It seems speech therapy has ceased to exist in public schools throughout the mid west of WA due to staff shortages. This makes me feel sad, insignificant and helpless. This also makes me feel angry. We had very limited speech therapy services previously. (On paper, a speech therapist once a term - though, more accurately perhaps 2x a year. A speech assistant - with no formal education to my knowledge weekly.)
I now pay $100 per speech pathology session for my child every fortnight, online via teams, with a fully qualified, private speech therapist located in Perth. This is not subsidised. Why is telehealth speech therapy and even occupational therapy not been implemented by Community Health in regional and remote public schools already?
In my personal experience, these have been even more successful than the time spent face-to-face at our public school, with the seemingly unqualified speech assistant who has no props, games, mirror or tools. I feel it is a case of 'out of sight, out of mind' for our regional and remote children who continue to fall behind due to lack of available services. I believe they continue to be further disadvantaged developmentally, physically, socially and academically when there are simple, cost effective solutions that are not being implemented and I don't understand why. Laziness? Incompetence? Lack of interest? Don't care?
"Cessation of public Speech Therapy throughout the Mid West of WA"
About: Geraldton Population Health Unit Geraldton Population Health Unit Geraldton 6530
Posted by puppismr79 (as ),
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