- Motor Neuron Disease (MND)
- Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
- Huntington’s disease
- Myasthenia Gravis
- Multiple System Atrothy
- Stroke rehabilitation
- Dementia care, including Alzheimer’s, Vascular,
and Fronto-Temporal Dementias - Acquired Brain Injury rehabilitation
- Palliative Care
- Aphasia treatment, including Primary Progressive Aphasia
- Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) therapy, including eye gaze technology for complex communication needs
Service Areas
- Therapy at home, via telehealth, or within hospital settings
- Aged care service provision, including residential aged care facilities
- Collaboration with other healthcare professionals for multidisciplinary care
- Mobile speech pathology services across Brisbane, including the Western suburbs
Funding Options
- Self-managed and plan-managed participants with the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)
- Medicare clients
- Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) clients
- Private Health Fund members
- Clients funded by various Aged Care Providers
Signs of Needing Support
Signs of Communication Impairment
People with a communication
impairment may experience:
- Trouble initiating conversations
- Difficulty speaking clearly or maintaining a strong voice
- Challenges explaining thoughts or finding the right words
- Problems participating in conversations appropriately
- Difficulty with reading, writing, understanding, and memory
Signs of Eating, Drinking, and Swallowing Difficulties
Swallowing difficulties can include:
- Struggling to bring food or drink to the mouth
- Food or drink spilling from the mouth
- Difficulty chewing
- Coughing or choking while eating or drinking
- Food or fluids coming out of the nose
- Loss of interest in eating and drinking
- Not recognising how to process food in the mouth
- Difficulty swallowing medications
- Frequent, unexplained chest infections
