Paediatric Specialist Clinic

Early Start Speech Pathology offers a friendly and child focused service to families in the Newcastle and Maitland areas. The service focus is early identification and intervention: specialising in assessment and therapy for toddlers, pre-schoolers, and school aged children up to 8 years. Pre-school and school based assessment, screening, and therapy services are also provided (see bottom of page for current fees).

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 has also attended introductory training in the DIR model/ Floortime therapy for Autism and other disorders of communicating and relating: see www.floortime.org for more information on this approach.

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 6 years of age (including PDD and Aspergers) use your FaCHSIA government funding ($12,000 per child) to access Speech Pathology and other therapy services in the Newcastle, Maitland, Cessnock, and Singelton areas (please phone or e-mail for further information on accessing this funding or parents can phone FaHCSIA on 1300 978 611 to register for this funding).

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