Frequently Asked Questions

Our sessions are billed at the hourly rate of $193.99 which is based on the NDIS Price Guide 2023-2024. All sessions include 45 minutes of face to face time in clinic with your therapist and 15 minutes of non face to face time for out of session work including tasks such as note preparation, analysing data, reviewing session progress, and goal refining and review. Our assessments, reporting and non face to face time are also billed at $193.99 per hour, with assessments ranging from 2hrs to 3.5hrs of clinician time (phone call, 60 minutes in clinic, reporting). 

Assessments typically involved a pre-assessment phone call with your therapist, an appointment in clinic and a summary or assessment report depending on the extent of assessment undertaken in the initial appointment and subsequent appointments.

Therapy sessions are generally 45-60minutes in duration in clinic

We have a 48 hour cancellation policy, your therapist will offer other options in the event you need to cancel within this time including a parent only session, telehealth if appropriate, resource making, and reporting.

Yes — private health insurance is an option and we have facilities to process a claim on the day. We recommend checking with your fund beforehand to understand your level of cover and any gap payment. Please note you cannot use private health insurance and Medicare for the same appointment.

Medicare will cover a portion of the session fee for up to 5 sessions in a calendar year. You GP will recommend up to 5 sessions that you can use for your appointments. Payment of the full fee is required on the day and then a Medicare rebate is processed for you (approximately $60, you can access Medicare Benefits Scheme information here on rebates for 10970 for SLP & 10958 for OT)

Our clinical team work hard to ensure we are providing a quality and individualised service. Outside of the face to face time you see us for each session we also:

• Plan therapy sessions specific for your child around their interests
• Record progress, observations, and information from therapy sessions
• Prepare and review goals
• Complete professional development to continue to ensure we are keeping up to date with best practice
• Research and participate in mentoring and supervision to come back to sessions with accurate information
• Stay up to date with NDIS changes
• Plan, reflect, think about your child’s therapy session on the way home in the car, sometimes in the middle of the night, and while getting ready in the morning!
• Create specific resources for your child based on their likes and interests

Yes — we support NDIS participants and bill at the current NDIS hourly rate. We can also assist families who are new to the NDIS with information about the scheme and whether their child may be eligible. For full details visit our fees and funding page.

No referral is needed to book an appointment with us. You are welcome to contact us directly to enquire about availability or to get on our waitlist. A GP referral is only needed if you plan to use Medicare under a Chronic Disease Management Plan.

Yes — we offer a 45-minute meet-and-greet session for families who would like to get a feel for our clinic and therapists before going ahead with a full assessment. This is a relaxed, no-pressure option to make sure SPOT feels like the right fit for your child and family.

Speech pathologist and speech therapist refer to the same profession — both terms describe a qualified clinician who supports children with communication, speech, language and swallowing difficulties. In Australia, the preferred term is speech pathologist. All of our speech pathologists are members of Speech Pathology Australia and hold a bachelor or masters degree in speech pathology. ..

Yes — SPOT Paediatrics offers both speech pathology and occupational therapy under one roof at our Hove clinic in Adelaide. Families can access both services in the same location, with the option for joint sessions or back-to-back appointments on the same day. Our OT and speech pathology teams collaborate regularly to support children who need both disciplines.

Our therapists dedicate significant time outside of sessions to ensure every child receives a high-quality, individualised experience. This includes planning sessions around your child’s interests, recording progress and observations, preparing and reviewing goals, creating specific resources, completing professional development, and participating in mentoring and supervision. This non-face-to-face time is included in your session billing.