What is speech therapy and how does it help?
Speech therapy (also known as speech-language pathology) is designed to assess, diagnose and provide interventions for people (children and adults) with a variety of speaking, swallowing or communication difficulties. It is widely believed that a speech therapist will help with lisp or stuttering. While therapy can certainly help improve these problems, it can also help people with a variety of communication problems, such as using speech, speaking, listening, reading and writing, discriminating and using language correctly, social skills, and swallowing difficulties (swallowing problems).
Speech Therapy
An NDIS-supported speech therapist is a qualified allied health professional who has completed a relevant degree (usually a bachelor’s or master’s degree) at a university and can work in a wide range of settings such as hospitals, private practices, rehabilitation clinics, schools, and community-based health centers and nursing homes.
Speech therapists have clients of all ages, although pathology in children may be particularly common. Some examples of communication problems for which therapy may be helpful include
Speech disorders, such as vocal problems or dysarthria
Adaptation to an accent
Improving receptive language (i.e., better understanding of the meaning of words and language, following instructions)
Expressive language (improved use of language to accurately convey information, ideas)
Swallowing or eating problems, such as those who have recently had a stroke
Use of alternative communication tools to help people with severe speech difficulties (or mute/non-verbal), such as pictures or assistive devices
Voice disorders to improve voice volume, quality, pitch, and intonation
Cognitive issues that affect communication (cognitive communication disorders) to improve skills such as planning, reasoning, memory, problem solving, organization, etc.
Why is NDIS important?
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is a recently introduced way for Australians with a disability or permanent illness to be connected to other supports and services in the community. The program was implemented in 2016 (although the pilot area started earlier) and focuses on giving clients more freedom and control in deciding which treatments and supports they want to engage in.
It is designed to provide supports and services for people with long-term disabilities that significantly affect their daily functioning, and such supports must be essential to improve people’s quality of life. However, NDIS only provides services that are different from those already included in other sectors, such as health care or education. For example, while NDIS supports allied health services such as speech therapy or psychology, it cannot be used for counseling services because this is not considered essential to an individual’s functional capacity.
How does a person become part of the NDIS?
The key criteria that a person must meet in order to receive NDIS funding include
Be an Australian citizen or permanent resident
Be 65 years of age or younger
Have a permanent disability or medical diagnosis that affects your daily functioning
For the best information on how to apply to become a participant, please visit the official website.
For an application to be successful, the person must not only meet the above principles, but also show documentary evidence of their condition and its impact on their life. In most cases, this includes obtaining reports and letters from treating physicians (such as specialists or general practitioners) and other health professionals (such as psychologists or occupational therapists). The process also usually involves an assessor who meets with the applicant to find out more about them, their goals and how NDIS funding can help them.
What are the NDIS-supported speech therapists in Sydney?
Sydney NDIS supported speech therapists are certified therapists who have also obtained registration as a service provider. This may be an individual (a therapist working independently) or the therapist part of a larger organisation. A government-funded therapist has completed the process proposed by the program to ensure that the service has the relevant qualifications and expertise to work with clients with disabilities. This ensures that the standards and quality of services are adequate and that people’s safety is not jeopardized.
Because the program is a relatively new program, there are already a number of new services that have become registered providers in Sydney and other parts of the country. NDIS supported speech therapists in Sydney can claim funds directly from clients through the portal.
Where can I find an NDIS supported speech therapist in Sydney?
The first way to direct yourself may be to visit the official website, which provides a full list of NDIS supported speech therapists in Sydney. Forté
