ABOUT:

At Sound Voice Speech Pathology, Mel [BSPath CPSP]  works with people who are experiencing voice, swallowing or communication changes. Speech Pathologists work with people of all ages however, at Sound Voice Speech Pathology we specialise in working with adult clients over the age of 18years.

Mel is our senior SP and she has worked extensively in inpatient hospital acute, emergency and rehabilitation, outpatients, Koori outreach and a fly-in, fly-out services since 2011. She has been a Member of Speech Pathology Australia since 2007and Mel graduated from the University of Newcastle with a Bachelor of Speech Pathology in 2010. 

Mel moved to the Shepparton area in 2013 and has dedicated herself to assisting our community here ever since through her professional roles with GVHealth as well as in Private Practice.

Mel has experience working with clients who have difficulty with:

•  Dysphagia (swallowing changes), 

• Dysphonia (voice changes - rough, hoarse, strained, soft, loud, tremor), 

• Dysarthria (trouble making sounds and saying the sounds/words clearly), 

• Dysphasia (difficulty finding words and/or understanding words) 

• Cancers of the Head and Neck (pre or post treatment assessment, rehabilitation and management of speech and swallowing)

• Cognitive changes (Brain Injury, Stroke, Dementia, thinking changes due to MS, Huntington's Disease, Parkinson's Disease etc)

• and altered breathing habits (laryngospasm, inducible laryngeal obstruction [ILO], chronic cough, COPD). 

These problems can arise due to ageing, neurological, neurodegenerative, oncology, respiratory, anatomical differences and many other causes. As part of her Dysphagia practice Mel has developed a special interest in the role of reflux, and the functional-impacts of reflux on the oesophagus (food pipe), pharynx (throat) and larynx (voice box/windpipe).

Mel is a certified Lee Silverman Voice Therapist and has also completed a SpeakOUT! certification for clients with voice and speech changes due to Parkinson's Disease. She also uses a variety of other voice, relaxation and communication therapy techniques to assist clients to improve the function of their voices or to match their voice to their identified gender. 

Sound Voice Speech Pathology is a LGBTQIA+ safe space. You can be yourself with us. 

I also strive for cultural inclusion and culturally safe practice when working with clients from non-English speaking or first-Australian backgrounds.

Services 

• support and therapy following cancer surgeries or cancer therapies targeting areas in the head, mouth, neck or oesophagus.  Including where people have had surgery, to remove cancers of the tongue, tonsils, voice box or affecting other areas within the head/neck. 

• support for people receiving hospice or palliative care services 

• supports for adults with neurological conditions that progress over time, such as Motor Neurone Disease, Huntington's Disease, Parkinson’s Disease,  Multiple Sclerosis or Dementia.

• Therapy for speech and voice problems: gender affirming voice or Neurological/ Neuromuscular/ Neurodegenerative conditions and many  others 

• Dysphagia assessment, rehabilitation and/or compensatory strategies for coughing when eating / drinking, taking medications, those with recurrent chest infections or pneumonia,  those who are choking when eating or drinking

• support and rehabilitation following an acquired brain injury, for example due to a car accident or stroke 

• support and therapy for hearing loss 

• people with communication or swallowing difficulties related to a mental illness (or related to the medication taken to treat a mental illness) 

• therapy to reduce stuttering

Speech Pathology Australia has position statements and fact sheets that include information about the role of a speech pathologist and the various communication difficulties they treat. 

More information for people with communication difficulties, their partners,/friends and the wider community can be found on the Communication Hub on the Speech Pathology Australia website. https://www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au

Clients

Adult clients with diagnoses of Neurological, Neuromuscular, Neurodegenerative, Oncology or Palliative Care conditions. Our clients are over the age of age of 18 and are covered for Speech Pathology services through private health insurance, are claiming through medicare (there will be out of pocket expense), a home care package/NDIS or are paying for their own services.  

Mel is particularly skilled in the areas of Swallowing, Communication and Voice. She will work along-side you to complete assessments, and determine the treatments and speech pathology services that are right for you.

PLEASE NOTE: If you are seeking services for adult clients with Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnoses please contact Mel and she will be happy to provide a list of local service providers who are skilled in this specialist area of practice.

Referral

If you wish to claim against medicare or private health cover you will require a GP referral called an Enhanced Primary Care Plan (for those with a chronic or terminal condition) for Speech Pathology under Medicare (NOTE: there will be out of pocket expense). 

If you are self-funded (paying yourself) you can refer yourself by giving us a call (see below). 

If you are paying through a government Home Care Package your care coordinator can contact me to discuss a Purchase Order for the required number of hours OR you may be able to pay yourself, and claim the expense back from your package [please check this first to confirm].

It is our expectation that you have checked with your health fund regarding your cover and whether you are able to claim for Speech Pathology prior to commencing service. 

NOTE: Your $$ amount you are able to claim or the number of sessions/hours you can claim may be limited.