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.
At Chatterbox, our paediatric speech pathologists work with children at every stage of development. We support toddlers learning to talk, preschoolers building their language skills, and school-aged children managing speech, language, literacy, and social communication challenges.
Our qualified speech therapists aim to help children with:
- 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.
We’re here to help children who are late to talk, who others have difficulty understanding, or who face challenges joining in with peers at school.
Why Might My Child Need Speech Therapy?
While every child’s development is unique, speech and language abilities can sometimes be more challenging to build.
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 natural to think your child might grow out of communication challenges, yet most of the time they won’t disappear by themselves. The issue isn’t effort, but the need for guided support to strengthen those tricky skills.
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
Beginning speech therapy may seem overwhelming, particularly if you’re not sure what will happen. We make the process clear and supportive right from the start.
1. Initial Assessment
Our process starts with a warm, play-focused assessment designed to make your child feel comfortable. It allows us to see their communication skills in action, recognise strengths, and note any areas where support is needed.
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
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
- Use evidence-based strategies backed by current research
- Highlight and grow your child’s strengths, while guiding them through the skills they find harder
- Work towards building your child’s confidence, social connection, and independence
Therapy can take many forms, from games and movement to conversation and practical activities, chosen to help your child engage and learn comfortably. All sessions are designed to be play-based, enjoyable, and meaningful, strengthening everyday communication skills. By taking a neurodiversity-affirming approach, we ensure your child feels supported to grow in confidence, connection, and independence, just as they are.
4. Family Support and Coaching
Your role in your child’s progress is crucial. That’s why we equip you with practical strategies to support learning at home, while travelling, or in everyday activities.
At Chatterbox, our commitment extends beyond children to families, recognising that your wellbeing directly supports your child’s progress.
5. Ongoing Monitoring
By tracking progress at each session, we adapt to your child’s needs as they arise. This approach makes therapy focused, achievable, and valuable for the whole family.
Why Families Choose Chatterbox
We practise a neurodiversity-affirming approach that celebrates and builds on children’s strengths
- We take a neurodiversity-affirming and strengths-based approach
- Together with you, we create family-focused goals and adaptable therapy plans
- We ensure therapy is playful, motivating, and adapted to your child’s needs
- We support multiple areas of development all in one place
- Families can choose between face-to-face or virtual speech therapy, depending on what works best
- We’re therapists with skill and heart, committed to making a real difference
These are just some of the things we provide, but the biggest reason goes deeper.
Families choose Chatterbox because they want to feel confident their child is in good hands with people who don’t just deliver therapy, but genuinely care.
What’s the Next Step?
Frequently Asked Questions
How are therapy goals set?
Our goal-setting process starts with a conversation with you to uncover what matters most for your child. We then create smaller, achievable steps that support confidence and make success feel within reach.
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?
Drawing on current research, your clinician will recommend a therapy schedule that suits your child’s needs and supports progress.
Therapies are generally most effective with frequent, consistent sessions. Each opportunity to practise helps children build on their skills and achieve stronger results. While the ideal might be multiple therapy hours every week, this isn’t realistic for every family.
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.
Families at Chatterbox can select either 60 or 90 minute sessions. Our therapy is scheduled weekly to align with research, and we also offer additional weekly sessions plus intensive programs, which work well in school holiday breaks.
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.
Once your therapist gets to know your child, they’ll be able to provide a clearer sense of how therapy may unfold. It’s important to keep in mind that progress takes time; there’s no instant 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.
We ensure your child sees the same speech pathologist each session, so they may form a strong, trusting bond. With that consistency, your child may feel safe and supported, and therapy can be tailored more precisely to their needs.
Since life isn’t always predictable, we keep therapy flexible. Whether you need to change an appointment, book extra sessions, or your clinician is away, another member of our experienced team can step in to keep therapy consistent.
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?
Good news! There are straightforward strategies you can use to support your child’s therapy and help them keep building skills:
- Make sure your child attends therapy regularly
- Keep therapy on track by working on practice tasks outside of sessions
- Move appointments rather than cancel if possible
- Boost progress by joining holiday therapy intensives
- Get engaged during therapy time, your input truly supports your child’s learning
The more consistent and involved you can be, the more your child may benefit.
Do you offer online speech therapy for children?
Yes! Families can choose between in-clinic appointments and online speech and occupational therapy sessions, depending on what works best. Online sessions are ideal for busy households, kids who prefer home, or families in regional or rural locations.
What funding options are available?
There are a number of options to help cover therapy costs. You can learn more about funding options here.
There are different ways to make therapy more affordable. Discover the available 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 primary clinics in Bella Vista, Kingswood, Oran Park, Parramatta, and Penrith are designed for ease of access, with friendly administration staff on hand to support you and your family. All locations offer free parking, providing you with a stress-free transition into assessments or therapy sessions.
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.
