Do you or a loved one struggle with swallowing food, liquids, or medications?

Difficulty swallowing - known as dysphagia - can significantly affect health, comfort and quality of life. 

At Palms Physiotherapy & Allied Health, our qualified Speech Pathologists provide comprehensive swallowing assessments & ongoing support for individuals experiencing swallowing difficulties.

We offer services across Perth with easy access for adults, children, seniors & people living with disability.

What Is Dysphagia?

Dysphagia refers to difficulty swallowing and can occur due to:

• Neurological conditions (e.g., stroke, Parkinson’s disease, MS, brain injury)

• Developmental delays or disability

• Aging or frailty-related muscle changes

• Head or neck cancer

• Dementia or cognitive decline

• Post-surgery or prolonged hospitalisation

Signs of dysphagia may include:

• Coughing or choking when eating or drinking

• Food sticking in the throat

• Frequent chest infections or aspiration pneumonia

• Unexplained weight loss or dehydration

• Avoidance of meals due to fear or discomfort

Our Swallowing Assessment Services

Our speech therapists are trained in identifying, diagnosing, and treating swallowing disorders in both adults and children. We offer:

✅ Comprehensive Clinical Swallowing Assessments

• Review of medical history and symptoms

• Observation of eating and drinking across different food textures

• Evaluation of oral-motor function (lips, tongue, jaw)

• Recommendations for modified diets and safe swallowing strategies

• Education and training for carers and support workers

✅ Ongoing Management & Therapy

• Swallowing exercises to improve strength and coordination

• Compensatory strategies for safer eating and drinking

• Monitoring progress over time

• Referral for instrumental assessments when required

Who We Work With

We provide swallowing assessments for:

• Private clients of all ages

• NDIS participants (both Plan and self-managed)

• Home Care Package (HCP) and CHSP clients

• Aged care residents (clinic-based or via outreach)

• GP referrals and community care teams

We communicate closely with doctors, allied health teams, aged care providers, and family members to ensure everyone involved is informed and supported.

Why Choose Palms for Dysphagia Support?

✔️ Accredited Speech Pathologists with advanced knowledge of dysphagia
✔️ Timely appointments available across multiple locations
✔️ Individualised care plans based on each person’s needs
✔️ Collaboration with dietitians, physiotherapists, OTs, and GPs
✔️ NDIS, Medicare, and private health accepted
✔️ Family- and carer-friendly environment
✔️ Culturally sensitive and inclusive care

Our Locations

📍 Malaga – Purpose-built clinic with full allied health support
📍 Noranda – Community-focused clinic with accessible facilities

Book a Swallowing Assessment Today

If you or someone you care for is showing signs of swallowing difficulty, early intervention is key. Our team is here to help improve safety, nutrition, and quality of life.

📞 Call us:
Malaga – (08) 6285 6185
Noranda – (08) 9376 1443

📧 Email: admin@palmsphysio.au

Palms Physiotherapy & Allied Health – Supporting safer swallowing, better nutrition, and peace of mind across Perth.

Have a look at our photos below of our amazing Malaga clinic.... we can see NDIS participants at all our clinics, but our Malaga Hub has many different services and facilities for all people and funding methods!

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.