What is the difference between a Speech Therapist and a Speech Pathologist?
One question we get asked all the time is “What is the difference between a Speech Therapist and a Speech Pathologist?”
The answer is- nothing! 
Currently the term speech pathologist is more commonly used in Australia than speech therapist, however they are both the same profession. All speech pathologists/therapists are required to complete a university qualification.
Here at Cooee, we love being called Speech Pathologists!
The word ‘pathologist’ means to find the causes and effects of something. This describes us perfectly as our passion at Cooee is finding the cause of communication difficulties so that we can provide the best individualised intervention possible.
Finding out the cause of speech, language, literacy and feeding difficulties allows us to identify and understand your child’s unique strengths and areas where we can help.
In order to find the cause and effects of communication difficulties we undertake a variety of assessments which target different areas (depending on your child’s needs). Our assessment sessions involve a comprehensive investigation into your child’s strengths and weaknesses so that we can work out exactly what we need to do to support them.
We do not believe in ‘band-aid’ solutions.
The only way to improve communication difficulties is by finding and addressing the cause of the difficulties.
At Cooee, we tailor our therapy to meet your child’s unique needs, which is why a comprehensive assessment is so important.
So what do our assessments look like?
Well, this changes depending on the child we are working with. Every assessment will start with information gathering from parents and carers. It is invaluable to hear how our the children with work with are communicating in the home and school/kindy environments. After this, we use specific assessments and activities to find out your child’s profile in the area of concern. This gives us an insight into your child’s needs and how we can work together to support them.
We work with children with speech clarity difficulties, language difficulties, children having trouble with social skills, dyslexia and literacy difficulties, challenges with writing and getting thoughts on the paper, and children with diagnosis like Autism or Down Syndrome.
A comprehensive assessment allows us to form the best plan, with long term and short term goals, which we communicate clearly with you to help you see the journey ahead.
Check out our Speech Pathologists here to read about their interest areas and training!
Do you have concerns about your child’s communication needs? Give us a call or book online with one of our speech pathologists today!