We provide speech therapy online for children, adolescents and adults with cerebral palsy.
We are a registered NDIS provider and use an inclusive approach to therapy, where the person can be in the comfort and familiarity of their own home.
How can speech therapy benefit people with cerebral palsy?
Speech therapy can provide numerous benefits for individuals with cerebral palsy (CP), addressing various aspects of communication and function. Here are some key ways it can be helpful:
1. **Improving Communication Skills**: Many individuals with CP experience difficulties in speech due to muscle control issues. Speech therapy can enhance articulation, vocal quality, and fluency, helping individuals express themselves more clearly.
2. **Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC)**: For those with significant speech challenges, speech therapists can introduce AAC methods, which may include sign language, picture exchange systems, or speech-generating devices. These tools can facilitate effective communication.
3. **Feeding and Swallowing Support**: Some individuals with CP have difficulties with feeding and swallowing (dysphagia). Speech therapists can assess these difficulties and provide therapy to improve swallowing techniques, making eating safer and more enjoyable.
4. **Language Development**: Speech therapy supports the development of receptive (understanding) and expressive (using) language skills. Therapy can help individuals learn vocabulary, sentence structure, and conversation skills, which are essential for social interactions.
5. **Social Skills Training**: Therapy may focus on enhancing social communication skills, such as taking turns in conversation, understanding non-verbal cues, and developing relationships. This can improve social interaction and overall quality of life.
6. **Cognitive-Communication Skills**: CP can affect cognitive functions related to communication, such as memory, attention, and problem-solving. Speech therapists work on these areas to support effective communication and cognitive interactions.
7. **Personalized Therapy Programs**: Speech therapists customize intervention plans based on each individual’s needs, goals, and challenges, ensuring that therapy is relevant and effective for the person’s specific situation.
8. **Family Education and Support**: Speech therapy often includes educating family members on how to support communication and language development at home, fostering a supportive environment for the individual with CP.
In summary, speech therapy can significantly enhance the quality of life for individuals with cerebral palsy by improving communication abilities, aiding in feeding and swallowing, and supporting overall social interactions. Early intervention and consistent therapy can lead to more effective outcomes and greater independence in daily life.
Services for children, adolescents and adults
We have speech therapists who work with children, adolescents and adults, and we have therapists who have experience with cerebral palsy. Read more about our therapists here.
NDIS registered provider
We are a registered NDIS provider and work with self-managed, plan-managed and agency-managed clients.
If your are an NDIS provider or support coordinator we can provide reliable speech therapy for clients with cerebral palsy in any location. Refer a client and we’ll connect you to the right clinician.
Is online speech therapy effective?
Yes! A growing body of evidence shows that online delivery of therapy can be as effective as face to face. Online therapy has many other benefits too, including being convenient and accessible for people in regional and rural areas.
How does online speech therapy work?
At Umbo online therapy is not just zoom plus business-as-usual. It’s much more diverse than simply videoconferencing. Umbo therapists provide an individualised approach to each person, using the latest evidence, and a variety of technologies and engagement techniques.
Umbo champions person-centred therapy. It means the person and their family/support people leads the conversation. We believe that the most effective therapy occurs when support is given in the environment where the person lives, learns, works or plays. Therefore we work with the family, and teach skills to you or to other supporters. This means you’re achieving real-life goals, rather than just achieving goals in a clinic.
We are a certified social enterprise helping Australian families access allied health services.