MV Speech Pathology
MV Speech Pathology provides paediatric speech pathology services for children aged 2-10 years old. Mia supports children with speech, language and communication difficulties and helps in developing children's communication skills.
Each child deserves the opportunity to reach their full potential. That's why MV Speech Pathology is here, to help you unlock your child’s full potential and discover the power of communication.
MV SP Services
Mobile Service
MV Speech Pathology sessions are conducted face-to-face and can occur within an environment where you are most comfortable, whether that be at home, childcare, early learning centre, preschool or school.
FAMILY-CENTRED APPROACH
MV Speech Pathology invests time in building strong relationships and meaningful connections with children and their families. We focus on goals that are most important to families and for their child while keeping their perspectives and feelings in focus. We recognise that each family has individual values and expectations.
We work closely with those involved in your child's care, such as, GPs, paediatricians, teachers, support workers and allied health professionals, in order to achieve the best possible outcomes.
location
MV Speech Pathology services the metropolitan Sydney and Inner West area.
There is currently immediate availability in these areas.
MV Speech Pathology also offers speech pathology support to children in the Greater Western Sydney region as well as in Adelaide.
personaliseD, POSITIVE & ENGAGING INTERVENTION
Each child is unique in their own way, with different interests and needs. MV Speech Pathology sessions are child-led, fun, engaging and tailored to your child's interests and communication needs. This allows therapy to be positive and motivating for your child in reaching their individualised goals.
Telehealth
MV Speech Pathology offers online telehealth sessions provided an in-person session is not feasible and a telehealth is considered the best option for the child, family and the situation at hand.
evidence-baseD Practice
MV Speech Pathology provides quality and comprehensive speech and language assessment and intervention support using evidence-based speech pathology practices to improve children's communication skills, and achieve the most effective outcomes.
We engage in regular professional development to stay up-to-date on the latest research for our clients. This ensures that we see progress in the intervention that your child receives and it remains current and efficient in achieving their targeted intervention goals.
ASSESSMENT AND INTERVENTION
MV Speech Pathology offers speech pathology assessment to investigate communication concerns and establish your child's communication skills (including areas of strengths and areas for improvement), so that we can provide the right supports to address any existing communication difficulties, delays, or disorders.
After your child's assessment, we will discuss assessment findings and guide you through next steps and recommendations. Based on the needs identified through assessment, we will devise tailored supports and provide you with a personalised intervention plan to help meet your child's communication needs and goals.
At MV Speech Pathology, we focus on conducting thorough oral language and speech assessment and assisting children in developing these essential skills, which encompass:
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Oral Language refers to an individual's listening, understanding, and talking skills. Oral language is often broken up into receptive language and expressive language.
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Receptive Language (understanding) refers to the ability to understand spoken language, this includes, understanding different words, sentences, stories, questions and following instructions.
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Expressive Language (speaking) refers to the ability to use spoken language, this includes, use of vocabulary and grammar, such as using a wide range of different words, using sentences that are grammatically and structurally correct, telling stories and responding to questions.
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Speech (pronunciation, clarity) refers to the ability to produce speech sounds in words, so that people can clearly understand what is being said.
Acquiring oral language and speech skills in the early years of a child's life are part of the foundational skills in order to successfully learn to read and write. Oral language and speech difficulties can not only impact a child's literacy as well as learning and communication, but can also negatively contribute to a child's social interactions, behaviour and well-being. Oral language and speech skills are important to effectively participate at school, home and within the community and in activities of daily life.
Please get in touch if you have any concerns about your child's oral language and/or speech development or if you are seeking access to speech pathology support.
About MV
Mia Villani is an enthusiastic and dedicated speech pathologist with a strong passion in helping meet children's speech, language and communication needs, as well as their personalised goals. Mia has several years of experience working within the education setting, providing speech pathology support across preschools, and primary and secondary schools in rural and remote communities in South Australia as well as in Adelaide, and within private practice.
Mia is an experienced clinician in providing differential diagnoses and treatment of childhood communication difficulties, disorders and delays. Mia has had the privilege of positively impacting a significant amount of children with speech and language delays, disorders, complex communication needs and communication difficulties. Many of these children have experienced trauma, identify as Aboriginal and come from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Mia also has provided speech pathology services for children presenting with other complexities, such as, global developmental delays, intellectual impairments, specific learning disorder, Autism, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder.
Mia has coached many families, educators and support workers in delivering evidence-based speech and language intervention programs. She has collaborated with preschools and schools to implement strategies to strengthen the inclusion of students with oral language difficulties to support their language learning and literacy development, as well as enhance students engagement, access and participation in the classroom and school curriculum. Mia has fulfilled many capacity-building project roles in preschool and schools. She has delivered multiple workshops and professional development trainings for caregivers, educators and stakeholders in both education and not-for-profit sectors, all of which have been developed to meet the specific needs and requests of various cliental in schools, communities and organisations.
Mia’s involvement in multi-disciplinary teams has been extensive, working alongside, special educators, psychologists, behaviour support coaches, social workers, Aboriginal educators, hearing educators and occupational therapists to provide holistic care and address different areas of need. Mia's collaboration with external service providers has facilitated the evaluation of children’s needs and enabled the implementation of necessary supports. Mia is a strong advocate for working collaboratively with her client's family and alongside other health professionals as a team.
Mia is committed to staying updated with the latest research in her areas of practice. She has received professional training from highly respected professors in the paediatric speech pathology field of phonological speech sound disorders and oral language and oral narrative assessment and development. Mia is trained in Key Word Sign and in sensory integration strategies and fostering open dialogue around sensitive topics.
Mia is well-practiced in providing assessment and treatment of complex childhood speech sound disorders. She is most passionate about delivering direct speech intervention to children aged 3 to 7 years. This includes, helping children speak correctly and with clarity so that others can clearly understand them.
Clinical Areas of Special Interest
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Speech Sound Disorder and Speech Sound Delay (such as, phonological speech disorder or delay, inconsistent speech disorder, childhood apraxia of speech, motor speech disorder or delay)
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Early Language Intervention (such as, late talkers)
Clinical Areas of Experience
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Speech Sound Disorder and Delay (as above)
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Early Language Intervention (such as, late talkers)
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Developmental Language Disorder
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English as an Additional Language / Dialect (EALD)
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Language and Literacy Learning Difficulties
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Complex Communication Needs
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Augmentative and Alternative Communication
Certified Practising Speech Pathologist
Bachelor of Speech Pathology
(Flinders University, 2018)
Member of Speech Pathology Australia
Fees and Funding
In addition to full fee payment, MV Speech Pathology accepts the following funding and rebate options:
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Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a referral to see a speech pathologist?
No, you do not need a referral to see a speech pathologist. Anyone involved in your child's care can refer to speech pathology services. However, if you are planning to claim a rebate through Medicare, you will need a doctor's referral. Please refer to the Funding and Fees section for more information around Medicare rebates.
Is my child too young to see a speech pathologist?
No. It is never too early to see a speech pathologist! Early intervention is key in the first five years of a child's life. This time is a critical window of opportunity where it is possible to positively enhance your child's communication development. The speech and language intervention in which children receive during this period shapes their future, learning and well-being, and gives them the best start in life. Speech pathology assessment can identify any communication difficulties and supports early on, empowering you as a parent and allowing intervention to help your child reach their full potential.
SHOULD I 'wait and see' if MY Child CATCHES UP TALKING?
No. You should never wait to see if your child catches up with their communication skills, especially if you and/or others involved your child's world, such as, a family member, teacher or health care professional have concerns. Another sign that you should seek support from a speech pathologist is if you have noticed your child has not reached the typical communication milestones for their age. If you are unsure whether your child is having difficulty with speech, language and communication, I encourage you to refer to the aged 0-5 years communication milestones here: https://www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au/common/Uploaded%20files/Communication-swallowing/Speech-development/Communication-Milestone-Poster-2018.pdf
While some children naturally catch up with their communication skills, others do not and need more intensive support. Research suggests that even if late-talking children eventually catch up, they may still face literacy and other difficulties later on. A speech pathology assessment can help determine if your child's communication is concerning and then provide you with recommendations and tailored support to address any identified communication difficulties. Caregivers are the most significant people in a child's life and development. Equipping you with early communication strategies to implement in your child's world (and if recommended direct and intensive intervention too), can significantly enhance your child's ability to communicate.
WHAT OTHER TYPES OF SERVICES DO YOU PROVIDE?
We offer a growing range of speech pathology support to suit your child, family and organisation, such as consultation, professional training, sessions and workshops to parents, preschools, schools and organisations. We are flexible and work with you, tailoring our speech pathology services to suit your needs and requests. Contact us today to discuss so we can help you.
HOW MUCH DO SESSIONS COST?
Please contact us for our price guide and we will provide our current fee schedule with you.
WHAT Is the difference between a speech pathologist, SPEECH-Language Pathologist and speech therapist?
There is no difference! The titles are used interchangeably. However, in Australia the term speech pathologist is most commonly used.
WHAT DOES A speech pathologist DO?
Speech pathologists study, assess, diagnose and treat people who have difficulty with speaking, listening, understanding language, reading, writing, social skills, stuttering, using their voice, and swallowing. These communication difficulties are often because of developmental delays, stroke, brain injuries, learning disability, intellectual disability, dementia, hearing loss and other problems that can impact speech and language. Speech pathologists help people of all ages, from birth to the elderly and in a variety of settings. MV Speech Pathology assess and treats children aged 2 to 10 years old with their listening, understanding, speaking and production of speech sounds.
We look forward to hearing from you and will be in contact once this information has been submitted.