Speech Therapy

Speech Pathology and Hearing

Speech Pathology is a health profession that involves assessment, diagnosis and treatment of individuals who are unable to communicate effectively. Communication disabilities are a result of problems with speech, using and understanding language, voice, fluency, reading and writing. People who experience problems with feeding and swallowing food and drink safely can also be helped by a speech pathologist.

Speech pathologists work with people and their families/carers, often as part of a multidisciplinary team with other health professionals, to provide individual treatment, group programs, home-based programs and resources for ongoing management of communication and swallowing difficulties.?

The Mount Isa Hospital?speech pathology department provides a variety of outpatient and inpatient services, to patients across the lifespan.

Paediatric Outpatient Services (0-5 years)

• Assessment and therapy for children with delayed speech or language skills.
• Providing therapy programs for children and neonates who have feeding impairments or who are fussy eaters.
• Working with children who stutter.
• Assessment and therapy for children with global developmental delays, hearing impairment, cleft palate etc.
• Assessment and management for children and infants with a history of prematurity or at risk of developmental delay.

Adult Outpatient Services

• Assessment and management of communication and swallowing disorders as a result of stroke, acquired brain injury or degenerative disease e.g. Motor Neuron Disease, Parkinson’s disease etc.
• Giving advice and providing follow up regarding swallowing issues post radiation therapy or surgical management, for patients with head and neck cancer.
• Provision of alternative and augmentative communication options for patients with acquired or degenerative communication disorders.
• Diagnosing voice disorders and providing vocal rehabilitation.

Specialised Outpatient Clinics

The speech pathology department participate in a range of multidisciplinary outpatient paediatric clinics. These include:

Baby development clinic (0-2 years): This is a clinic for children with a history of prematurely, low birth weight and/or a complex medical issue.? A speech pathologist, physiotherapist, occupational therapist, and dietitian are present for the clinic.? The focus of the clinic is on assessment and education of the family to promote development and educate regarding possible difficulties the child may have.?

Joint speech pathology and dietetic feeding clinic (0-5 years): For children with feeding difficulties, FTT or at risk of FTT, food aversions or fussy eating which may be associated with co-morbidities such as autism, cerebral palsy, allergies etc.

Inpatient Services

Speech pathologists working within Mount Isa Hospital?provide preventative advice, comprehensive assessment, and speech pathology intervention within the multi-disciplinary team.? The focus of clinical services at the Mount Isa Hospital is acute care for inpatients in the following areas:

• Emergency department
• Medical ward
• Surgical ward
• Intensive care unit
• Cancer care
• Paediatric ward
• Maternity ward

Normal working hours for inpatient clinical speech pathology services include Monday to Friday 8.00am-4.30pm. ?