Our Story
The Social Concept aims to provide individualised speech pathology services to our clients and make a difference in their lives. We work collaboratively with external therapists and educational staff to empower our clients to thrive in all settings. We value working closely with families and professionals to ensure that goals and concerns are addressed.
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We are committed to ensuring our practice is neurodiverse-affirming and culturally-informed. We foster each individual's strengths and interests and make changes where it matters.
Jen.
Certified Practicing Speech Pathologist (CPSP).
PhD candidate. MSpPath. BSc. DipComp.
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Our speech pathologist Jen has a wide range of experience working with both children and adults. Jen has experience completing assessments and therapies for a range of practice areas, including speech, language, literacy, swallowing, pragmatic skills and alternative communication (e.g. aided AAC, key word sign). ​Jen has a special interest in complex language development, discovering new and evidenced-based AAC options, improving literacy skills and building communication solutions within a workplace setting.
Jen has completed training in the following:
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Basic Key Word Sign,
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Principles of Positive Behaviour Support,
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Supported Conversations for Adults with Aphasia,
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Language Acquisition through Motor Planning (LAMP),
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Sounds-Write (literacy program),
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Dynamic Temporal and Tactile Cueing (DTTC) and Rapid Syllable Transition Treatment (ReST) for Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS).
Jen is able to speak basic Mandarin, Cantonese and Korean, and is passionate about supporting children to develop in a multilingual environment. Jen services the eastern and south-eastern suburbs.
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Jen is currently completing her PhD and has a full caseload. Her availability for ongoing therapy is limited and dependent on location.
Mike.
Certified Practicing Speech Pathologist (CPSP).
MSpPath. BSc, Psychology (APAC accreditation).
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Mike has specialised experience working with adolescents and adults with communication and swallowing needs. He has special interests in: complex swallowing management and training for adults and elderly participants; assistive technology application and provision; literacy intervention for young adults; multimodal communication for non-speaking participants.
Mike is able to speak Mandarin and is passionate about supporting individuals in a multilingual environment. Mike services the Clayton and surrounding areas.
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Mike currently has a full caseload. His availability is limited and considered on a case-by-case basis.
Caitlin.
Therapy Assistant.
Telehealth only.
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Caitlin is our lovely therapy assistant who is engaging in telehealth therapy sessions. She has experience working with adults to develop their social and communication skills. Caitlin has lived-in experience as a sibling of a person with communication needs.
Administrative Team.
We are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where neurodivergent team members feel supported, respected, and empowered to contribute in ways that align with their strengths. Our administrative team reflects this commitment and is made up of several amazing individuals who provide behind-the-scenes support to keep things running smoothly. They work on a casual basis, particularly during periods of high workload, and may respond to communications outside of regular business hours. The team is dedicated to supporting our clients and staff with care and professionalism.​
We are grateful to be connected with colleagues and other services around the Melbourne suburbs. If you are looking for an allied health practitioner and we are unable to provide the service, we may be able to refer you to a colleague near your area. Please get in contact if you require further assistance.
Our Process
01. Initial Screening Call
When a clinician is available to begin seeing the client, we will complete a complimentary 15-minute introduction call with our therapist to complete basic screening and documentations. Some items that may be covered in this call include:
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Case history information, including the client's development, current concerns and medical history.
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Preparing you for a home visit or setting up for a telehealth session - taking into consideration technical support, personal preferences and client interests.
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Determining if we are the right service based on the goals you identify.
02. Complete the Intake Form
To finalise the onboarding process, please complete the intake form to provide our speech pathologist with further background information on the client and the reason for referral. If you are unable to complete the form online, please give us a call and we will complete this on your behalf. Where possible, please attach or email through any previous reports relating to the client.
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If you are looking to engage with our services for Business/Corporate purposes (e.g. developing communication solutions for your team), please send us a message to inquire.
03. Initial Consultation (and Assessment)
During the initial consultation, the speech pathologist will obtain a detailed case history from the client or the parent(s) and may complete an informal clinical observation of the individual by engaging them in various tasks. We may also ask for consent to speak with relevant stakeholders, including teachers/early childhood educators and colleagues, to gain more insight about the client.
Where appropriate, the speech pathologist may begin a formal assessment of the client's speech and language skills. This may require more than one session to complete.
04. Initial Summary and Planning
Following the initial consultation and/or completion of all assessments, the speech pathologist will complete an initial summary and plan, detailing:
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The client’s current skill level (including strengths and weaknesses),
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Screening and assessment results,
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Recommendations and goals (therapy plan).
Please inform our clinician if you require a comprehensive report or funding application report.
05. Individual Therapy
Based on the recommendations and availability, you may decide to start accessing regular therapy sessions to work on your goals. These are most typically fortnightly or weekly sessions, and are provided at home, at school or childcare, in the office or via telehealth.