Speech Pathology via Telehealth: Practical Care That Fits Your World

If therapy has ever felt like a logistical juggle - transport, practitioner coordination, time off school or work. Telehealth brings care to you. With secure video or phone, Occupational Therapists and Speech Pathologists can coach, assess, and problem solve in your real environment, often with outcomes that match in person care and with shorter wait times.

Let’s be honest: getting to therapy can be hard. It’s not just the appointment - it’s the travel, the time, the practitioner schedules, the school pick up, the parking. For many participants and families, those barriers are the biggest reason therapy gets postponed.

Telehealth flips that story. Your clinician meets you where life happens - at home, at school, at work - so strategies are tried in the exact places you’ll use them. The NDIS treat virtual care as “just another way to see your practitioner” when it’s clinically appropriate, and Australian evidence shows high satisfaction and comparable outcomes to face to face for many speech goals (with added benefits like reduced wait time and cost).

Telehealth isn’t a pandemic workaround. It’s now permanent in Medicare, supported by Australia’s Digital Health Blueprint, and widely used across the NDIS. Translation: it’s mainstream, safe, and here to stay.  

CARED offers telehealth speech services  nationwide. We’ll help you get set up easily, choose the right model (telehealth, hybrid, or in person), and focus on what matters most - your goals.

1) Let’s Talk About the Future of Allied Health Care in Australia

NDIS and Telehealth

Telehealth is fully supported under NDIS for allied health services when clinically appropriate, helping participants access care in familiar environments.

What about Medicare?

Medicare telehealth items are permanent for general healthcare, but NDIS funding is designed specifically for people with lifelong disability, with its own rules and flexibility.

The National Disability Strategy (2021–2031) sets a ten-year vision for inclusion across government, highlighting how remote service delivery—including telehealth—improves health and wellbeing outcomes for people with disability.

The Independent NDIS Review (2023) and recent Quarterly Reports emphasize innovation like telehealth as key to equity and sustainability under the scheme. These frameworks confirm that telehealth isn’t a short-term workaround—it’s part of how Australia plans to deliver accessible, participant-focused care for the long haul.

Telehealth also addresses the reality that around 27% of Australians live outside major cities, where access gaps are more common. Bringing therapy into homes reduces travel burdens and makes regular sessions more achievable. Connectivity keeps improving, and practical support for digital literacy is growing - but even today, telehealth is one of the fastest ways to start therapy without the commute.

2) Why so Many People Are Rethinking “Traditional” Therapy

Traditional clinic models can be great - but they don’t always fit real life. Participants and families often face:

• Long waits for appointments.

• Traditional therapy often means long travel times, extra costs, and wasted funding. With NDIS travel caps, providers are pulling out of regional areas -leaving participants with fewer options and waitlists stretching 6–24 months. Every hour spent on the road is an hour lost from therapy.

• Scheduling friction with work, school, and supports.

• Short, rigid appointment slots leave little time to practice strategies - so most of the session is spent talking, not doing.

Telehealth removes those barriers. It lets caregivers, teachers, or support workers join sessions easily, and it reduces wait times. A national NDIA–University of Western Australia survey of 2,391 NDIS participants, carers, and families found 63% transitioned their allied health supports to video or phone during COVID‑19. Nearly one‑third said they’d choose telehealth in the future, equating to around 130,000 participants (Patient Use, Experience, and Satisfaction With Telehealth in an Australian Population (Reimagining Health Care): Web-Based Survey Study - the UWA Profiles and Research Repository).

3) An Honest Look at In-Person Only Care: What’s Working… and What Isn’t

In-person therapy is essential for certain needs, including:

• Complex Physical Assessments – Services requiring hands-on evaluation (e.g., physiotherapy for gait analysis, manual muscle testing, or wheelchair seating assessments).

• High-Risk or Safety-Critical Interventions – Participants with severe mobility issues, swallowing difficulties (dysphagia), or complex medical needs where immediate physical assistance may be required.

• Behaviour Support in Crisis – When behaviours of concern pose imminent risk to self or others, in-person observation and intervention are often essential for safety and accurate functional assessment.

• Building Rapport for New Participants – Initial sessions for participants with high anxiety, trauma history, or trust issues may benefit from face-to-face engagement before transitioning to telehealth.

But there are trade offs: travel, schedule rigidity, and less opportunity to test strategies in your real world routines. Telehealth sessions, guided by national expectations for safe virtual care, let you practice where you live and participate - often leading to stronger carry over between sessions. When telehealth isn’t right, good providers (like CARED) pivot to hybrid or in person options.

4) The Options Nobody Told You About: Community & Telehealth

Community based and telehealth models align with modern Australian health policy: care that’s connected, person centred, and delivered where people live. Professional bodies recognise telepractice for Speech Therapy and have issued virtual care guidance for occupational therapy, with consistent expectations around safety, consent, and clinical standards.

Telehealth supports family-centred, strengths-based practice by embedding therapy in natural environments - where children live, play, and learn. Instead of clinic-only routines, strategies are coached into everyday activities like playgroups, story time at the local library, or mealtime at home. This approach builds capacity for caregivers and creates more opportunities for practice between sessions, which research shows leads to stronger skill carryover and long-term outcomes.

5) What Telehealth Speech Actually Look Like

Speech Pathology helps build communication, language, speech clarity, social interaction, literacy, and swallowing skills. But what does that look like in real life?

Here are some examples:

________________________________________

Functional Communication Assessment

Does your child struggle to follow instructions or get stuck on words? In a telehealth session, we observe real routines - like homework or mealtime - and assess expressive/receptive language, speech sounds, and social communication. Then we coach you on strategies that fit your day-to-day life.

________________________________________

AAC Assessment (Augmentative & Alternative Communication)

Is talking hard or not the easiest way to communicate? We’ll explore options like picture boards or speech-generating devices and teach you how to use them during real activities - ordering food, joining class discussions, or chatting with friends.

________________________________________

Swallowing/Dysphagia Assessment

Do meals feel stressful or unsafe - coughing on drinks, fatigue, or frequent chest infections? We’ll review mealtime setup via video, guide safe swallowing strategies, and involve carers every step of the way. If needed, we’ll arrange in-person follow-up for instrumental assessments.

________________________________________

Literacy & Phonological Awareness Assessment

Is reading a daily battle? We’ll run tailored tasks online to check sound awareness and decoding skills, then give you practical home activities - like fun word games - to build confidence and progress.

________________________________________

Pragmatic Language Assessment

Does conversation stall or feel awkward? We’ll use role-play and real-life prompts during telehealth sessions to practise turn-taking, flexible topics, and social cues - helping your child feel more confident with peers.

________________________________________

Credentialing matters: For NDIS speech therapy supports, clinicians must hold CPSP status (Certified Practising Speech Pathologist). CARED only engages appropriately credentialed clinicians.

6) What if Therapy Fit Around Your Week – Not the Other Way Around?

With telehealth, you can choose appointment times that suit your routine, whether that be before school, during a lunch break, after work, or when a practitioner is available. There’s no commute and no waiting room. Medicare telehealth item arrangements are permanent, and national policy momentum is strong - so you’re not betting on something that may disappear.

Most importantly, telehealth makes therapy stick. When strategies are practised in your kitchen, at your dining table, in the classroom, or at your workstation, your clinician can tailor recommendations to the exact context and coach you through real time challenges.

7) The Real Pros and Cons - No Sugar Coating

Pros

• Faster access, fewer barriers: Shorter waits in many regions; no travel time.

• Home based outcomes: When therapy happens at home or in places your child already plays and learns, strategies fit naturally into daily routines—like mealtime, playgroup, or story time. That means more chances to practice every day, not just once a week in a clinic

• Safety & standards: Same expectations of care as in person; telehealth used only when appropriate.

• National support: Permanent NDIS telehealth, long term digital health strategy.

Cons

• It doesn’t work for everyone. Some people simply prefer face-to-face interaction for building rapport or feel more comfortable in a clinic setting.

• Certain tasks need hands-on care. Complex physical assessments, high-risk interventions, or assistive technology trials often require in-person or hybrid sessions.

• Privacy/setup needed: You’ll need a quiet space and a compatible device; we provide an easy checklist.

8) How CARED Has Your Back: Referrals, Support, Admin & Tech

Fast access matters.

From referral to first session in under a week, so you can start therapy or get an assessment without sitting on a waitlist for months. Quick turnaround means less time waiting and more time working toward your goals.

9) Who Thrives with Telehealth?

Telehealth is endorsed under the NDIS Practice Standards and supported by research as an effective, flexible mode of delivering allied health services when clinically appropriate. It works best for participants who:

• Have access to technology and internet

• Are motivated to engage in therapy within their natural environments: Evidence shows telehealth enhances functional outcomes when strategies are embedded in home, school or everyday settings (Zhou & Parmanto, 2019)

• Value coaching and capacity-building: Telehealth supports family-centred practice, a core principle of ECIA and NDIS Early Childhood Approach, by empowering carers to implement strategies between sessions.

• Have informal supports available: Carers or family can join sessions, consistent with NDIS guidelines for collaborative and inclusive service delivery.

• Prefer convenience and reduced disruption: Telehealth reduces travel time and costs, improving access for participants in rural and remote areas (explicitly recognised in the NDIS Remote Service Delivery Framework.)

• Seek therapy that fits real-life contexts: Telehealth enables interventions in the participant’s own environment, supporting goal-based outcomes and functional participation

10) How to Start with CARED (And Begin Telehealth Fast)

1. Enquire or refer via our website/phone.

2. Share your goals (communication, mealtimes, routines, equipment).

3. Provide plan/referral details (NDIS; Medicare referrals where relevant).

4. Clinician match — We pair you with a AHPRA registered OT

5. Consent & service agreement — Plain English, transparent fees and scheduling.

6. Start your therapy!

7. Review & report — Clear outcomes for your plan reviews; adjust model (telehealth/hybrid/in person) as needed.

11) Real Stories of Telehealth Speech Pathology in Action

Telehealth isn’t just convenient—it’s changing lives. Here’s how it works in real settings:

________________________________________

“Come N See”: Rural School Telehealth (NSW)

For kids in remote New South Wales, speech therapy used to mean long waits and missed opportunities. The Come N See program changed that. Instead of waiting months for a visiting clinician, students now join six short telehealth sessions from their classroom, with a teaching assistant actively involved.

The program was designed for low-bandwidth connections, making it practical for rural schools. Each session lasted 30 minutes, and therapists followed up with email resources so strategies could be reinforced between calls.

What changed for students:

• Access improved dramatically - no more months of waiting

• Anxiety gave way to confidence as communication skills grew

• Teachers called the program “feasible and effective” for rural schools

• Kids reported feeling “happy and proud” when they could join in classroom conversations

This story shows how telehealth can bring speech therapy into the spaces where kids learn and interact - making progress practical and achievable (Rural and Remote Health).

________________________________________

Meals Made Safer: Telehealth Dysphagia Support (QLD)

For adults in smaller Queensland facilities, waiting for a swallowing assessment used to mean days of risk and discomfort. Telehealth changed that.

Using a hub-and-spoke model, speech pathologists assessed swallowing safety via secure video calls, with carers present to assist. They reviewed posture, food textures, and routines, then coached staff on safe strategies.

What changed for clients:

• Safer eating and drinking with tailored diet and fluid guidelines

• Faster access - wait times reduced by two days

• Average cost savings of $218 per session compared to standard care

• 64% of patients had immediate changes to diet or fluid consistency for safety

• Both patients and clinicians reported high satisfaction with minimal tech issues

This case shows how telehealth can deliver timely, effective dysphagia care - keeping people safe and supported without unnecessary delays (Implementation of speech pathology telepractice services for clinical swallowing assessment).

12) Before You Choose Telehealth - A Quick Self Check

Ask yourself:

1. Technology & Environment

Do we have a reliable device, internet and a private space for sessions? Is there a backup plan if technology fails (e.g., phone call or reschedule)?

2. Clinical Suitability

Are the participant’s needs safe and effective to address via telehealth?

3. Goals & Outcomes

Are therapy goals achievable through telehealth and everyday routines?

4. Consent & Comfort

Has the participant (or family) provided informed consent for telehealth? Are we comfortable using video or phone and ready to give it a go?

5. Support Availability

Is a carer or support person available if needed for positioning, tech setup, or implementing strategies?

6. Privacy & Confidentiality

Is the space private enough to maintain confidentiality and meet NDIS and AHPRA standards?

7. Flexibility

Would a hybrid model (telehealth + community/in-person visits) better meet our needs?

If any answer is “not yet,” we’ll help you solve it—or recommend an in-person pathway. Safety and outcomes first.

13) Why Now Is the Right Time

Demand for therapy remains high across Australia - especially in rural and remote areas where equity and access are ongoing challenges. Telehealth is often the fastest way to start, reducing wait times and removing travel barriers.

Bottom line: Telehealth isn’t a stopgap. It’s a strategic, evidence-based solution that supports choice and control, promotes inclusion, and delivers outcomes that stick by embedding therapy in natural environments and building participant capacity. With NDIS frameworks endorsing innovation and flexibility, and providers ready to pivot to hybrid or in-person when needed, now is the time to make therapy work for you.

14) Your Next Step: Book Telehealth with CARED

Telehealth Speech Therapy care is safe, evidence based, and participant friendly. They bring therapy into your routines, respect your time and budget, and focus on the everyday moments that matter - meal prep, communication, self care, school, work, community participation.

Ready to try?

• Join CARED today, call at 1300 367 117 or email hello@cared.io

• Start flexible care now

• Prefer to chat first? Book a call - we’ll walk through suitability, tech needs, and your goals.

Your therapy should fit your life. With CARED telehealth, it finally does.

‍