Q. My child can speak and I am not concerned
about his/her communication. Why do I need to
see a Speech Pathologist?
A. In training, Speech Pathologist study the anatomy and physiology of the head and neck. They have a clear understanding of the muscles that are involved in feeding and how they work. These are the same muscles that are involved in speech. Feeding and eating can be impaired while speech is appropriate.
Q. Do you need a referral?
A. No you do not need a referral to see Mandy.
Q. Do I get anything back from Medicare?
A. If you get a Chronic Disease Management Plan (formally Enhanced Primary Care Plan) from your General Practitioner made out to Speech Pathology. You will be entitled to 5 rebates per calendar year to the value of $52.95/session.
Q. Can I claim back from Private Health Insurance?
A. If you have extras cover that covers Speech Pathology you will be able to claim.
YOU WON’T BE ABLE TO CLAIM BACK FROM BOTH MEDICARE AND PRIVATE HEALTH IN ONE CONSULT.
Q. Does my child need to be assessed?
A. Every child will need an individual assessment as every child is different. An individualised treatment plan will be developed for your child from the results of the assessment.
Q. Do I need to bring anything to the assessment?
A. You will be required to bring in foods that your child DOES eat (favourite/tolerated/safe foods) as well as foods that your child DOESN’T eat. This will enable Mandy-Lee to assess their oral skills as well as assess their response to new foods.
Q. What will happen in an assessment?
A. An in depth developmental and medical history will be obtained. An oral-motor assessment will also be carried out to assess your child’s tone in their jaw, cheeks, lips and tongue. An assessment of the structure of their palate, teeth, tongue and lips will also be carried out. Your child’s current weight and height will be measured. Lastly an assessment of your baby/child feeding/eating will be carried out to assess how they eat and what difficulties they are having.
Q. I have been told that my child will just outgrow fussy eating or their eating difficulty?
A. If your child eats less than 20 foods they are considered to be fussy and would benefit from some type of intervention.
Neophobia (fear of new foods) peaks at age 2 and from there it rapidly declines. If your child is fussy beyond this age it is worth having them assessed.
Q. I have been told that my child will never starve themself, is this true?
A. True. Fussy eaters and babies and children with feeding difficulties will starve themselves if not given foods that they can eat. Often there is something internal going on until this is sorted out a child can go to the stage of starvation rather than eat a ‘noxious’ food.