About Us
South Coast Speech Pathology is an innovative, client focused practice based on the South Coast of NSW. We help children and their families living with communication, learning and swallowing difficulties across the Eurobodalla, Shoalhaven and Illawarra shires. An experienced Speech Therapist can visit you in your childcare centre, school, or home. Alternatively you can visit us at our Moruya or Nowra clinics.
South Coast Speech Pathology also provides services via Telehealth to those living in rural and remote areas. Where appropriate these Telehealth services can be supported by outreach visits with the Speech Pathologist, or an in-person assessment at our nearest clinic location.
Holistic therapy
We will work closely with families and caregivers to support individuals to achieve success in all aspects of their lives.
Community minded
We will strive to be a familiar face that links with local organisations and families.
Empowering people
We will support all individuals to be effective communicators and valued community members.
Our services
Assessment
Formal and informal speech assessments to guide therapy goals and to show progress.
Therapy
Individualised approaches to build on strengths and improve developing areas.
Literacy Programs
Quality home-based literacy programs with regular support from our therapists
Training and Consulation
In-person and training for parents, caregivers, and educators
Our Therapists
Claire Price - Director & Speech Pathologist
BBehavSc(Psych), MSpPathSt, GradCertEd(LrngDiff), CPSP
Claire is the Director of South Coast Speech Pathology. She has worked in private practices and not-for-profit organisations across Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria, and now calls the South Coast home. Claire holds a Bachelor of Behavioural Science (Psychology), a Master of Speech Pathology Studies and a Graduate Certificate in Education, specialising in Learning Difficulties.
Claire is passionate about building relationships with her clients and creating a community of support around clients and their families. Her clinical experience and post-graduate training assist her to create individualised and holistic therapy sessions that help children and adults reach their potential. Claire is also an advocate for the Speech Pathology profession and supporting early career Speech Pathologists.
Claire has completed additional training in the following evidence based programs:
- The SOS Approach to Feeding
- Ellyn Satter: Division of Responsibility in Feeding
- Hanen: It Takes Two to Talk
- The Lidcombe Program for stuttering
- The Spalding Method
- MULTILIT: Reading Tutor Program
- Sounds Write
- Lindamood-Bell’s Visualizing and Verbalizing Program
- Circle of Security – Parenting
- Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) Level 1 Training
- DIRFloortime® – Basic DIRFloortime® Provider
- Talking Mats
- Talk4Writing
Ingrid Mason - Speech Pathologist
BA, BPrimEd, MA (Cognitive Science), MSpPath, CPSP
Ingrid holds qualifications in Primary School Education, Cognitive Science and a Masters of Speech Pathology and is a certified member of Speech Pathology Australia.
Ingrid brings a passion for working with strengths and building resilience in the clients and families that she meets. She has worked with both children and adults from a diverse range of backgrounds and strongly believes in the value of working with the individual, family and community in a holistic way to meet the needs of people with communication and swallowing difficulties.
Ingrid is also a parent and fully understands the juggling act of providing support whilst caring for others. When not working, she can be found bush-walking with the family or relaxing on the balcony watching over her growing herd of guinea pigs.
Ingrid has completed additional training in the following evidence based programs:
- Hanen: More Than Words
- Sounds Write
Kirsty Nairn - Speech Pathologist
BSPath, CPSP
Kirsty holds a Bachelor of Speech Pathology and is a certified member of Speech Pathology Australia.
Kirsty has lived most of her life in rural NSW and understands first-hand the barriers to accessing health services that are faced by people living in regional and rural areas of Australia. She is extremely excited to be able to work with these communities and improve their access to Speech Pathology services.
Kirsty enjoys supporting her paediatric and adult clients to achieve their communication and swallowing goals. She loves building rapport with her clients. Kirsty is a movie fanatic, and also enjoys the beach, reading, and catching up with friends.
Kirsty has completed additional training in the following evidence based programs:
- The Lidcombe Program for stuttering
- Hanen: More Than Words
Lily Murray - Speech Pathologist
BA, DipSphComm, MSLP, CPSP
Lily has a Master of Speech and Language Pathology from Macquarie University. Before becoming a speech pathologist, she worked in education and publishing.
Lily enjoys working with and learning from people with culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. She is passionate about addressing barriers that prevent people accessing health care and education.
Lily has experience working with people across the lifespan from birth to end-of-life, collaborating on communication and swallowing concerns.Her special interest area is paediatric swallowing and feeding.
Lily loves the energy pre-school age kids bring to sessions and enjoys empowering young people to think creatively and critically about the world around them. Lily’s love of reading and storytelling is central to her work as a clinician.
Josie Bauer - Speech Pathologist
BSpPath, CPSP
Josie holds a Bachelor of Speech Pathology and is a graduate from the Australian Catholic University.
She has experience working with children from 0-15 years of age to support their unique strengths, goals and aspirations. Josie worked for over four years in the not-for-profit healthcare sector within the Southern Highlands. She is excited for a sea change and to call the South Coast home.
Josie celebrates neurodiversity and is passionate about working in a respectful partnership with each client during assessment and during therapy sessions. Josie will work in collaboration with each client, and their parent, carer or teacher to develop supportive communication strategies and fun learning opportunities.
In her spare time, Josie enjoys the beach, bush walks, gym and catching up with friends.
Cherie Richards - Speech Pathologist
BAppSc(BiomedSc), MSpPath, CPSP
Cherie holds qualifications in Medical Science and a Master of Speech Pathology.
Having grown up on the NSW South Coast, Cherie is excited to be back working in the area and looks forward to supporting clients and their families/carers, with their communication and swallowing goals.
Cherie has experience working with school-aged students to develop their speech, language and literacy skills; encouraging them to grow in confidence in order to reach their full potential.
Cherie enjoys travel, nature and relaxing with family and friends.
Candace Parnell - Allied Health Assistant
BPrimEd
During her time as a primary school teacher Candace often encountered students who needed speech support but who were unable to access these services due to the limited resources within the Eurobodalla.
When Candace became a mother to two boys, her understanding of the importance of access to these types of services became clear.
It is with this unique perspective of parent and educator that drove Candace to make the jump to South Coast Speech Pathology. She hopes to build strong relationships with clients and their families across the community that will help to ensure that all students have an equal chance in education and life.
Our Vision
South Coast Speech Pathology (SCSP) aims to support children and their families to gain independence and confidence. We believe that everyone has the right to be an effective communicator.
South Coast Speech Pathology is a local service that links individuals to their community and like-minded organisations. We aim to be a familiar face that empowers families and caregivers. SCSP strives to provide clients with friendly, flexible, and quality support.
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How can a Speech Pathologist Help?
Infants
Some babies have difficulties with breast and bottle feeding, or transitioning to puree and finger foods. Speech Pathologists can help babies to eat and drink safely from birth.
Communication begins from birth and babies learn to interact through smiles, cooing, and copying actions like waving, pointing and clapping. Speech Pathologists support the development of early communication skills such as eye contact, babbling, gestures and those memorable first-words.
Children and Adolescents
Language difficulties can impact on a child’s ability to understand what is said to them, to follow instructions, to ask and answer questions, and to share their thoughts and feelings. Speech Pathologists support children and adolescents to improve their receptive (understanding) language and expressive (using) language.
Some children say their words incorrectly because they have difficulty pronouncing speech sounds. This can impact on their ability to get their message across, particularly if they are talking to unfamiliar people. Those closest to them are often excellent translators! Speech Pathologist help children to improve their articulation and clarity.
Stuttering occurs when an individual repeats sounds or words, and finds it hard to get their words out smoothly. This can be a normal phase of development, especially during periods of rapid vocabulary growth, however, stuttering often requires therapy to ensure that it does not stick around. Speech Pathologists help children and adolescents to reduce their stutter.
Difficulties chewing and swallowing can impact on a child or adolescents ability to eat and drink safely, and some children only eat a very small variety of food. Speech Pathologists can support safe eating and drinking, and increasing the different kinds of food that children eat. They can also provide strategies to help encourage positive family mealtimes.
Some people need to use signs, symbols or electronic devices to communicate. These may be used to support limited verbal communication, or to replace verbal communication. Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) may be a short term approach to help people while they strengthen their verbal communication skills, or it may be something that is used throughout their life. Speech Pathologists help children and adolescents to develop communication using the most effective system for them.
Some children and adolescents find it difficult to interact with their peers. They may need support to understand body language, to play games, take turns and to have a conversation. Speech Pathologists help children and adolescents to learn to successfully engage with their peers.
Learning to read and write can be difficult for many children, particularly if they have other language or speech difficulties. Speech Pathologists can help school students to read and spell, and to develop their reading comprehension and written expression.
Adults
Adults can have difficulty with communication due to challenges they had as a child, or as a result of injuries or illnesses acquired in adulthood (e.g. stroke, traumatic brain injury, Parkinson’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis). Speech Pathologists can help adults with understanding and using language, speaking clearly, reducing stuttering, and supporting verbal communication with alternative and augmentative communication.
Swallowing difficulties can impact on an adult’s ability to eat and drink safely. Swallowing difficulties may be present from childhood, or may arise after an injury or illness. Speech Pathologists help adults to eat and drink safely, and support families and caregivers to implement mealtime strategies.
Many adults did not receive effective literacy instruction in childhood, and still continue to have difficulties with reading and writing. Speech Pathologists can support adults to develop their skills in reading, spelling, reading comprehension and written expression.
Adults who speak English as a second language may find that they have difficulties being understood (especially in corporate environments) due to a strong accent. Speech Pathologists can help non-native English speakers to be better understood.
Telehealth speech therapy for rural and remote areas
Your Speech Therapist can use Telehealth to do assessments and therapy over the internet. South Coast Speech Pathology views Telehealth as an alternate option for supporting children and families who live in rural and remote areas and can’t access regular in-person appointments.
