FAQs

Do I need a referral from my GP for therapy?

No. Simply contact the clinic to discuss your needs and arrange your appointment as necessary. Some patients may be eligible for partial Medicare or NDIS rebates, in which case a GP referral is required.

How long will I have to wait for my appointment?

We can generally offer you an initial appointment or assessment within six weeks. In the event that we are unable to accommodate you, we will place you on our wait list. We can also provide a list of other local Speech Pathologists we would recommend.

How long is each therapy session?

Therapy sessions vary between 30 and 60 minutes depending on patient age and purpose of the appointment. Assessments generally take longer than an average therapy session. Younger children typically cope better with shorter-duration therapy appointments of 30 minutes. School aged children and adults often require longer therapy appointments for maximum benefit.

How often will I need to attend therapy?

This will vary patient to patient and is very dependant on the level of concern and nature of each individual case. We are happy to discuss this with you and make further recommendations once we are more familiar with yourself or your child.

What is Telehealth?

Telehealth is the online option for therapy access. It requires access to a strong internet connection, a computer or tablet and a working microphone and camera. A Tele-therapy session is run very similarly to a face-to-face session with the exception of physical presence. 

What is Mobile Therapy?

Instead of you tracking to us, we come to you! Here at First Step Therapies we offer mobile visits to homes, schools, and kindergartens. We recommend you allow 15 minutes on either side of your appointment slot to allow for the unknowns that come with mobile therapy such as traffic incidents. 

Why are there late cancellation/non-attendance fees?

At our clinic, we strive to provide the best possible care to all of our clients. To do so, we need our clients to show up for their appointments on time. Unfortunately, there are times when appointments are cancelled at the last minute or not attended, which can be detrimental to our business and our ability to provide quality care to other clients.

That is why we have a cancellation fee policy in place. This policy is designed to compensate for the time and resources that are lost when a client cancels without adequate notice or fails to show up for their appointment.

We understand that unexpected things can happen, and we do our best to be flexible and understanding with our clients. However, it is important to remember that our business depends on a steady stream of clients and last-minute cancellations and no-shows can have a significant impact on our ability to provide quality care.