Paediatric Specialist Clinic

Early Start Speech Pathology offers a friendly child and family focused service in the Newcastle, Maitland, and upper Hunter areas. The service focus is early identification and intervention: specialising in assessment and therapy for toddlers, pre-schoolers, and school aged children with mild to severe speech & language delay, feeding/oro-motor difficulties, Autism Spectrum disorders, and other disabilities. Pre-school and school based assessment, screening, and therapy services are also available. Rachel is committed to providing quality assessment and therapy services (provided by only experienced and qualified therapists) which take into account each child's current developmental level, individual differences/learning styles, and a strong focus on social-communication skills. This often involves liasing with Occupational therapists and other professionals to ensure that each child's strengths,weaknesses, and sensory-motor challenges are taken into account when planning therapy. Rachel aims to work in partnership with parents and teachers (where possible) so that skills can be practised in the child's everyday environment. See bottom of page for current fees and funding options.

The managing Speech Pathologist, Rachel Taylor-Notley, graduated from Newcastle University in 2000 and has worked with children ever since. Rachel has experience working with a broad range of childhood speech and language disorders and also has a special interest in Autism, Developmental delay, sensory processing disorders, and feeding/ oro-motor difficulties. Rachel has worked in Community Health, Early Intervention, School and Preschool settings. Rachel is receiving ongoing training and mentoring in using the DIR/ Floortime therapy model. This therapy approach is used to help children with Autism, Aspergers, PDD-NOS, and other disorders of communicating and relating: see www.floortime.org for more information on this approach. Rachel aims to help parents understand the overall profile of their child in regards to social-communication skills(pragmatics), receptive language, expressive language, and oro-motor/speech skills and therapy goals are implemented in a fun, play-based way. Parents are shown how to carry on these activities at home in order to help their child move up the developmental ladder. Each child receives an individualised assessment and report with specific therapy goals and then can attend weekly, fortnightly, or monthly sessions with their parents/carers. Digital videos of assessment/therapy sessions (with written feedback) can be provided to further enhance parents' learning about how to work with their child at home.

Rachel is a certified practising member of Speech Pathology Australia and is a registered Medicare and Private Health Fund Provider. Medicare and private health fund rebates are available for elligible clients (see fee schedule below). Children with chronic or complex conditions (eg. hearing difficulties,learning difficulties, developmental delay, Autism) can be referred by their GP on a care plan "The Enhanced Primary Care Program" (EPC). This program gives the child a Medicare rebate for up to 5 visits. The new Autism initiative means that referral by a Paediatrician or Psychiatrist will allow children in the Autism Spectrum to access a Medicare rebate for up to 4 assessment and 20 therapy visits to a Speech Pathologist (see Medicare Website).

****New in 2009, don't miss out! - for clients with Autism spectrum disorders up to 7 years of age (including PDD and Aspergers) use your FaCHSIA government funding ($12,000 per child) to access individual assessment and therapy services from Early Start Speech Pathology (please phone or e-mail for further information on accessing this funding or parents can phone FaHCSIA's Autism Advisory service on 1300 978 611 to register for this funding).

All referrals/ enquiries to Rachel: (02) 49 555 415