Helping Children Thrive Through Personalised Speech Therapy
At South West Kids Clinic, we are proud to offer compassionate and personalised speech therapy services for children in the Fairfield area, including those with complex needs who may benefit from home or school visits.
Our qualified and experienced therapists, based in Prestons and Picton, work closely with families to develop tailored treatment plans that empower children to overcome communication challenges and reach their full potential.
We consider home and school visits on a case-by-case basis to ensure children with more complex needs receive therapy in the most supportive and comfortable environment.
What sets us apart is our in-house multidisciplinary team of speech therapists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and dietitians, all working together under one roof.
Contact us today on (02) 9602 3377 or via our online contact form to learn how we can support your child’s communication journey.
How Our Paediatric Speech Pathologists Support Your Child
Our speech pathologists specialise in helping children develop clear and confident communication skills. We tailor our therapy approach to meet each child’s specific needs, working closely with families to create effective treatment plans. Whether your child needs support with speech clarity, language development, or feeding challenges, we provide structured, evidence-based therapy to help them make meaningful progress.
Enhancing Language Development and Communication
We help children develop strong language skills by improving their ability to understand and express themselves. Our speech pathologists use targeted strategies to expand vocabulary, improve sentence structure, and strengthen overall communication. Each therapy plan is tailored to the child’s individual needs, ensuring they build the confidence to express themselves clearly in daily interactions at home, school, and social settings.
Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)
For children who experience significant challenges with verbal communication, we offer Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) support. Our speech pathologists assess, trial, and implement AAC systems such as communication boards, speech-generating devices, and specialised apps. We also provide guidance for families, educators, and caregivers to ensure these tools are effectively integrated into the child’s daily life. Our goal is to empower children with the tools they need to express their thoughts, needs, and emotions with confidence.
Speech Sound Development
Clear speech is essential for confident communication. Our speech pathologists work with children to improve their ability to produce sounds correctly, ensuring they can be easily understood by others. Through evidence-based techniques, we assess and treat speech sound errors, helping children refine their pronunciation and articulation. By addressing these challenges early, we support their overall communication, social interactions, and academic success.
Tailored Therapy with Individualised Goals
Every child has unique strengths and challenges, which is why our speech therapy is personalised to their specific needs. Our speech pathologists collaborate with families, educators, and healthcare professionals to set clear, measurable goals that support speech clarity, language comprehension, and social communication. This individualised approach ensures that therapy remains focused, effective, and aligned with the child’s developmental progress.
Stuttering and Fluency Intervention
Stuttering can impact a child’s confidence and ability to communicate. Our speech pathologists use evidence-based strategies to help children develop smoother, more fluent speech. By incorporating tailored exercises and real-life practice, we support children in managing stuttering effectively. We also work closely with families and educators to reinforce these strategies in everyday conversations, helping children build confidence in their communication skills.
Dysphagia Intervention
Difficulty swallowing, known as dysphagia, can affect a child’s nutrition, safety, and overall well-being. Our speech pathologists develop personalised therapy plans to improve swallowing function and ensure safe eating and drinking. Through targeted techniques and close collaboration with families, we help children strengthen their oral muscles, adapt to different food textures, and build confidence during mealtimes. Our goal is to create a positive and stress-free feeding experience for both children and their families.
How Our Paediatric Speech Pathologists Can Help
Our clinic offers a range of specialised therapy programs designed to support children with diverse communication and feeding needs. These evidence-based treatments help children develop essential speech, language, and swallowing skills, ensuring they receive the most effective support for their unique challenges.
HANEN
The HANEN program empowers parents to become their child’s most effective communication partners. Through structured guidance, our speech pathologists teach parents how to recognise and respond to their child’s communication cues, fostering natural language growth in everyday interactions. This approach integrates language development strategies into daily routines, creating meaningful opportunities for children to expand their vocabulary and improve their social communication skills in a supportive, engaging environment.
Learn To Play/Play-based Therapy
Play is a natural way for children to develop communication and social skills. Our play-based therapy approach uses engaging, interactive activities to support language development, social interactions, and problem-solving abilities. By creating a fun and pressure-free environment, we help children build confidence in their ability to express themselves while strengthening essential communication skills. Our therapists tailor each session to the child’s interests, making learning enjoyable and meaningful.
Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)
For children with limited verbal communication, Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) can provide essential support. Our speech pathologists assess, trial, and implement AAC systems tailored to each child’s needs, including communication boards, speech-generating devices, and specialised apps. We also educate families, educators, and caregivers on how to effectively integrate these tools into daily life, ensuring children can express their thoughts, needs, and emotions confidently in all environments.
Switch Access Methods
For children with significant physical challenges, switch access methods offer an alternative way to communicate and interact with their environment. These systems allow children to activate communication devices, toys, and even household appliances using accessible switches controlled by a body part they can move comfortably. Our speech pathologists work closely with therapy teams to customise switch systems to each child’s needs, ensuring they have the tools to communicate, play, and gain independence.
DTTC - Dynamic Temporal and Tactile Cueing
Dynamic Temporal and Tactile Cueing (DTTC) is a specialised therapy approach for children with Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS). This method helps children plan and coordinate the mouth movements needed for clear speech. Our team use a combination of visual, verbal, and tactile cues to guide children through speech production, gradually reducing support as their skills improve. By focusing on repeated practice and movement patterns, DTTC helps children develop more accurate and consistent speech.
ReST - Rapid Syllable Transition Treatment
Rapid Syllable Transition Treatment (ReST) is designed for children with Childhood Apraxia of Speech, dysarthria, or severe phonological disorders. This evidence-based approach focuses on improving speech motor planning by helping children practise and coordinate syllable transitions in words. Our speech pathologists guide children through structured exercises that build their ability to produce clear, natural-sounding speech with greater accuracy and fluency. Each ReST program is customised to the child’s needs, ensuring steady progress in their communication skills.
Phonological Awareness
Phonological awareness is a key foundation for speech and literacy development. It involves recognising and manipulating speech sounds, which is essential for clear pronunciation and reading skills. Therapy focuses on activities such as identifying sounds, blending syllables, and breaking words into smaller components. Strengthening these skills early helps prevent speech difficulties from affecting a child’s communication and academic progress.
PROMPT
PROMPT therapy uses a hands-on approach to support children with motor speech difficulties. By gently guiding the jaw, lips, and tongue, this technique helps develop the precise movements needed for clear speech. The focus is on improving speech coordination and building confidence in communication. This method is particularly effective for children with motor planning challenges, ensuring they gain greater control over their speech production.
Lidcombe Program
The Lidcombe Program is a structured, parent-led approach designed to reduce stuttering in young children. Our therapists guide parents on how to provide supportive feedback during everyday conversations, reinforcing fluent speech in a natural and encouraging way. Sessions focus on integrating these techniques into daily routines, making therapy both effective and accessible. With ongoing support, children develop smoother, more confident speech in all aspects of life.
Fluency Intervention
Fluent speech helps children communicate with confidence. Our fluency intervention techniques go beyond reducing stuttering—they focus on developing speech patterns that feel natural and effortless. By incorporating structured exercises, real-life practice, and emotional support, we help children manage disruptions in speech flow. Collaboration with families and educators ensures these techniques are reinforced in everyday conversations, empowering children to speak with ease in any setting.
Responsive Feeding Practices (RFP)
Mealtimes with a child with dysphagia or restricted eating can be significantly stressful for the child and family. Our therapists follow RFP to support families in building positive mealtime habits, fostering children’s interest in foods, and reducing family stress around mealtimes.
Vital Stim
VitalStim is a specialised therapy designed to improve swallowing function in children with dysphagia. This innovative treatment uses neuromuscular electrical stimulation to strengthen the muscles involved in swallowing while children engage in specific exercises. Our therapists are trained in VitalStim to ensure its safe and effective use, helping children develop improved swallowing abilities and greater comfort during meals.
Developmental Food Continuum
Our Speech Pathologists understand that food refusal or restrictive eating can be due to more than just behaviour. We assess a child’s oral motor skills and overall development to determine the safest foods to support biting, chewing, and swallowing. We also identify foods to develop strength and coordination when eating. This approach supports children in progressing through various textures and types of solid foods, adapting as their feeding skills and preferences evolve.
STEPS+ Program
The STEPS+ (Supportive Treatment of Eating in Preschoolers) Program is designed for children with dysphagia, food refusal, or Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID). This structured approach combines trauma-informed strategies with feeding therapy to help children develop positive associations with food. By focusing on routine, reducing stress, and introducing safe food experiences, we support both children and their families in making mealtimes more enjoyable and nourishing.
Pacing Methods
For infants who struggle with bottle feeding, paced feeding techniques can help regulate milk flow and improve feeding comfort. We guide families on adjusting bottle positioning, trialling different teat flows, and using formula thickening when necessary to support safe and efficient feeding. By working closely with medical and therapeutic teams, we ensure each infant’s feeding plan aligns with their developmental and medical needs.
Division of Responsibility Method
Creating a stress-free mealtime environment is essential for fostering healthy eating habits. The Division of Responsibility Method helps parents and caregivers establish clear roles during meals—caregivers decide what, when, and where food is offered, while children are encouraged to listen to their own hunger and fullness cues. This approach supports a positive relationship with food, reduces mealtime battles, and helps children develop confidence in making food choices.
Speech Therapy FAQs
Where are your clinics located, and how far are they from Fairfield?
We have two convenient clinics close by:
- Prestons Clinic: Approximately 20-25 minutes from Fairfield, with plenty of parking right at the door for easy access.
- Picton Clinic: Around 50 minutes to 1 hour away, serving families throughout the wider region.
If visiting the clinic is difficult, we also offer telehealth speech therapy sessions and can discuss other options to best support your child’s communication needs.
Travelling to the clinic is difficult for our family due to my child’s needs. Do you offer therapy at home or school?
We understand that travel can be challenging for families, especially when children have complex speech or medical needs. While most therapy happens in our clinics or via telehealth, we can provide home or school visits for children with significant mobility or health challenges on a case-by-case basis. Each case is considered individually to ensure your child gets the safest and most effective support.
Do you work with local schools in Fairfield?
Yes, we regularly collaborate with schools in the Fairfield area. Our speech therapists provide onsite support and work alongside educators to help implement strategies that promote your child’s communication and participation at school.
How do you decide if home or school visits are appropriate?
We assess your child’s individual needs, medical situation, and therapy goals to determine the best setting. Priority is given to children who benefit from therapy in familiar surroundings or who find attending the clinic difficult. Family circumstances and practicalities are also considered to ensure effective care.
Can we book telehealth sessions if we live in Fairfield?
Yes, telehealth is a flexible option for families in Fairfield who want therapy from the comfort of home or cannot attend in person regularly. Our therapists tailor online sessions to your child’s unique communication needs, ensuring excellent care regardless of location.
