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Communication Disorders Treatment and Research Clinic
Student-led speech pathology services
We provide speech pathology to a wide range of clients including members of the public. Our team of clinical educators supervise students to treat various communication disorders in adults and children.
The Communication Disorders Treatment and Research Clinic (CDTRC) is a teaching and research facility of the University of Sydney. Our goals are to provide optimal service to clients while enabling professional growth and development for both students and educators.
The clinic's assessments and therapy are provided by qualified speech pathologists supervising speech pathology students undertaking clinical or fieldwork training.
Supervised students are able to see adults and children with a range of communication difficulties including language disorders, speech disorders, voice problems, stuttering, and swallowing disorders.
The CDTRC is a non-profit clinic funded by the University and clinic fees. We are open to members of the public however our clinic fees are not eligible for Medicare rebates.
Clinical education
The CDTRC provides a setting for clinical education, in which we teach students clinical and client management skills. Clinical education involves one-to-one or group teaching, mentoring and coaching. Our students learn how to assess communication, develop intervention plans and counsel a variety of cases through clinical education.
Our staff comprises of clinical educators and academic staff members from the Discipline of Speech Pathology who provide clinical teaching for students.
Clinical services
Our speech pathologists provide services to people experiencing difficulties with communication and/or swallowing. Our clinical services include:
- Assessment - comprehensive assessments of both adult's and children's communication skills. Assessment is individualised to the presenting concerns and needs. Specific recommendations about treatment and options for services included.
- Therapy - the type and frequency of therapy will depend on the professional practice best suited to the particular problem.
Please contact the clinic for a current schedule of fees.
Referrals to the clinic can be made by:
- the client
- the client's family
- schools
- employers
- community health centres
- counsellors
- doctors
- other health or community workers
For general enquiries or more information on the treatments we offer, or to arrange an assessment or treatment for you or your child please contact the clinic on 9351 9539 or email clinic-reception.swhb@sydney.edu.au during business hours.
Specialist clinical programs
Treatment programs and services offered:
- adult speech pronunciation therapy
- school and teacher language and literacy programs
- voice use assessment and therapy (including ENT consults)
- child speech sound disorders
- developmental language disorders (DLD)
- adult and child neurological impairments or brain damage
- Stuttering services: intensive and weekly treatment programs for children and adults who stutter, including the Camperdown program (adults) and the Lidcombe project (young children).
School programs
Our speech pathologists can work with schools to enhance communication skills for children with language or learning disorders. Speech pathologists can help in these instances by:
- assisting teachers to identify these disorders early through teacher education and consultation
- offering strategies for classroom management
- working with teachers to deliver and develop curriculum material that may help overcome a child's specific difficulties
- providing individual and group therapy
- increasing opportunities for children's classroom success
- providing team teaching, demonstration lessons and teacher in-service training.
Common areas of practice in speech pathology
Speech disorders in children can be caused by problems with how the child learns the sounds of their language (a phonological disorder) or from difficulties in learning how to move the muscles of your mouth to make the speech sounds accurately (articulation, apraxia or dysarthria).
How we can help
We provide comprehensive assessments of children’s speech abilities across all domains.
Therapy is offered in both weekly and intensive blocks and will target specific, individual goals for the child. Therapy provides an opportunity for the child to learn skills that will be developed further in settings outside the clinic. Therapy goals and approaches are set with reference to the latest evidence-based practice principles.
Children with developmental language disorder (DLD) may have difficulty with vocabulary, grammar and/or the use of language in social situations and in creating stories. These difficulties can occur across speaking, listening, reading and writing, and can persist from the early years through to adulthood. DLD may co-occur, or may not occur, with associated conditions such as autism spectrum disorder, hearing impairment or other developmental disabilities.
How we can help
We provide comprehensive assessments of children’s language abilities across all domains.
Therapy is offered in both weekly and intensive blocks and will target specific, individual goals for the child. Generally our therapy services are delivered individually, however occasionally we offer group programs. Therapy provides an opportunity for the child to learn skills that can be developed further in the home and/or classroom. Therapy goals and approaches are set with reference to the latest evidence-based practice principles.
Stuttering, or stammering, occurs when people have problems with the flow of their speech. Children are unlikely to 'grow out' of stuttering, and need to be referred to a speech pathologist for assessment.
How we can help
We provide effective treatment for people who stutter from 18 months old.
Preschool and school-aged children are treated using the Lidcombe Program, a program co-developed by the CDTRC. This program trains parents to assist their child in controlling stutter.
Adults and adolescents are generally treated using the Camperdown Program. This involves learning to use 'fluency technique' (sometimes known as 'prolonged speech' or 'smooth speech'). Treatment can be intensive or weekly.
Stuttering maintenance days
For adult clients with stuttering who have completed a speech fluency program (with us or elsewhere) and wish to maintain their fluency techniques.
Voice disorders can involve various symptoms including vocal hoarseness, fatigue and voice loss.
It is advised that you see an Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) specialist before seeking speech pathology voice therapy. This will help clarify your diagnosis to ensure you receive the most appropriate intervention to best manage your voice concerns.
How we can help:
Assessment- The CDTRC Voice Assessment Clinic involves voice assessment conducted by speech pathologists and ENT specialists. This comprehensive service provides clients with an informed diagnosis and recommendations to improve their voice symptoms.
Therapy- Our speech pathologists can implement a variety of techniques and approaches to help clients improve their vocal quality and achieve a more optimal pattern of voicing to meet their vocal needs.
Brain damage following a stroke or head injury, or with a neurological disorder such as Parkinson's Disease, can cause difficulties with communication (talking, understanding, reading, writing) and swallowing.
How we can help:
Our clinic provides assessment and therapy for these difficulties.
For general enquiries or more information on the treatments we offer, or to arrange an assessment or treatment for you or your child, please contact the clinic on 9351 9539 or clinic-reception.swhb@sydney.edu.au during business hours.
