Teens

13-17years old

“Speech therapy isn't just about words; it's about giving teens the power to express themselves.”

We Support Teens Who:

  • Self identify or have been formally identified as:

    • Autistic

    • ADHD

    • AuDHD

    Have a:

    • Global Developmental Delay (GDD)

    • Speech sound delay or disorder

    • Language delay or disorder

    Have:

    • an intellectual disability

    • Cerebral Palsy

    • Down Syndrome

    • Other genetic or rare conditions

    If you're unsure whether we can support you, reach out to us and we'll be happy to help.

    • Do not use spoken words

    • Have minimal verbal speech

    • Find it hard to speak because of trauma

    • Find it hard to speak when experiencing anxiety

    • Find it hard to speak in social situations

    • Use phrases or scripts (gestalts) to communicate

    • Currently use AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) to support their communication

    • Want to explore AAC options to support their communication

    If you're unsure whether we can support you, reach out to us and we'll be happy to help.

“Non-verbal doesn’t mean invisible—every person’s message is important, and speech therapy is the bridge to that message.”

Services

  • We help you to identify and understand your child's unique strengths and challenges.

    This might be for you if:

    • You're unsure if your child needs speech therapy or other types of support.

    • You want to know more about your child's skills, what they're good at, and where they might need help.

    • You are looking for advice or recommendations on how to make learning easier for your child at school.

    • You need a professional report to support your case for NDIS funding or other services.

    • You're wondering if your child's development is on track or if they might need extra help.

    • You are looking for advice or recommendations on how to support your child’s communication in their everyday life.

  • We provide personalised support to help your child develop their skills and feel more confident.

    This might be for you if:

    • Your child needs extra help with their communication, reading, writing, spelling, or telling you how they feel.

    • You’re looking for speech therapy to support your child's growth and independence.

    • You have noticed that your child has difficulty communicating due to anxiety, trauma, shutdowns, meltdowns.

    • You want ongoing support to help your child feel more confident, independent, and happy.

  • We help to identify appropriate strategies or tools, set up, practice and support you and your child to use the strategies or tools we recommend.

    This might be something you would like to access if:

    • Your child has trouble talking and you need help finding the right tools to help them communicate.

    • Your child has trouble writing, spelling or reading and you need help finding the right tools to help them do these things.

    • You want to choose the best AAC system (like apps, devices, or simple tools) to meet your child’s needs.

    • You need help setting up and customising communication tools or devices so they’re easy and practical to use everyday.

    • You want your child to learn how to use their communication tools in real-life situations (e.g., at home, school, in the community).

    • You're looking for guidance on how to make sure everyone—teachers, family, and friends—can support your child’s communication.

    • You want training and tips for those who support your child to help them use their communication tools effectively (e.g., teachers, school support staff, support workers, other health professionals, other family members, etc).

“Speech therapy gives teenagers the confidence to share their thoughts, dreams, and feelings.”

How We Can Support Your Communication Needs

Speech and Language

  • Helping teenagers to correctly pronounce sounds and words through exercises, drills, and games to make therapy fun.

  • Supporting teenagers in expressing their needs, wants, thoughts, ideas, and personal stories and emotions through words, gestures, or written forms.

  • Working on understanding both verbal and written language, helping teenagers to follow instructions, answer questions, understand what they have read or engage in conversations.

  • Helping teenagers to expand their vocabulary by introducing and teaching new words through a range of activities.

  • Teaching parents strategies to support their teenager's language development at home and in daily life, reinforcing therapy goals and promoting consistent practice and skill development.

Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)

  • Evaluating if AAC would be suitable for the teenager, based on their communication abilities and needs.

  • Recommend and customise an appropriate AAC device or communication system based on the teenager’s specific needs, preferences, and environment.

  • Supporting teenagers and their families in learning how to use the recommended AAC device effectively, integrating it into daily communication for better independence and connection.

    Providing training for the teenager’s support network (family, caregivers, teachers, SSOs, support workers, other allied health professionals supporting the teenager, etc) to ensure effective use of the AAC device, promoting communication and enhancing independence.

  • Teaching teenagers and their families how to use pictures, symbols, or signs to express needs, feelings, and thoughts.

Social Emotional Communication

  • Teaching teenagers about different communication styles and helping them identify their own unique style of communication.

  • Supporting teenagers in understanding their own neurodivergent communication.

  • Helping teenagers develop assertive communication skills to express their wants and needs confidently in daily life.

  • Identifying strategies and supports that help teenagers communicate their emotions and understand and communicate for their emotional regulation needs.

  • Supporting teenagers to recognise and understand body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice, enabling them to interpret social cue with more ease.

  • Providing guidance to teenagers on how to handle misunderstandings using perspective-taking skills and problem-solving skills to resolve conflicts and/or disagreements.

  • Teaching parents strategies to support their child's social emotional communication skills at home and in daily life, reinforcing therapy goals and promoting consistent practice and skill development.

  • We are happy to assist with your speech, language, AAC, and social communication needs (as listed above). However, we are unable to support the areas listed below. If you have multiple areas you would like to address in speech therapy, you may need to work with more than one speech pathologist—one from Everyone Can Communicate and another from a different provider—to cover all of your needs (if you choose to work with us). Alternatively, you can find another speech therapist who can address all of your needs.

    If your main focus is any of the areas listed below, we recommend seeking services elsewhere, as we may not be able to fully meet your needs.

    • Neurotypical Social Skills Training
      Teaching behaviours that align with neurotypical social expectations, like making eye contact, taking turns in conversations, and asking "appropriate" questions, as well as reducing or stopping behaviours like stimming and encouraging communication or play styles that align with neurotypical norms.

    • Stuttering/Fluency
      Therapy for stuttering, which involves disruptions in speech such as repetition of sounds or words, prolonged sounds, or blocks in verbal speech. This may include strategies to manage or eliminate the stutter, as well as teaching compensatory techniques to improve fluency, enhance communication confidence, and reduce anxiety related to speech disruptions.

    • Swallowing
      Difficulties with swallowing (dysphagia), where a person may have trouble swallowing food or liquids safely, leading to the risk of choking or aspiration. This may require recommendations for a modified diet (e.g., thickened drinks or pureed foods) or compensatory swallowing techniques.

    • Feeding
      Difficulties related to eating, such as problems with chewing, sucking, or managing food textures, as well as challenges with developing healthy eating habits, sensory aversions to certain foods or needing modified food and drink textures (e.g., thickened drinks or pureed foods).

    • Restricted Diets/Picky Eaters
      Support for behaviors around limited or selective food preferences, such as avoiding certain food groups or experiencing anxiety or sensory aversions around specific foods or textures.

    • Voice
      Therapy for disorders related to vocal health, such as hoarseness, vocal cord dysfunction, or pitch regulation. This also includes therapy for regaining voice use after a tracheostomy or supporting children who wish to explore voice transitioning therapy to help them align their voice with their gender identity during a gender transition.

“The power of communication unlocks a world of endless possibilities for every person.”

How We Deliver Support

Appointment Times:

We offer appointments between 8:00 AM and 1:30 PM (South Australian time) on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays.

Telehealth

All of our support services for children are provided exclusively through telehealth. This approach allows children and their families to participate in appointments from anywhere with an internet connection, making it easier to schedule sessions around other commitments. Whether at home or on holiday, telehealth offers personalised therapy without the need for travel to access specialist services, saving families time and money.

If you're unsure whether telehealth therapy will work for your child, we encourage you to book a free call with our speech pathologist to ask your questions and test out your internet connection and tech. You can book your free call here.

“Communication isn’t limited to words; it’s about connection, expression, and understanding.”

Flexible Support Options for Effective Communication Development

  • In these sessions, the teenager gets to work directly with the speech pathologist, one-on-one. It’s a relaxed and supportive space where they can focus on their goals. The speech pathologist provides immediate feedback and guidance, helping them improve their communication skills and feel more confident.

  • In these sessions, the teenager works alongside a family member or caregiver (like a parent, support worker, or teacher) and the speech pathologist. This teamwork lets the caregiver learn helpful strategies to support the teenager’s communication, both during and after the sessions. This way, the support continues outside of therapy.

  • These sessions are all about helping parents and caregivers learn how to support communication development at home. The speech pathologist will teach practical tips and strategies that caregivers can use in everyday situations, whether the teenager is in the session or not. This helps families keep supporting communication progress throughout the day.

“No matter how a person communicates, they deserve to be understood, supported, and encouraged.”

Pricing

  • Cost for Initial Appointment:

    • $145.49 - $387.98

    This cost includes:

    • 30 to 90 minute telehealth appointment:

      • Phone or video call appointment with the teenager’s caregiver to talk about the teen’s speech therapy needs (strengths and challenges)

      • The meeting is just with the caregiver to make sure the teenager’s difficulties are discussed openly without the teenager being present. This helps create a positive relationship between the therapist and the teenager from the start.

    • Extra time (15 to 30 minutes): The speech therapist will spend some additional time writing notes and planning for the next appointments. This ensures the teenager’s assessment and therapy is customised to meet the teenager’s specific needs.

    Important Details:

    • The appointment length of the initial appointment will depend on the teenager’s needs. We set aside up to 90 minutes to allow plenty of time for the caregiver to share details about the teenager. This helps the therapist get a complete picture of the child and their family before starting further assessment and therapy. It also ensures the caregiver and therapist have enough time to talk without feeling rushed.

    • If the discussion takes less time, you’ll only be charged for the actual time spent, not the full 90 minutes.

  • $193.99 per appointment

    Includes: 

    • 45 minutes direct assessment/therapy

    • 15 minutes of non-direct time for the speech pathologist to complete case notes and plan for future appointments, ensuring personalised services that continue to address the teenager’s specific needs

  • Fees are based on individual needs and vary depending on:

    • The type of device(s)/strategies being recommended

    • The level of support needed for the teenager and family

    • The amount of assistance required in selecting a suitable AAC system

    • Whether a report is needed to recommend a device for NDIS funding applications

    • The level of support needed to provide training in implementing and using the recommended AAC system effectively

    • Whether ongoing assessments and adjustments are needed to ensure the AAC system continues to meet the teenager’s evolving needs

    Contact us to receive a quote based on your specific needs.

For more information about our pricing, please refer to our pricing guide.

“The power of clear communication opens doors to understanding and connection.”

Ready To Get Started?

Fill out our referral form to get started – no need for a referral from your GP or any other professional. We look forward to hearing from you!