What Is Speech Therapy?
Through speech therapy, children learn to strengthen the skills that allow them to communicate, connect, and grow. The ability to both express themselves and comprehend others fosters meaningful relationships, builds resilience, and encourages participation in learning and daily activities.
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.
Children can receive guidance from our skilled speech therapists in:
- 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 slow to develop speech, struggles with clarity, or feels left out of conversations at school, our team is ready to provide support.
Why Might My Child Need Speech Therapy?
Children all progress differently, and for some, speech and language skills take a little longer to emerge.
Some children need more than just everyday exposure; they need support to build skills step by step, in a way that matches their individual learning style. That’s where speech therapy for children may make a real difference.
Many parents hope their child will eventually outgrow speech or language difficulties, but often these challenges persist without help. It’s not a lack of effort; children simply need support to develop the skills they’re struggling with.
The concern is that without support, the gap can widen. As children grow, so do the expectations at school, in friendships, and in everyday life. That’s why early intervention matters. It helps lay strong foundations early, giving your child the best chance to thrive and reducing the risk of those challenges becoming a barrier later on.
How Speech Therapy Works at Chatterbox
It’s normal for starting speech therapy to feel daunting when you don’t know what to expect. That’s why we keep things straightforward and supportive from day one.
1. Initial Assessment
To begin, we use a fun, play-based assessment that aims to help your child feel comfortable. It gives us a clear picture of their communication development, showing strengths and challenges so we can tailor the right support.
2. Setting Individual Goals
Once the assessment is complete, we collaborate with you to set practical and motivating goals that reflect what’s most important in your child’s everyday life, whether that’s joining friends in play, keeping up with classroom instructions, or communicating clearly at home.
3. Fun, Personalised Therapy That’s Evidence-Based
No two children are the same, and therapy shouldn’t be either. At Chatterbox, our therapists:
- Customise therapy to match your child’s learning style and current developmental needs
- Rely on evidence-based practices supported by up-to-date studies
- Build on your child’s strengths while supporting the areas that are tricky
- Support your child to develop greater confidence, stronger connections, and more 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.
We believe in working with both children and families, because when families feel confident and supported, children grow stronger too.
5. Ongoing Monitoring
Each session includes careful monitoring of your child’s progress, helping us tailor therapy in real time. This ensures the support stays relevant for both your child and your family.
Why Families Choose Chatterbox
Our therapy is grounded in a strengths-based, neurodiversity-affirming philosophy
- We practise in a neurodiversity-affirming way, focusing on strengths and respecting every child’s individual style of learning and connection
- 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
- Families can choose between face-to-face or virtual speech therapy, depending on what works best
- We are a group of dedicated, experienced therapists who care deeply for the families we support
Yes, we offer all of this, but would you like to know the most important reason why?
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?
We begin by talking with you to understand your big-picture priorities for your child. Then, we shape these into smaller, achievable milestones that make progress clear, confidence stronger, and success possible.
In creating goals, we take into account your child’s age, stage of development, and daily experiences to ensure the plan is practical, relevant, and suited to their learning style.
How many sessions will my child attend each week?
Your clinician will recommend a therapy schedule based on current research and what’s likely to be most beneficial for your child.
Effective therapy usually relies on steady, regular input. Repeated practice gives children more opportunities to grow their skills and reach better outcomes. Ideally, this would be several hours a week, but we know that’s not always manageable for families.
There are a few therapies, such as the maintenance stage of stuttering treatment, that may only need less frequent sessions, fortnightly or monthly, though this is uncommon.
At Chatterbox, sessions are available in 60 or 90 minute formats. We deliver weekly therapy consistent with research, with opportunities for extra sessions or intensive blocks, a great option for school holidays.
How long will my child need therapy?
We can’t give a one-size-fits-all answer to how long therapy will take, as it depends on many factors including your child’s age, personality, learning style, developmental stage, and any diagnoses.
With time, your therapist can offer a more detailed idea of what therapy might look like. But progress requires patience, learning takes time, and there is no overnight solution.
Who will be my child’s speech therapist?
All Chatterbox therapists are Speech Pathology Australia registered, experienced, and highly trained. Their passion lies in helping children thrive using proven, family-centred approaches.
Seeing the same speech pathologist every session allows your child to build a close, trusting connection. That consistency aims to provide a sense of safety and support, making therapy more meaningful.
But life doesn’t always follow a perfect schedule, and that’s where being part of a connected team really helps. Whether your clinician is away, you need to move an appointment, or want to book an extra session, we’ve got your back. We offer families the option for their child to see another one of our qualified clinicians when needed, so therapy stays consistent and flexible.
Our clinicians collaborate closely, sharing strategies and progress so sessions stay consistent, even if another therapist steps in. Experiencing a new clinician from time to time may also help your child practise flexibility, strengthen generalisation, and gain confidence communicating with different people, just like in everyday life.
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:
- Support progress by attending sessions on a regular basis
- Follow through with practice activities at home between therapy visits
- Whenever you can, move sessions instead of cancelling to support steady progress
- Boost progress by joining holiday therapy intensives
- Actively take part in sessions, your support makes a big impact
Your child may benefit most when you’re consistent and take an active role in their therapy journey.
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?
Our main clinics are strategically located in Bella Vista, Kingswood, Oran Park, Parramatta, and Penrith, each with an approachable admin team available to assist you and your family every step of the way. Free parking is offered at every location, making your experience for assessments or therapy smooth and convenient.
While our speech pathologists in Parramatta primarily help people from surrounding suburbs including Parramatta, Rosehill, Westmead, Harris Park, Rydalmere, Merrylands, Granville, Auburn, Newington, Wentworthville, Northmead, Oatlands, Lidcombe, and Guildford, our clinics are more than welcoming to anyone looking to use our services across Sydney.
