What Is Speech Therapy?
Speech therapy supports children in developing the communication skills needed to engage with others, learn effectively, and flourish. When children can share their thoughts and understand those around them, they feel more connected to the world. This confidence opens the door to friendships, emotional regulation, learning opportunities, and everyday participation.
Chatterbox paediatric speech pathologists partner with children throughout their development. We nurture toddlers discovering language, preschoolers refining communication, and school-aged children facing challenges with speech, literacy, and social interaction.
Our experienced speech therapists support children in the following areas:
- Understanding and Using Language
- Speech Clarity and Pronunciation
- Stuttering and Fluency
- Reading and Spelling (Literacy)
- Lisps
- Childhood Apraxia of Speech
You can learn more about the conditions we address here.
If your child is taking longer to start talking, having trouble being understood, or finding it difficult to connect in conversations at school, we aim to support them.
Why Might My Child Need Speech Therapy?
Every child develops at their own pace, but sometimes speech and language skills don’t come as easily.
While everyday interaction often helps, some children require more guidance to strengthen their skills in a way that suits their learning style. Speech therapy offers this focused support and may make a genuine difference.
It’s common to wonder if your child will simply grow out of their difficulties, but in most cases, these challenges don’t go away on their own. Not because your child isn’t trying, but because they need support to build the skills they’re finding hard right now.
Delays without support may mean a widening gap as demands grow at school, in friendships, and in everyday situations. That’s why early intervention is vital; it aims to provide the foundation for success and prevents current challenges from holding a child back later.
How Speech Therapy Works at Chatterbox
Starting speech therapy can feel like a big step, especially if you’re unsure what to expect. Here’s how we make it simple and supportive from the very beginning.
1. Initial Assessment
The first step is a relaxed, play-based assessment where we get to know your child. This helps us gain insight into their communication abilities, highlight what they do well, and understand the challenges they face.
2. Setting Individual Goals
After the assessment, we work with you to create goals that are meaningful, motivating, and focused on what matters most in your child’s daily life, like joining in at playtime, following instructions at school, or feeling understood at home.
3. Fun, Personalised Therapy That’s Evidence-Based
Because each child develops differently, we believe therapy should be tailored to their needs. At Chatterbox, our therapists:
- Customise therapy to match your child’s learning style and current developmental needs
- Incorporate proven, research-backed methods into each session
- Support your child by building on their abilities and working through the tricky parts together
- Help your child grow in confidence, build meaningful connections, and gain independence
In therapy, sessions may involve games, movement, conversations, or practical activities, all chosen to help your child engage in ways that feel comfortable and enjoyable. We keep our approach play-based and interactive, focusing on building everyday communication skills while respecting each child’s unique way of learning. Our work is neurodiversity-affirming, giving children space to grow in confidence, connection, and independence as themselves.
4. Family Support and Coaching
We know parents are central to their child’s growth, so we offer guidance and easy-to-use strategies that fit into home life, car rides, and daily routines.
Our work isn’t only with children, we partner with families, knowing that when parents feel supported, children benefit as well.
5. Ongoing Monitoring
We regularly check your child’s progress during sessions, allowing us to respond immediately to their needs. This way, therapy stays achievable, impactful, and suited to your family’s goals.
Why Families Choose Chatterbox
We work in a way that affirms neurodiversity and highlights every child’s strengths
- Our approach is both strengths-based and neurodiversity-affirming, meaning we value every child’s unique way of communicating and learning
- Our approach involves working alongside you to develop family-centred goals and therapy plans that can adapt as needed
- We make therapy fun, engaging, and tailored to your child
- We bring together support for multiple developmental areas in a single, convenient setting
- Speech therapy is available with us either face-to-face or via Telehealth, giving families choice and convenience
- We are a group of dedicated, experienced therapists who care deeply for the families we support
While these are part of our services, the real reason stands out above them all.
What makes families choose Chatterbox is knowing their child is in the hands of people who combine skilled therapy with genuine care.
What’s the Next Step?
Frequently Asked Questions
How are therapy goals set?
Together with you, we decide on the goals that matter most for your child. From there, we design step-by-step targets that are realistic and achievable, allowing your child to build confidence and enjoy progress.
When setting goals, we also consider your child’s age, developmental stage, and everyday needs to make sure the plan is realistic, meaningful, and tailored to how they learn best.
How many sessions will my child attend each week?
Drawing on current research, your clinician will recommend a therapy schedule that suits your child’s needs and supports progress.
Most therapies depend on consistency and regular practice. The more often children can apply their skills, the more progress they tend to make. In a perfect world, therapy would run for hours each week, but we also recognise this doesn’t suit every family.
Occasionally, therapies such as the maintenance phase of stuttering treatment can run at lower intensity (like fortnightly or monthly), though these situations are the exception.
At Chatterbox, you can choose between 60-minute and 90-minute sessions. We provide weekly therapy based on research recommendations, with the flexibility to add extra weekly sessions or take part in intensives, which may be especially useful during school holidays.
How long will my child need therapy?
We would love to be able to provide an exact answer to this question; however, a number of factors come into play when discussing how long your child may attend therapy, such as your child’s age, personality, learning style, developmental level and diagnoses.
Your therapist will be able to give more guidance after spending time with your child, but remember that learning takes patience and consistency. There isn’t a quick or easy fix.
Who will be my child’s speech therapist?
Every therapist on our team is registered with Speech Pathology Australia, bringing both qualifications and experience. They’re dedicated to supporting children’s growth with family-friendly, evidence-based care.
Each session, your child will meet with the same speech pathologist, who takes time to know them well and earn their trust. This steady relationship may help your child feel comfortable and ensures therapy is carefully adapted to them.
Life can be unpredictable, which is why having a connected team matters. If your clinician is unavailable, you need to reschedule or would like to add another session. We make it simple. Your child can see another qualified clinician, keeping therapy both consistent and flexible.
Since our team works hand in hand, your child’s goals and progress are always shared, making each session seamless even with a new therapist. Meeting different clinicians now and then may actually benefit your child, potentially helping them adapt, generalise skills, and build confidence across varied communication partners.
How can I get the most out of our therapy sessions?
Here’s the good news, there are easy ways you can support your child to get the best out of therapy and keep progress on track:
- Make sure your child attends therapy regularly
- Do the recommended practice tasks in between sessions to support progress
- Try to shift appointments rather than cancel them outright
- Consider holiday intensives to give your child extra support during breaks
- Get engaged during therapy time, your input truly supports your child’s learning
When you stay consistent and actively engaged, your child could make the greatest progress.
Do you offer online speech therapy for children?
Yes! We offer both in-clinic appointments and online speech and occupational therapy sessions to suit your family’s needs. Online therapy is a great option for busy families, children who feel most comfortable at home, or those living in remote or rural areas.
What funding options are available?
There are a number of options to help cover therapy costs. You can learn more about funding options here.
You may be able to access different funding options to help cover therapy. Learn more about funding options here.
Is there a waiting list?
Good news! We currently have no waiting list, which means your child can likely get started straight away. Early support can make a big difference, and we know that delays can be frustrating. That’s why we’ve made it a priority to keep access to therapy as smooth and timely as possible.
Where are you located?
With our primary clinics based in easily reachable locations across Bella Vista, Kingswood, Oran Park, Parramatta, and Penrith, you’ll find a friendly administration team on-site to help guide you and your family. Enjoy the convenience of free on-site parking at all clinics, making your visit for assessments or therapy as simple and stress-free as possible.
While our speech therapists in Bella Vista primarily support people from surrounding suburbs including Bella Vista, Norwest, Kellyville, Stanhope Gardens, Glenwood, Rouse Hill, Baulkham Hills, Seven Hills, Castle Hill, and Kings Langley, our clinics are more than welcoming to anyone looking to use our services across Sydney.
