Please note: 

We offer 20-minute gap-free Medicare consultations for eligible clients, available by request between 10:00am and 2:00pm, Monday to Friday. Outside these times, standard private fees apply.

We offer flexible appointment lengths from 20 to 90 minutes, depending on your needs and the therapy required. For clients needing more comprehensive assessment or treatment, we generally recommend booking a longer session with a small out-of-pocket cost, rather than a 20-minute gap-free appointment.

Payment is required in full on the day of service for all Medicare appointments. We process your Medicare claim immediately after your appointment, and your full Medicare rebate is typically paid back to you later that day.

FAQ

Can I get speech therapy through Medicare?

Yes, if you are eligible and have a valid referral under a GP chronic condition management plan. Speech pathology is covered under MBS item 10970 for eligible patients.

What is the Medicare item number for speech therapy?

The Medicare item for speech pathology under the chronic condition management allied health pathway is 10970.

How many Medicare speech therapy sessions can I have?

Eligible patients can generally access up to 5 individual allied health services per calendar year under this pathway. These are shared across eligible allied health disciplines, not just speech pathology.

Do I need a referral?

Yes. A valid referral from a GP or prescribed medical practitioner is required under a GP chronic condition management plan.

How long does a Medicare speech therapy appointment need to be?

For item 10970, the MBS requires the service to be at least 20 minutes long.

Can children use Medicare speech therapy?

Potentially, yes, if they meet eligibility requirements and have the correct referral. Eligibility is determined by the referring medical practitioner and Medicare rules.

Can speech therapy help with swallowing?

Yes. Speech pathologists assess and manage swallowing difficulties as well as communication concerns.

Is this the same as EPC or CDM?

Those are older terms. The current Medicare term is GP chronic condition management plan, although some older GP Management Plans and Team Care Arrangements remain valid until 30 June 2027.

Will Medicare cover the full appointment fee?

Not always. Medicare provides a rebate for eligible services, but out-of-pocket costs may still apply depending on the clinic’s billing arrangements and the appointment type. The current Medicare benefit for item 10970 is $61.80.

Speech Therapy Services in Perth for Children & Adults

Speech Therapy (also called Speech Pathology) focuses on assessing, diagnosing, and treating communication and swallowing difficulties. At Palms Physiotherapy & Allied Health, our speech pathologists support children, teens, and adults to improve speech clarity, language skills, social communication, voice and fluency and swallowing safety.

How Can Speech Therapy Help You?

Speech therapy can help with a wide range of concerns, including:

• Speech delays in children: Supporting speech sound development, clarity, and age-appropriate communication.

• Speech sound disorders: Including articulation (sound production) and phonological (sound patterns) difficulties.

•  Language disorders: Helping with both receptive language (understanding) and expressive language (using words and sentences).

• Swallowing and feeding difficulties (dysphagia): Supporting people who have difficulty swallowing safely due to conditions such as stroke, traumatic brain injury, or neurological conditions.

• Social communication differences: Supporting conversational skills, turn-taking, perspective-taking, and understanding non-verbal communication.

•  Stuttering and fluency disorders: Helping clients manage fluency, reduce effort/tension, and build confidence in communication.

Speech Therapy Services We Provide

Paediatric Speech Therapy

• Paediatric speech therapy supports children with speech, language, communication, and early literacy needs using evidence-based and child-friendly approaches. Sessions may be play-based (especially for younger children), while still being structured and goal-directed.

• Common areas we support include:

  1. Speech sound development (clarity and intelligibility)

  2. Language delays and developmental language disorder

  3. Social communication support

  4. AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) where appropriate

  5. Early literacy foundations (e.g., phonological awareness)

Adult Speech Therapy

• Adult speech therapy supports adults with communication and swallowing needs related to neurological conditions, injury, medical events, or age-related changes. Therapy is practical, functional, and designed around everyday participation (home, work, community).

• Common areas we support include:

  1. Communication changes after stroke, traumatic brain injury (TBI), or neurological illness

  2. Dysarthria and motor speech changes

  3. Cognitive-communication difficulties (attention, memory, organisation impacting communication)

  4. Voice therapy where indicated

  5. Dysphagia support and mealtime strategies

NDIS Speech Therapy Services

• NDIS speech therapy is available for self-managed and plan-managed participants. Therapy may focus on functional communication goals, speech clarity, social interaction and participation, and AAC support where required. We collaborate with participants, families, support coordinators, schools, and relevant providers to support practical, meaningful outcomes.

Speech Therapy for Swallowing Disorders (Dysphagia)

• Dysphagia (swallowing) support helps when swallowing difficulties affect hydration, nutrition, safety and confidence with eating and drinking. Our speech pathologists can complete clinical assessments (as appropriate), provide strategies for safer swallowing, recommend targeted exercises when indicated, and support shared-care referral pathways with GPs/ENT/medical teams when needed.

• Why Choose Palms Physiotherapy & Allied Health for Speech Therapy?

• Experienced Speech Pathologists: Skilled in paediatric and adult communication and swallowing support.

• NDIS Provider (self- and plan-managed): Therapy is aligned to participant goals and everyday function.

• Family-Centred Approach: We involve parents, carers, and supports where appropriate so strategies carry over into real life.

• Collaborative, Multidisciplinary Care: We work alongside our broader allied health team when integrated support is beneficial.

Sensory Room and Kids Therapy Gym

• Our sensory room and kids therapy gym can support therapy goals through a motivating, functional environment—particularly helpful for children who benefit from movement-based learning and sensory regulation strategies. These spaces may be used when clinically relevant to support engagement, attention, participation, and goal progress.

Locations

• We offer speech pathology services in Perth, including our Malaga and Noranda clinics.

Speech Therapy – What We Can Help With

Speech pathologists (speech therapists) support children and adults with a wide range of speech, language, voice, fluency, and swallowing needs. Below is a practical overview of the common areas we assess and treat at Palms.

Speech Sound & Motor Speech

• Articulation Disorders: Difficulty producing specific speech sounds clearly (e.g., /s/, /r/, /l/).

• Phonological Disorders: Patterns/rules of sound errors that reduce intelligibility (e.g., fronting, final consonant deletion).

• Apraxia of Speech: Motor planning/programming difficulty; speech errors may be inconsistent and speech can sound “choppy.”

• Dysarthria: Speech changes due to weakness, tone or coordination differences affecting speech muscles.

Language

• Expressive Language Disorder: Difficulty using words/sentences to share ideas, tell stories, ask questions, or use grammar accurately.

• Receptive Language Disorder: Difficulty understanding spoken/written language, following instructions, or processing complex language.

• Mixed Expressive–Receptive Language Disorder: Difficulties with both understanding and expressing language.

• Developmental Delays: Support when speech and language milestones are developing more slowly than expected.

• Aphasia: Language difficulty often after stroke/brain injury, affecting speaking, understanding, reading and/or writing.

Voice

• Hoarseness or Strained Voice: Raspy, breathy, strained or unreliable voice; can relate to vocal load, inflammation, reflux, or vocal fold changes.

• Vocal Cord Paralysis: One or both vocal folds do not move normally, impacting voice, breathing and/or swallowing.

• Resonance Disorders: Speech that sounds overly nasal or “blocked”; may be structural, neuromuscular and/or learned.

• Gender Affirming Voice and Speech Therapy: Support to align voice and communication with gender identity using safe, evidence-based voice techniques.

• Psychogenic Voice Disorders and Conversion Disorder: Voice changes linked to psychological factors; therapy supports voice recovery and functional communication.

Fluency

• Stuttering: Disruptions to speech flow (repetitions, prolongations, blocks) that can impact confidence and participation.

• Cluttering: Fast or irregular speech rate that can reduce clarity and organisation of spoken messages.

Social Communication

•  Pragmatic Language Disorder: Support for conversation skills, turn-taking, topic maintenance, inference, and interpreting non-verbal cues.

Swallowing & Feeding

• Dysphagia (Swallowing Disorders): Assessment and strategies to support safe swallowing and reduce aspiration risk (often alongside GP/ENT/medical teams when needed).

Hearing & Listening

• Hearing Impairments: Therapy to support listening, speech clarity, language development, and communication strategies in partnership with audiology where required.

Neurological Conditions

• Speech Therapy for Neurological Conditions: Communication and swallowing rehabilitation for stroke, TBI, Parkinson’s disease, MS, dementia and other neurological conditions.

Early Literacy & Phonological Awareness

• Phonological Awareness: Therapy targeting sound awareness skills that underpin reading/spelling (rhyming, blending, segmenting, manipulation).

Post-Surgical Head & Neck Rehab

• Post‑Surgical Rehabilitation for Laryngectomy and Head and Neck Cancer: Multidisciplinary support for communication, swallowing and function after surgery/treatment (in shared care with your treating team).

External Resources for Speech Therapy in Australia

Speech Pathology Australia
https://www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au
The national peak body for speech pathologists in Australia, providing information for the public on speech therapy services and professional standards.

Raising Children Network
https://raisingchildren.net.au
Resources for parents and carers about child development, including communication milestones and when to seek speech therapy for children.

National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)
https://www.ndis.gov.au
Information on how to access speech therapy services for NDIS participants.

Better Health Channel (Victoria)
https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au
Provides detailed information on communication disorders and the role of speech therapy in managing these conditions.

Australian Aphasia Association
https://www.aphasia.org.au
Support and resources for individuals living with aphasia, a communication disorder often resulting from stroke or brain injury.