Paediatric Speech Pathology
Melbourne
In-home and telehealth speech therapy for children across Melbourne. Play-based, family-centred support for early intervention, language, speech sounds, and more.
Speech Therapy for Children in Melbourne
Our mobile paediatric speech pathology service means your child's therapist comes to where communication happens naturally - your home, childcare centre, kinder, or school. This lets us shape therapy around play and everyday routines, and coach the adults around your child to keep the progress going.
We support children across a range of communication needs, from speech and language difficulties to early intervention, stuttering, and social communication. Therapy is play-based, family-centred, and built around your child's goals.
- In-home, kinder, and school visits across Melbourne metro
- Certified practising speech pathologists
- NDIS plan-managed and self-managed participants welcome
- Play-based, neurodiversity-affirming therapy
How We Support Children
Early Intervention
Support for late talkers and young children, building first words, understanding, and play-based communication from infancy to school age.
Speech Sounds & Clarity
Therapy for children who are hard to understand, including articulation and phonological difficulties, so they can be understood with confidence.
Language Development
Help for expressive and receptive language delays - understanding instructions, building vocabulary, and putting words together.
Social Communication
Supporting conversation, play, and social skills for autistic and neurodivergent children, building on their strengths.
Stuttering & Fluency
Evidence-based programs for children who stutter, including the Lidcombe Program, tailored to your child's age and goals.
Literacy & School Readiness
Building the early sound, language, and pre-literacy skills children need for reading, writing, and starting school.
Signs Your Child May Benefit from Speech Therapy
Every child develops at their own pace, but some signs are worth a conversation with a speech pathologist. You might consider an assessment if your child:
- Is using fewer words than expected for their age, or is a "late talker"
- Is difficult to understand, even for family, beyond the early toddler years
- Has trouble following instructions or understanding what is said to them
- Becomes frustrated when trying to communicate or get their message across
- Has limited social interaction, eye contact, or back-and-forth play
- Stutters, or repeats sounds and words in a way that is becoming more frequent
- Is struggling with early sounds, letters, or pre-reading skills before school
If any of these sound familiar, submit a referral or call us on (03) 7043 7778 and we can help you work out the right next step for your child.
Paediatric Speech Pathology Explained
How a paediatric speech pathologist helps
When communication is hard for a child, a speech pathologist works with the whole family to find practical, everyday solutions. This might involve:
- Assessing your child's speech, language, and communication to understand what support is needed
- Building therapy goals around play, daily routines, and what matters to your family
- Coaching parents, carers, and educators with strategies to use at home, kinder, and school
- Introducing augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) where spoken communication is limited
- Supporting social communication for autistic and neurodivergent children
- Preparing reports for NDIS plan reviews, access requests, and funding applications
Areas we support in children
Our paediatric speech pathologists in Melbourne work with children across a wide range of communication needs, including:
Early intervention
Late talkers, early language milestones, and play-based therapy from infancy to school age
Speech sound difficulties
Articulation and phonological difficulties that make a child hard to understand
Language delays and disorders
Expressive and receptive language - understanding and using words and sentences
Autism and neurodivergence
Social communication, play skills, and pragmatic language, building on strengths
Stuttering and fluency
Evidence-based fluency programs such as the Lidcombe Program for children who stutter
Literacy and school readiness
Phonological awareness and pre-literacy skills linked to spoken language
Our play-based, family-centred approach
Children learn communication best through play and everyday moments, not drills. Our speech pathologists weave therapy into games, books, and routines so it feels natural and engaging for your child, while still working toward clear, evidence-based goals.
Every speech pathologist at Flourish Health is a certified practising speech pathologist and holds NDIS Worker Screening, a Working With Children Check, and professional indemnity insurance. We use assessments and interventions aligned with current clinical guidelines and Speech Pathology Australia best practice.
We take a neurodiversity-affirming approach that respects each child's communication style and builds on their strengths.
Parents and carers are part of the team
Children make the most progress when the people around them every day know how to support communication. A big part of paediatric speech pathology is coaching parents, carers, and educators with simple strategies to use between sessions.
We work collaboratively with your family, support coordinator, plan manager, teachers, and any other allied health professionals - including our occupational therapy team - so your child's care is coordinated and goals are shared across everyone involved.
Why in-home, kinder, and school therapy works for kids
Clinic rooms can feel unfamiliar to a child. When your speech pathologist visits your home, childcare centre, or school, they see how your child communicates during real play, mealtimes, and classroom routines - and therapy slots straight into daily life.
In-home paediatric speech pathology in Melbourne means:
- Therapy is more natural because it happens where your child communicates every day
- Parents and carers learn strategies they can use immediately in daily routines
- Children are more comfortable and engaged in their own environment
- No travel stress for families, especially with young children or multiple kids
- For families outside Melbourne metro, telehealth sessions are available across Victoria
Funding options for paediatric speech pathology
We accept multiple funding pathways so you can access the support you need.
Self-Managed NDIS
You manage your own NDIS funds and choose your providers directly.
- Pay Flourish Health directly from your plan
- Claim from the NDIS portal after each session
- Full flexibility to choose any provider
Plan-Managed NDIS
A plan manager handles your invoicing and claims on your behalf.
- Your plan manager handles invoices and claims
- We work directly with plan managers
- Can access registered and unregistered providers
Private Pay
Self-fund your child's speech therapy with no external funding or referral required.
Medicare
Medicare rebates may be available for eligible children through a GP care plan or referral.
Private Health
Many private health extras policies include speech pathology - check your level of cover with your fund.
Your child's speech therapy journey
From your first contact to ongoing support, here's how our paediatric speech pathology process works.
Step 1
Get in Touch
Call us, fill in the referral form, or have your support coordinator reach out.
Step 2
Therapist Match
We match your child with a speech pathologist based on their age, goals, location, and availability.
Step 3
Initial Assessment
Your speech pathologist visits to understand your child's communication and set goals together.
Step 4
Therapy Plan
We create a play-based plan aligned with your child's goals and daily routines.
Step 5
Ongoing Support
Regular sessions at home, kinder, school, or via telehealth. We review and adjust as your child progresses.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a paediatric speech pathologist do?
At what age should my child see a speech pathologist?
What are the signs my child might need speech therapy?
Do you do speech therapy in our home or at school?
Do I need a referral for paediatric speech pathology?
Can I use my child's NDIS plan for speech therapy?
How does early intervention speech therapy help?
My child stutters - can you help?
Do you support autistic and neurodivergent children?
How is paediatric speech pathology different from a general speech pathology service?
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