Cheeky Monkeys Speech Pathology

Get to know Cheeky Monkeys Speech Pathology

From Cheeky Monkeys Speech Pathology's website.

• Our approach

  Therapy sessions prioritise child engagement and enjoyment, with fun planned into every appointment alongside toys and games to keep children motivated and create positive memories. Sessions focus on developing communication skills and address speech sound errors, language comprehension, expressive language, and phonological awareness. Parents and carers are actively involved in therapy, with intervention activities explained and modelled to them, plus specific homework activities tailored to their child's needs. The clinician draws on training in evidence-based approaches including It Takes Two To Talk Hanen methods and Lidcombe Program techniques, alongside over 20 years of experience working with children across diverse communication needs and temperaments.

• Working with families

  Parents and carers are viewed as experts in their children and are given dedicated time to discuss their child's development and concerns. You'll receive clear information about your child's communication skills and how they compare to typically developing children, and you'll be involved in establishing therapy goals. The clinician explains and models intervention activities, provides training, and offers specific homework activities tailored to your child's needs to support practice at home. The clinician is committed to timely communication, returning phone calls and emails within 1–2 days and completing reports within 2 weeks of assessment.

• Meet the team

  Rachel Wood (BSpeechPath, CPSP) is the owner and operator with over 20 years of experience as a paediatric speech pathologist in hospital settings including Westmead Children's Hospital and community health centres, as well as private practice. She holds a Bachelor of Speech Pathology from the University of Newcastle, is a Certified Practising Member of Speech Pathology Australia, and maintains accreditation through annual professional development. Rachel is trained in It Takes Two To Talk Hanen methods and Lidcombe Program approaches, completed a Certificate 3 in Early Childhood Education & Care through TAFE NSW in 2019, and was awarded the 2020 Vocational Student of the Year in the Central Coast Region NSW Training Awards.

• Your first visit

  The initial assessment involves a comprehensive evaluation tailored to your child's needs, lasting either 45–60 minutes for speech sound assessment or 60–90 minutes for language assessment that may include other areas such as social skills, play skills, voice and fluency. At the end of the assessment, the clinician aims to answer key questions for parents: whether your child's communication skills are age-appropriate, how far behind they may be, whether they're likely to improve without intervention, what caused the difficulty, what the main priority is, and what steps can help. Your child can be prepared simply by mentioning they'll visit a friend called Rachel to look at pictures and play with toys. A detailed report is provided within 2 weeks of the assessment.