Frequently Asked Questions

Our sessions are billed at the hourly rate of $193.99 which is based on the NDIS Price Guide 2024-2025. 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 and completion and session planning. Our initial consultations, reporting and non face to face time outside of appointments are also billed at $193.99 per hour, with initial consultations billed for 2hrs (phone call, 60 minutes in clinic, brief summary of findings). Additional clinician time for tasks such as assessment scoring and report writing, meetings, phone calls or documentation is billed at $193.99 per hour.

Initial consultations typically involved a pre-assessment phone call with your therapist, an appointment in clinic and a summary of findings. Additional documentation such as assessment reports, letters to support access to funding such as NDIS, recommendations for schools can be provided upon request and are billed at a rate of $193.99 per/hr.

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 in person or via phone, a telehealth appointment if appropriate, resource making, goal reviews 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 may recommend up to 5 sessions that you can use towards your appointment fee. Payment of the full fee is required on the day and then a Medicare rebate is processed for you (approximately $62, you can access Medicare Benefits Scheme information here on rebates for 10970 for SLP & 10958 for OT). We can provide therapy under a GP Chronic Condition Management Plan (GPCCMP) or the M.10, for children and young people (under 25) with complex neurodevelopmental disorders or eligible disabilities.

Our clinical team work hard to ensure we are providing a quality and individualised service. We dedicate significant time outside of sessions to ensure every child receives a high-quality, individualised experience. Outside of the face to face time you see us for each session we:

• 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
• Complete reports, letters, summaries, and advocate for accommodations and supports
• Engage in Team Around the Child meetings (TAC) with teachers and other professionals
• Collaborate with other professionals involved in your child’s care (psychologists, physio, speech, OT)
• Visit your child in their learning environment to work with educators and teachers around environmental accommodations to support your child to succeed

Some of this is included in your session fee, and some of this may incur an additional cost to ensure we can dedicate the additional time that the task may require.

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 GP Chronic Condition Management Plan or an M.10 Plan.

Yes — we can 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. If you would like this option please ask when enquiring about our services.

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 SPOT 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. 

SPOT sessions (SLP and OT in at the same time) are a great way to amplify progress and work collaboratively.