Children’s Speech Therapy in Hawthorn and Williamstown
Supporting your child to communicate and thrive
At Amazing Kids, we want children to feel heard and understood, with access to communication that supports their everyday lives.
Our speech pathologists support children and young people to develop communication skills in ways that respect their individuality. We build on each child’s interests and existing communication, with goals that matter to them and their family.
For some children, support focuses on spoken language or speech clarity. For others, it involves gestures, signs or Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC).
We value all forms of communication and help families support their child across everyday routines.
Meet our speech pathology team
Georgia Campbell
Allied Health Services Manager and Highly Experienced Speech Pathologist
Georgia brings more than 10 years of experience in paediatric multidisciplinary services, including clinical leadership in Australia and the United Kingdom. Her experience includes school-based programs and specialist children’s services. Georgia has a particular interest in supporting neurodivergent children and helping clinicians provide coordinated care. Alongside providing speech therapy, Georgia supports collaboration across our allied health team.
Shivendrani Sathiyadaran, known as Shivi
Experienced Speech Pathologist
Shivi holds a Master of Speech Pathology from the University of Melbourne and a Bachelor of Science with Honours in Psychology. She is a Certified Practising Speech Pathologist.
Her experience includes AAC, speech sound development and language support. She has supported children in clinics and education settings, as well as their homes.
Our speech pathologists participate in ongoing professional development to inform their clinical practice.
When might a child benefit from speech therapy?
You may want to discuss speech therapy if your child:
- Needs support to express their needs or share ideas
- Finds spoken information difficult to understand
- Has speech that others find difficult to understand
- Stutters
- Communicates primarily through movement, gestures or other non-speaking approaches
- Needs support to access or use AAC
- Finds conversations or communication at school difficult
- Needs support with the language skills involved in reading and writing
You can contact us to discuss your concerns without waiting for a diagnosis. We will help you understand whether a speech pathology assessment would be useful.
What can speech therapy support?
Early communication
We support communication through play and everyday interactions. Goals might include expressing a preference, asking for help or sharing enjoyment.
We also help adults recognise the ways a child already communicates and respond consistently.
Understanding language
Therapy may support understanding vocabulary, questions or more complex information.
We consider how adults can make communication more accessible through clearer language, visual supports and additional processing time.
Expressing ideas and needs
We support children to develop language that is useful in their lives. This might involve combining words, explaining an experience or communicating that something feels uncomfortable.
Speech clarity
For children who want support to make their speech easier to understand, we assess speech sound development and identify appropriate goals.
Activities are adapted to each child’s interests and readiness to participate.
Augmentative and Alternative Communication
AAC can include communication boards and speech-generating devices, alongside signs and gestures.
We support children and families to explore suitable communication options and use them across everyday activities. We also help communication partners make these tools available and respond to the child.
AAC can be used alongside spoken language.
Social communication
We support connection while respecting individual communication preferences.
Goals may include expressing boundaries, navigating misunderstandings or participating in interactions the child enjoys. We also consider how other people can make those interactions more accessible.
Literacy and learning
Speech pathology can support the language skills involved in reading and writing. Therapy may address sound awareness, understanding written information or organising ideas.
Stuttering
Children who stutter may benefit from individualised speech pathology support. Our team can discuss your concerns and identify the clinician best suited to your child’s needs.
What does speech therapy look like at Amazing Kids?
We begin by learning about your child’s interests and the situations where communication support would make a difference.
Assessment may include family consultation, observation during play and structured assessment activities where appropriate.
For younger children, therapy often happens through play. A favourite activity can offer opportunities to explore communication in a meaningful context.
Older children may benefit from activities connected to their interests or experiences at school.
We adapt sessions to support comfort and participation. Children’s requests for breaks are respected, with families involved in developing practical strategies for use between appointments.
With your consent, we can share relevant recommendations with educators and other professionals supporting your child.
Why choose Amazing Kids?
Allied health and early intervention within one service
Our speech pathologists can collaborate with occupational therapists and the early intervention team, with your consent.
This helps us consider how communication connects with sensory needs and participation. For example, an OT may help identify adjustments that make a communication device easier to access.
Experience supporting neurodivergent children
We consider how your child experiences communication and their environment. Their preferences guide how support is delivered.
Practical support for families
We help you identify communication opportunities that fit naturally into everyday life. Strategies are developed with your family’s routines and capacity in mind.
Meaningful goals
We want therapy to support changes that matter to your child, such as communicating a choice or joining an activity they enjoy.
We review progress with you and adjust goals as needs change.
Funding options for speech therapy
Private payment
Families can self-fund speech therapy without NDIS funding or a Medicare referral.
Appointment fees and associated clinical charges are explained before services begin.
Private health insurance
You can claim eligible speech therapy appointments through private health insurance if your extras policy includes speech pathology and your insurer recognises the treating clinician.
Rebate amounts and annual limits vary. Our Operations team can provide the clinician’s details so you can check your cover before booking.
Medicare: GP care plans, commonly called EPC plans
Eligible children may access Medicare rebates through a GP Chronic Condition Management Plan, often called an EPC plan or Chronic Disease Management plan.
This generally provides up to five individual allied health appointments per calendar year, shared across the professions included in the plan. Eligible Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients may access up to ten appointments.
Your GP determines eligibility and provides the referral. The face-to-face speech pathology item is 10970.
Older GP Management Plans and Team Care Arrangements established before 1 July 2025 can support eligible services until 30 June 2027.
Medicare: complex neurodevelopmental conditions and eligible disabilities
Children and young people under 25 with a complex neurodevelopmental condition, such as autism, or an eligible disability may access:
- Up to eight allied health assessment services across a lifetime
- Up to twenty allied health treatment services across a lifetime
These allowances are shared across eligible allied health services. They do not renew annually and appointments must occur before age 25.
Treatment requires an appropriate medical treatment and management plan and referral. Up to ten treatment services can be allocated per referral.
A paediatrician or psychiatrist generally arranges the complex neurodevelopmental pathway. For eligible disabilities, a GP or eligible specialist can arrange the relevant plan and referrals.
Expanded Medicare eligibility from March 2026
From 1 March 2026, the eligible disability pathway expanded to include stuttering, speech sound disorders and cleft lip and/or palate.
Eligible children and young people can access the assessment and treatment allowances described above.
Self-managed and plan-managed NDIS funding
Amazing Kids accepts self-managed and plan-managed NDIS funding for eligible speech pathology supports.
Our Operations team can explain the applicable fees and billing arrangements, including invoicing your nominated plan manager.
Relevant item codes
| Service | Item code |
|---|---|
| Medicare GP care-plan speech appointment | 10970 |
| Medicare eligible assessment | 82005 |
| Medicare eligible treatment | 82020 |
| NDIS early childhood speech pathology, direct service | 15_622_0118_1_3 |
| NDIS therapeutic speech pathology, direct service | 15_622_0128_1_3 |
The appropriate item depends on eligibility and the service delivered. Medicare and private health rebates contribute towards appointment costs, with any remaining gap payable by the family.
Frequently asked questions
Does my child need a diagnosis?
A diagnosis is not required to enquire about speech therapy. Specific funding pathways have their own eligibility requirements.
Can speech therapy support a non-speaking child?
Yes. We support non-speaking children and children who use AAC. Therapy can help children access ways to express themselves and support adults to respond.
Can parents attend?
Family involvement is encouraged and adapted to your child’s needs. Sessions may include coaching and opportunities to practise strategies together.
How often will appointments happen?
Your speech pathologist will recommend a frequency based on assessment findings and your child’s goals. Recommendations are reviewed with you.
Where are appointments available?
Amazing Kids has clinics in Hawthorn and Williamstown. Telehealth and community appointments are available, depending on the clinician, your location and service required.
Can my child receive speech therapy and OT at Amazing Kids?
Yes. Where both services are appropriate, our clinicians can coordinate relevant goals with your consent.
Dedicated support with funding
Our Operations team provides dedicated support to help families navigate funding pathways. We can explain appointment fees and help you understand the referral documents required.
For more information, please contact our Operations team or complete the speech therapy enquiry form below.
Enquire about children’s speech therapy
Tell us about your child’s communication and your preferred clinic. Our team will discuss suitable appointments and funding options.