Speech Pathology · Earlwood
Speech Pathologist near Earlwood Oval
I'm Shine, a Certified Practising Speech Pathologist based in Arncliffe. I see toddlers, preschoolers and school-age children around Earlwood Oval at home, at preschool or school, or by video. The oval is about 4 km west of Arncliffe.
- Home and preschool visits
- No referral needed
- Free 15-minute call
- Funding accepted
- NDIS plan-managedNDIS self-managedMedicare CDMDVA Gold & White CardHome Care PackagePrivate pay
How far is Earlwood Oval from Arncliffe?
Earlwood Oval is about 4 km west of Arncliffe, past Bardwell Park. Earlwood sits inside my regular area for home and preschool visits, and travel inside my core area is included in the session rate.
My toddler isn't saying many words yet. Should I get it checked?
It's worth finding out. Speech and language follow a rough timeline: first words around 12 months, two-word combinations by 18 to 24 months, and short sentences by age 3. When a child falls behind, I want to know why before school starts and the demands go up. Children who can't make themselves understood often stop trying, which is one more reason to find out early.
Families usually contact me for one of these reasons:
- fewer words than other children the same age
- hard to understand, even for family
- stuttering or getting stuck starting sentences
- a preschool teacher, GP or paediatrician has suggested an assessment
Each of these is worth a phone call. A free 15-minute discovery call is enough for me to tell you honestly whether a full assessment is worth doing. More detail: paediatric speech therapy.
Where do sessions happen around Earlwood?
At home, where your child is most relaxed. 80.1% of Earlwood homes are separate houses, and a kitchen table with a parent joining in is all a session needs. I bring the books, toys and assessment tools.
At preschool or school, with the centre's OK. Earlwood Public School and Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School are both within about 700 m of the oval, and several early learning centres are close by. A session at preschool lets me see how your child talks with other children.
By video, for older children and for weeks when a visit doesn't fit.
What does a first session with a toddler look like?
It looks like play. I start from what your child can already do, so I bring toys and books and watch how they communicate when they're relaxed. Parents often tell me afterwards they expected their child to be tested and put on the spot. Playing is how I see the real picture.
You stay in the room and join in. By the end you know what to practise at home, and what you do between sessions does more than the session itself.
If your preschooler has started stuttering, the Lidcombe Program is the approach I use. It was developed at the University of Sydney, and a parent delivers it during everyday play and conversation, with a weekly session with me to check progress and fine-tune. It is a working partnership between us. Some early stuttering goes away by itself, so I usually suggest an assessment if it is still there six to twelve months after it started. More: stuttering therapy.
Do you work with Greek-speaking families?
Yes. Greek is Earlwood's most common language after English: at the 2021 Census, 18.1% of residents spoke Greek at home, and 56.5% of households used a language other than English.
I work in English and Mandarin. If your child hears Greek from grandparents or at home, keep it going. Speech Pathology Australia explains that learning two languages does not cause a speech or language disorder, and that dropping the home language does not fix one.
To start, call or send an enquiry. I work with NDIS (self-managed and plan-managed), Medicare with an eligible GP referral and private clients.
Questions Earlwood parents ask
Make an enquiryCan you see my child at preschool in Earlwood?
How long is a session for a toddler?
Can you check whether my child is ready for school?
Do you speak Greek?
Is travel charged to Earlwood?
Do I need a referral?
Where is Shine and Speak?
Shine and Speak is based in Arncliffe, about 4 km from Earlwood Oval. Sessions happen in your home, at preschool or school, or by video.
Related services
Back to all speech pathology services in Sydney, or see Shine and Speak's home page.
Ready to get started?
No referral needed. Book a free 15-minute discovery call and we will work out whether an assessment makes sense.
