What is speech therapy and is it covered by Medicare?
It’s a common phrase used to ease the worries of anxious parents, but speech pathologist, Tim Kittel says it can be “dangerous” in the long run.
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From correcting stutters, improving communication to treating swallowing disorders, speech pathology has a wide range of applications.
Also known as a speech therapy, this type of treatment looks at conditions where there are issues around swallowing or communication, said National President of Speech Pathology Australia, Tim Kittel.
“It helps people realise what it is they want to be able to do, whether that is to eat safely, or eat the right types of foods or to communicate their thoughts and feelings in the way they want to.”
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What do speech pathologists and speech therapists do?
A speech therapist might be most commonly associated with helping children improve their articulation and speech, but practitioners work across many conditions.
This can include treating a range of issues related to stuttering, using and understanding language, reading and writing, voice, speech, eating and drinking.
In order to treat some conditions, speech pathologists may work alongside other medical disciplines. This can happen in the treatment of conditions related to disability, mental health or a traumatic injury, says Mr Kittel.
“Sometimes it can be quite significant,” he adds. “Somebody might have a traumatic brain injury or a stroke and actually lose the abilities to eat safely, or to be able to communicate.”
“Other times it might be that there are children who don’t develop communication in the way that we want.”
While people of all ages may access the help of a speech pathologist, Mr Kittel says patients are most commonly children in Year 3 or 4.
“You can have some mild difficulties in terms of understanding language and quite often this happens in children around the age of year three or year four when they suddenly move from the learning to read years into the reading to learn years,” he says. “Their vocabulary can become a bit of an issue too.”
Another touch point may be teenagers who are struggling with essays and school work.
“Speech pathologists are quite often involved in helping teenagers with writing assignments, and making sure that they structure things well,” he adds.
What are the signs someone should see a speech pathologist?
When it comes to noticing issues with speech and communication, Mr Kittel says family and parents are best placed to identify changes.
“The best person to work out if you need to see a speech pathologist when it comes to communication is often a member of your family,” he says.
However, he adds that people should seek out treatment once theses changes are noted and says that one of the biggest, and a potentially “dangerous” misconception, is people waiting to seek treatment.
“A well-meaning family member, or even a GP, may say ‘lots of people are late to talk and they’ll catch up’ but that’s really dangerous,” he says.
His advice is similar to people who suddenly begin experiencing difficulties with keeping food down or being able to drink safely: don’t wait to seek help.
“It’s such an important time when something’s going wrong, to sort of jump in and see whether there are exercises that can help.”
What can a speech pathologist session look like?
Although the exact structure of a speech therapist session will differ depending on the concern, a therapist will use a range of techniques and exercises to help.
“It’s always going to look incredibly individual to that person because someone’s difficulties with communicating or the sorts of foods they’re having difficulties with is such a personal thing,” he said.
A typical first session will involve establishing a rapport between the patient and therapist and clarifying the concerns and expectations of the treatment.
“Quite often, the first session is really getting that important click between a therapist and a client in terms of where it is they want to go – the difficulties they are experiencing, and the sorts of techniques that we have in our arsenal in order to help,” said Mr Kittel.
Mr Kittel also says it’s crucial for patients to practice their homework outside the clinic to reap the full benefits of the therapy.
“Families and having a really nice support network are vitally important in terms of making a difference,” he said. “The type of exercise and the amount of time that you need to do it, are going to vary with the sorts of concerns you have but both the areas of communication and swallowing take place outside of the clinic room.”
FAQs:
How do you access the services of a speech pathologist?
There are two ways to access a speech pathologist appointment. You can either directly make an appointment at a practice or with a practitioner or obtain a referral from a GP or a paediatrician.
However, if you want to subsidise part of your cost through Medicare or your private health insurance, you will need a referral from a registered physician – like a GP.
Is speech pathology covered by Medicare?
While speech pathology is not subsidised by Medicare, you are able to get a rebate if your GP refers you or your child to a therapist under a care plan. Care plans (you can view the full list from the Department of Health) are available under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), Chronic Disease Management programs, outreach programs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, the Helping Children with Autism Package and the Better Start for Children with Disability initiative.
Depending on the care plan, patients will be able to access a specified number of treatments which may be fully or partially covered.
Is speech pathology covered by private health insurance?
Depending on your private health cover’s Extra’s policy, you may be able to claim part of your speech pathologist appointment. The exact amount you’re able to claim and for how many sessions per year will vary depending on your policy.
Cover for speech pathology is also normally subjected to annual limits and generally carry waiting periods of around two months, but again, this will depend on your plan.
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