About Yvette

Yvette is a Certified Practising Speech Pathologist and active member of Speech Pathology Australia.

Yvette graduated with a Bachelor of Speech Pathology from La Trobe University in 2011 and in 2021 earned a Master’s in Inclusive and Special Education at the University of Newcastle.

Since beginning her career in 2012, Yvette has worked with children and young people across the education, disability and private sectors. She has spent much of her career at a special development school, where she has served as both a speech pathologist and therapy coordinator. Her work has focused on creating inclusive learning environments for students with moderate to profound intellectual disabilities and additional complex conditions such as Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, and Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Yvette has worked alongside teaching teams to enable students to find their voices through Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) and in doing so, achieve their personal and educational potential.

Yvette’s experience extends overseas, where she further developed her expertise and interest in positive behaviour support. In her role as a Behaviour Specialist, Yvette developed personalised plans focused on building connection and fostering independence, allowing children to participate more fully in family and community life.

Yvette’s approach to speech pathology is deeply holistic and collaborative, focusing on integrating families into the therapeutic process. She believes in empowering parents with the skills and knowledge necessary to support their children's communication development. She employs a strengths-based approach, recognizing and building upon each child's unique abilities to achieve their goals.

Yvette is committed to lifelong learning through ongoing professional development. Her dedication ensures that Heart to Hart Speech Pathology remains at the forefront of evidence-based practices, providing the highest level of care and support to children and their families.

Yvette operates Heart to Heart Speech Pathology with the following core values:

Connection

At the heart of our practice is connection. Heart to Hart Speech Pathology seeks to develop collaborative relationships with caregivers and support people in empowering them to be the drivers of change for their child.

Communication

We value open and honest communication to build trusting relationships with clients and their families. We encourage and seek ongoing feedback from clients and caregivers to ensure a united approach to treatment planning and intervention.

Care

We are passionate about helping and supporting others. We understand that everyone comes with their own unique circumstances, challenges, hopes and dreams.

Services

Heart to Hart Speech Pathology offers services in the following areas of practice:

Speech

Speech refers to how we produce sounds and words. Sound errors are a typical part of a child’s speech development and will often resolve on their own. Where speech sound errors persist or impact upon a child’s ability to be understood by others, speech therapy may be required. Your therapist will work with you and your child to determine the factors influencing speech development and embed therapeutic practices in a fun, engaging way.

Expressive and Receptive Language

Expressive language is the way we use words, phrases and sentences to communicate our ideas, thoughts and feelings. It involves using appropriate vocabulary, grammar and sentence structure to express ourselves. Receptive language is the ability to understand and interpret spoken and written information. It involves following instructions, responding to questions and understanding stories. Your therapist will assess your child’s language skills and collaborate with you to determine functional language goals.

Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)

AAC refers to any method of communication other than speech, such as body language, facial expressions, gestures, signs or pictures. At Heart to Hart Speech Pathology we take a multimodal approach to communication and have extensive experience implementing a range of alternative strategies including key word sign, picture-based systems and speech generating devices.

Fluency

Fluency refers to the rhythm and flow of speech. Disruptions in fluency can result in stuttering behaviours. Many children experience disruptions in their speech fluency as they are acquiring speech sounds and learning language. Prolonged periods of dysfluency may indicate stuttering. Your therapist will assess the presence of stuttering and employ an evidence-based treatment plan.

Challenging Behaviour

At Heart to Hart Speech Pathology we view all behaviour as a form of communication and strive to understand the reasons behind the behaviour. We work with caregivers and support services to identify factors that may be influencing the behaviour, including potential triggers and maintaining consequences. Your therapist will focus on a plan to address the behaviour that maximises the environment and your child’s strengths, enabling them to meet their needs in a positive way.

Play and interaction skills

Play takes on many forms and is vital in the early years in supporting children to learn about themselves and the world around them. Play forms the basis of social interactions and development of friendships. At Heart to Hart Speech Pathology we use play as a foundation for learning and acquiring positive interaction skills.

Literacy

Literacy refers to the skills of reading, writing and spelling. There are a number of skills that underpin literacy including listening, speaking, sound and print awareness, and the relationship between letters and sounds. At Heart to Hart Speech Pathology we ensure your child establishes a firm foundation of literacy skills through targeted interventions.

Fees & Funding

At Heart to Hart Speech Pathology, we follow the NDIS Price Guide for all clients. Therapy sessions are billed at $193.99 per hour. This includes 45 minutes of direct therapy and 15 minutes of additional administrative tasks (such as session planning, collating of resources for home practice, follow up with other professionals or services). Please note that standardised assessments and reports will incur additional fees.

Heart to Hart Speech Pathology offers a variety of funding options to assist you in accessing speech pathology services for your child:

National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)

Heart to Hart Speech Pathology accepts NDIS participants who have self-managed or plan-managed NDIS funds. We can assist you to access the scheme by providing you with reports and supporting documentation.

Medicare

Medicare provides a rebate for allied health services under the Chronic Disease Management (CDM) plan. Through this plan your child may be eligible for a Medicare rebate for up to 5 speech pathology services per calendar year. For more information or to determine your child’s eligibility, please contact your GP.

Private Health Fund

Speech Pathology assessment and therapy services can be claimed through private health insurance under extras cover. The rebate amount and number of sessions covered will be dependent on the health fund and individual level of cover. Please consult your private health fund for further information.

Travel Fees

Mobile services will incur an additional travel fee dependent on your location.

Cancellation Policy

In the event that you are required to cancel an appointment, you must notify us via phone 48 hours (2 business days) prior to your appointment to avoid a cancellation fee. In the event that you cancel your appointment with less than 48 hours (2 business days) notice or you are a ‘no show’ for the appointment, you will be charged 100% of the full consultation fee. Outstanding cancellation fees must be paid to maintain ongoing services.

Please note: We do not accept NDIA-managed participants.

Meet Yvette,

the heart behind Heart to Hart Speech Pathology.