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Orofacial Myology

Therapy that helps with the movement, endurance, strength, and coordination of facial muscles (lips, jaw, tongue) that may be impacting oral rest posture, chewing, swallowing, breathing, dentition, and speech.

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Orofacial myology is a specialised area within speech therapy that focuses on the function of the facial muscles (lips, jaw, tongue). The term “orofacial” refers to the mouth and face, while “myology” refers to the study of muscles. In orofacial myology, therapists work with individuals to improve the function and coordination of these muscles to address issues related to speech, swallowing, chewing, breathing, oral rest posture, and even the alignment of teeth (dentition).    

Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders (OMDs) are when there are problems with the function of the muscles in the face, mouth, tongue, and jaw.

When someone has an OMD, it can affect these things in different ways:

  1. Speech – OMDs can make it hard to pronounce certain sounds or words because we need sufficient muscle movement and coordination of the lips, tongue, and jaw during speech.
  2. Swallowing – People with OMDs might have trouble swallowing food or liquids properly due to an abnormal swallowing pattern (e.g., tongue-thrust swallow). This can lead to choking or even problems with digestion.
  3. Chewing – OMDs can make chewing difficult or uncomfortable because of issues with jaw stability or strength.
  4. Breathing – Sometimes, OMDs can affect how someone breathes. They might breathe through their mouth instead of their nose, which can cause problems with airflow and even affect their overall health.
  5. Dentition (Teeth Alignment) – The muscles in the face and mouth also play a role in how the teeth align. OMDs can sometimes lead to issues like crooked teeth or bite problems.

Therapists in this field assess and treat various orofacial myofunctional disorders (OMDs), which can include problems with speech sound production, swallowing difficulties (e.g., tongue thrust), dentition (crowded teeth and crooked bites), improper tongue posture, mouth breathing, sleep disordered breathing, and other issues related to the muscles of the mouth and face.

Signs You May Have an Orofacial Myofunctional Disorder: 

–          Mouth breathing

–          Tongue-tie

–          Malocclusion and narrow palate

–          Thumb sucking or pacifier use

–          Slow speech progress

–          Drooling

–          Poor sleeper

–          Behavioural issues

–          Messy or fussy eater

–          Allergies

Possible Causes of Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders:

-Low tongue resting position

-Poor lip closure

-Tongue thrust swallow pattern

-Tongue -tie

-Nasal or airway obstruction

-Malocclusion

-Jaw structure (e.g., high narrow palate)

-Use of dummies, thumb sucking, bottles, sippy cups

OMDs can impact several aspects of a person’s daily life, from how they communicate to how they eat and breathe. Treatment typically involves exercises and techniques designed to strengthen or retrain the muscles to function more effectively over time. This may include exercises to improve tongue placement, lip movement, chewing, swallowing, and breathing patterns. By addressing these underlying muscle issues, orofacial myology aims to improve overall speech clarity, swallowing and chewing function, nasal breathing, facial and dental growth, and oral rest posture.

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Terms & Conditions

Please note: The terms in this document can be updated at any time.

CANCELLATION POLICY 

If you need to cancel an appointment, please text or email your speech pathologist directly and provide as much notice as possible. This notice allows the speech pathologist to reallocate their time to other clients who are also in need of support.

– Cancelling or rescheduling two days or more prior to your appointment will not attract a fee for that session.

– Cancelling or rescheduling the day prior to your appointment will attract a charge of 50% of the fee for that session.

– Cancelling or rescheduling on the day of your appointment will attract the full fee for that session. This includes non-attendance at appointments (including school events that would prevent your child from attending their session), absence due to illness, or forgotten appointments.

– Where possible, Speak & Read will attempt to offer a make-up face-to-face or telehealth session within the same week. If a make-up session (face-to-face or telehealth) is scheduled but then cancelled by the parent at any time, the original cancellation fee will apply.

– Where a telehealth session is arranged in place of a face-to-face session due to a late cancellation, 15 minutes of the session time will be used for the speech pathologist to plan alternative, telehealth-suitable activities, and the session will be billed in full. For example, a 45-minute session will consist of 30 minutes of therapy plus 15 minutes of planning and the fee for a 45-minute session will apply.

– Where sessions are usually covered by third party organisations (e.g. FaHCSIA, NDIS), payment of any session or cancellation fees will be the responsibility of the client where this cannot be claimed through the third party.

– Speak & Read uses an automated service to send a reminder SMS a day prior to your child’s session. Please contact us if you would like to opt-out of this service. Reminder messages are sent as a courtesy and not receiving a reminder does not void your responsibility to attend or reschedule your appointment at least two days prior. Cancellation fees will apply to missed appointments.

– Notifying Speak & Read of cancellations is the responsibility of the parent/guardian engaging our service and we cannot accept notice from your child’s school/kinder/daycare or other source.

Health precautions

Please do not attend for a face-to-face appointment if you or anybody attending the appointment:

-Has symptoms that could be associated with COVID-19, influenza, or any transmissible illness (including but not limited to fever, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, runny or stuffy nose, loss of smell/taste).

-Are awaiting COVID-19/influenza test results.

–Lives with anybody who has been advised to self-isolate or quarantine for any reason.

If a child presents to an appointment and is visibly unwell, the session will be immediately discontinued and the full session fee will be charged. In most cases telehealth sessions can be offered in place of face-to-face sessions. Please help us to keep our clients and staff safe and healthy.

Regular appointments

Where possible, regular appointment times for each school term are offered for your convenience. When planning for the next school term, we may need to offer you an alternative time in order to accommodate as many of our clients as possible.

To maintain your regular appointment time, an ongoing attendance rate of 75% is required over each four-session period. Should your attendance rate drop below this threshold, the appointment time will be offered to other clients, and you may be required to book in at a different time or be returned to the waiting list.

In the event that you would like to suspend services, Speak & Read will hold your regular appointment time for up to four (4) weeks, after which time the appointment will be offered to other clients, and you may be required to book in at a different time or be returned to the waiting list.

FEE SCHEDULE

​​Fees below are based on sessions taking place in our clinic. Sessions at a client’s school, kindergarten, or childcare are offered at Speak & Read’s discretion and are billed as session time plus travel fee (varies based on location).

NDIS plan-managed and other third party-funded sessions incur an additional fee per session or item to cover additional administration time. This is reflected in the fees listed below. Sessions may be billed as a mix of direct and indirect therapy time to ensure your child’s session fee is fully covered by their NDIS plan.

Medicare and health insurance rebates are available to eligible clients (please check your level of cover with your insurance provider).

Please note: Fees will be reviewed and adjusted at the beginning of each calendar year.

PAYMENT POLICY

– Clinic-based sessions: Payment is required in full on the day of treatment by EFTPOS/credit card. We do not accept cash. Medicare and private health insurance claims will need to be claimed after the session; a paid invoice will be provided for these claims.

–Non-clinic sessions: Sessions are required to be paid fortnightly or monthly via bank deposit (depending on session frequency) OR per session via credit card.

Invoices for payment by bank deposit will be sent via email and will be due three weeks later. Fees apply for late payment of invoices (more than seven days overdue – see below).

When electing to pay by credit card, your credit card details are stored securely on file and payment will be processed within three business days of the session.

Funded clients (NDIS plan-managed)

Speak & Read must be informed prior to a session if that session will be covered by NDIS plan-managed funds, and provided with billing details. Sessions are invoiced fortnightly or monthly, depending on session frequency. It is the client’s responsibility to ensure adequate funds are available for the claim. If funds are not available, the sessions are billed to the client as private fee appointments.

Speak & Read is not NDIS-registered and therefore cannot provide services to clients with agency-managed plans.

All clients

  •  A late fee of $30.00 per month will be charged on overdue invoices. Invoices are considered overdue when payment is more than seven days late according to the due date listed on the invoice.
  • Speak & Read Speech Pathology reserves the right to discontinue services where payment has not been made for previous services within two weeks of the due date on an invoice.
  •  In the event where your overdue account is referred to a collection agency and/or law firm, you will be liable for all costs which would be incurred as if the debt is collected in full, including commission on collection of the additional costs and also including legal demand costs.

COMMUNICATION POLICY 

Communication with parents and other professionals (especially teachers) is often conducted via email. This is the most efficient way to transmit session notes, reports, invoices, receipts, etc.

Emails are not encrypted, and Speak & Read Speech Pathology can accept no liability for loss or damage arising from interception of information that is shared via email.

Please indicate by ticking the box below in Consent if you agree to receive communications via email.

PRIVACY STATEMENT

Speak & Read Speech Pathology will only collect personal data with your knowledge and consent, for the purpose of facilitating assessments and therapy. This may include video/audio recordings, photographs, and work samples.

Speak & Read Speech Pathology treats all personal information with the utmost confidentiality and will only disclose said information with your consent or where required by law.

MEDIA POLICY

Speak & Read Speech Pathology may photograph and/or video record your child, or work they have produced, for the purposes of sharing in the public domain via our website, social media pages (including Facebook), and marketing materials (such as newsletter, flyers). While every effort is made to protect the identity of your child, we cannot guarantee that your child will not be able to be identified from the images/video.

[This is separate to the collection of video/audio recordings, photographs, and work samples for the purpose of facilitating assessments and therapy as outlined in the Privacy Statement above.]

Please indicate by ticking the box below if you agree to permit the public use of images/videos of your child and their work.

CHILD AND WORKPLACE SAFETY POLICY 

Illness

The health and safety of our clients and staff is of utmost importance and we appreciate your support and co-operation in keeping everyone safe. Therefore, if a child attends their session and is showing signs of being unwell (including but not limited to cough, runny or stuffy nose, shortness of breath), the session will be immediately discontinued, and the full session fee will be charged. Telehealth sessions can usually be offered as an alternative option when your child is sick; simply enquire with your speech pathologist in advance.

Supervision

Speak & Read offers services within our clinic and at various offsite locations, including schools, kindergartens, and clients’ homes. For all clinic and home visits, a parent or adult guardian is required to be in the building at all times. Under no circumstances is any child to be left solely in the care of the speech pathologist or without an adult guardian on site. At times (for example, when completing testing) the parent/guardian may be offered the option to leave the room but are still required to remain on site for the duration of attendance.

Safety

A safe, clean environment free of distractions is necessary for providing services off-site. This is to ensure intervention can be completed effectively and efficiently. Offsite visits may be discontinued at the clinician’s discretion if the clinician feels that an appropriate environment is not available.

Allergies and Feeding Assessment

Your child may undertake a feeding and swallowing assessment if deemed necessary by the speech pathologist. It is the responsibility of the parent and/or carer to inform the speech pathologist prior to assessment of any allergies and/or sensitivities to food or latex. If the child has an allergy or sensitivity, it is recommended the child should bring food from home to complete the assessment.

Privacy Policy

22/03/24

1. PART 1 – ABOUT THIS POLICY

1.1 Purpose Speak & Read Speech Pathology is committed to protecting the privacy of personal information we collect and hold about individuals.
Speak & Read Speech Pathology complies with the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), other privacy laws that govern how private sector health service providers like Speak & Read Speech Pathology handle your personal information (including your health information), and Speech Pathology Australia’s Code of Ethics (2010).
This Privacy Policy explains how Speak & Read Speech Pathology manages the personal information we collect, use and disclose.
Speak & Read Speech Pathology is a private speech pathology practice under the ownership of Rita Nehme.
2. PART 2 – HOW Speak & Read Speech Pathology HANDLES YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION
2.1 Speak & Read Speech Pathology’s Legal Obligations
In order to provide you with the health care services that you have requested, Speak & Read Speech Pathology will need to collect and use your personal information. If you provide incomplete or inaccurate information to us or withhold personal and health information from us we may not be able to provide you with the services you are seeking.
2.2 What information does Speak & Read Speech Pathology collect?
We will only collect the information we need for the particular function or activity we are carrying out.
We collect information from you that is necessary to provide you with speech pathology services and to manage our relationship with you. The information we collect includes: your name, date of birth, address, health fund details and information about your health history and family history. We require this information to assist the speech pathologist to diagnose and treat you.
2.3 How does Speak & Read Speech Pathology collect health information?
We will usually collect your health information directly from you. Sometimes, we may need to collect information about you from a third party (such as a relative or another health service provider).
2.4 How does Speak & Read Speech Pathology use your information?
Speak & Read Speech Pathology uses your personal information for the purpose you have given the information to us. We will use your information to provide speech pathology services to you, to manage our relationship with you and to contact you in relation to matters concerning your care. We may also use your information for other purposes permitted under the Privacy Act 1988.
Who might we disclose your information to?
We may disclose your information to the following people:
(a) disclosure to other health professionals involved in your treatment
Your personal information will generally only be used by the speech pathologist involved in your care, however on occasion your care may be provided by a number of health professionals (for example., speech pathologist, occupational therapist and/or psychologist) working or consulting together. We may disclose your information to these health professionals as part of the process of providing your care and to other health professionals involved in your care.
(b) the referrer
Speak & Read Speech Pathology will usually send a discharge summary to the referrer (i.e., your medical practitioner) following discharge from Speak & Read Speech Pathology or at other times, as required for your care.
If you do not wish us to provide a copy of your discharge summary to the referrer you must let us know. Also, if the referrer’s details have changed please let us know.
(c) Relatives, guardian, close friends or legal representative
We may provide information about your condition to your parent, child, other relatives, close personal friends, guardians, or to a responsible person for you, unless you tell us that you do not wish us to disclose your health information to any such person.
Other uses and disclosures
In order to provide the best possible environment in which to treat you, we may also use or disclose your personal and health information where necessary for:
• activities such as quality assurance processes, accreditation, audits, risk and claims management, patient satisfaction surveys and staff education and training;
• invoicing, billing and account management;
• to liaise with your health fund, Medicare or the Department of Veteran’s Affairs and where required provide information to your health fund, Medicare or the Department of Veteran’s Affairs to verify treatment provided to you;
• the purpose of sending you standard reminders, for example for appointments and follow-up care, by text message or email to the number or address which you have provided to us.
(f) Other uses with your consent
With your consent we may also use your information for other purposes such as including you on a marketing mail list, or research. Please note, however, that unless you provide us with your express consent for this purpose, we will not use your information in this way. We will not disclose your personal information to any individual who is outside Australia.
2.5 Access to and correction of your health information
You have a right to access the personal and health information that we hold about you. You can also request an amendment to your personal and health information should you believe that it is inaccurate.
If we do not agree to change your medical record/personal information in accordance with your request, we will permit you to make a statement of the requested changes and we will enclose this with your record.
Should you wish to obtain access to or request changes to your health record you can ask for our Privacy Officer (see details below) who can give you more detailed information about Speak & Read Speech Pathology ’s access and correction procedure.
Please note that Speak & Read Speech Pathology may recover reasonable costs associated with supplying this information to you.
2.6 Data Quality
Speak & Read Speech Pathology will take reasonable steps to ensure that your personal information which we may collect, use or disclose is accurate, complete and up-to-date.
2.7 Data Security
Speak & Read Speech Pathology will take reasonable steps to protect your personal information from misuse, interference, loss, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. We use technologies and processes such as access control procedures, network firewalls, encryption and physical security to protect your privacy.
Speak & Read Speech Pathology will destroy or permanently de-identify any of your information which is in its possession or control and which is no longer needed for the purpose for which it was collected provided Speak & Read Speech Pathology is not required under an Australian law or court/tribunal or otherwise to retain the information.
2.8 What to do if you have a complaint about privacy issues
If:
(a) you have questions or comments about this Privacy Policy;
(b) Speak & Read Speech Pathology does not agree to provide you with access to your personal information; or
(c) you have or a complaint about our information handling practices,
You can lodge a complaint with or contact our Privacy Officer on the details below. We will promptly review your complaint and provide a response to you.
2.9 How to contact us if you have a complaint about privacy issues
By email: info@speakandread.com.au
By telephone: 0403 695 552
PART 3 – HOW Speak & Read Speech Pathology HANDLES YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION WHEN YOU VISIT OUR WEBSITE
This section of our Privacy Policy explains how we handle your personal information which is collected from our website: www.speakandread.com.au.
This Privacy Policy applies to your use of our website and the use of any of the facilities on our website.
3.1 Collection
When you use our website, we do not attempt to identify you as an individual user and we will not collect personal information about you unless you specifically provide this to us.
Sometimes, we may collect your personal information if you choose to provide this to us via an online form or by email, for example, if you:
• submit a general enquiry via our contacts page;
• register to receive eNewsletters; or
• send a written complaint or enquiry to our Privacy Officer.
When you use our website, our Internet Service Provider (ISP) may record and log for statistical purposes the following information about your visit:
• your computer address;
• your top level name (for example, .com.,gov., .org, .au etc.);
• the date and time of your visit;
• the pages and documents you access during your visit; and
• the browser you are using.
Our web-site management agent may use statistical data collected by our ISP to evaluate the effectiveness of our web-site.
3.2 Cookies
A “cookie” is a device that allows our server to identify and interact more effectively with your computer. Cookies do not identify individual users, but they do identify your ISP and your browser type.
This website uses temporary cookies. This means that upon closing your browser, the temporary cookie assigned to you will be destroyed and no personal information is maintained which will identify you at a later date.
Personal information such as your email address is not collected unless you provide it to us. We do not disclose domain names or aggregate information to third parties other than agents who assist us with this website and who are under obligations of confidentiality. You may be able to configure your browser to accept or reject all cookies and to notify you when a cookie is used. We suggest that you refer to your browser instructions or help screens to learn more about these functions. However, please note that if you configure your browser so as not to receive any cookies, a certain level of functionality of the Speak & Read Speech Pathology website and other websites may be lost.
3.3 Links to third party websites
We may create links to third party websites. We are not responsible for the content or privacy practices employed by websites that are linked from our website.
3.4 Use and disclosure
We will use any personal information collected via our website in accordance with our privacy policy.