Disability
What is a disability?
Disability is a term used to describe an impairment or restriction to participation in everyday activities, and may be a result of physical, intellectual, sensory or psychological differences (World Health Organisation). In other words, a disability is a condition that affects how a person moves, communicates, learns, processes information, or interacts with the world around them.
​
Disabilities can be temporary (e.g. as a result of a broken bone) or lifelong (e.g. as a result of a congenital gene difference). Disabilities can also be present from birth or develop later in life.
How is a disability diagnosed?
​
Diagnosing a disability can look very different for each individual, as it depends on the underlying cause and the specific impact on everyday activities. Diagnosis for those with a lifelong condition or a difference present from birth usually involves a team of professionals such as general practitioners, paediatricians, speech pathologists, psychologists, occupational therapists, or physiotherapists. The process often includes assessments, observations, and input from parents, educators, and carers. A formal diagnosis may involve identifying a medical or developmental condition and describing the impact it has on a child’s everyday functioning.
​
Receiving a diagnosis can help families understand their child’s needs and access support services—such as early intervention, therapy, educational adjustments, or funding through systems like the NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme). While a diagnosis can be an important step for some families, it’s not always necessary. What matters most is understanding the child as a whole and putting supports in place to help them thrive.
​​​
How can a speech pathologist support those with disabilities?
​
Speech pathologists can support families navigating a disability in many different ways and at all stages of their journey. Types of support will look different for each and every client and depend entirely on the individual barriers or challenges faced by the person with a disability.
A Speech Pathologist may be involved early in the journey, helping to assess a child’s communication, play, social interaction, understanding and use of language, speech clarity, and feeding or swallowing. This information can help other professionals (such as Paediatricians or Psychologists) make a diagnosis and set functional goals, or it may be used as supporting evidence to apply for support services like the NDIS.
Speech pathologists also provide ongoing support for those with disabilities in practical, meaningful ways, helping individuals overcome any limitations to their ability to communicate in everyday activities. This might include supporting them to build language skills, learn to use personalised Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) tools, improve speech clarity, develop social communication skills and independence, or even develop play skills. Therapy is always tailored to the child’s strengths, goals and needs, and often involves working closely with families, teachers, and other professionals to provide tailored support across all areas of life.
Where to start if you want to access support? ​
​
If you have concerns about your child’s development, talking to a professional who knows your child best is a good place to start. This could be your child’s doctor, early childhood educator or paediatrician.
If your child is experiencing challenges with communication (whether it be verbal language, speech clarity, understanding messages, literacy or even social/play skills), give us a call on 9008 4076 to discuss our recommendations for navigating assessment or therapy, or to potentially book an appointment with one of our clinicians.
The NDIS also offers support for children under 7yrs of age with no diagnosis necessary- you can chat to an NDIS representative or one of our therapists at Inner North Speech Pathology to find out more about available supports and navigating NDIS applications. We help many clients apply to the NDIS.
​​
Additional resources​​
​
​
​
​