Empowering Children through
Expert Paediatric Speech Therapy

Comprehensive Speech & Language Support for Children on the Central Coast NSW

RTC Speech Pathology, led by Leana Matodes, provides specialised paediatric speech therapy services to support children and their families on the Central Coast of NSW. Leana is dedicated to enhancing your child’s speech and language development through individualised care and evidence-based approaches.

Therapy Services Include:

  • Speech & Language Therapy

  • Parent Training and Education

  • Support for Global Developmental Delays

  • Autism Therapy

  • Early Intervention (1-3 year olds)

  • Treatment for Verbal Dyspraxia/CAS

  • Assistance with Feeding Difficulties and Fussy Eating

Why Choose RTC Speech Pathology?

  • Extensive training in DIR®/Floortime™, PROMPT, NDT, Theraplay® and more
  • Family-centered approach emphasizing caregiver education and empowerment
  • Fun, sensory-based, and play-based assessments and therapies
  • Personalised care tailored to each child’s needs

Book an Assessment Today

Ready to support your child’s communication journey?

Book an Assessment

Therapy Approaches

Referrals & Rebates

With the parent’s permission, a child can be referred directly to RTC Speech Pathology.
Please check with your health fund as a rebate may be provided for speech pathology. Clients may also be eligible for a rebate through Medicare if they obtain a referral from their General Practitioner. RTC Speech can provide assessments and written reports to support NDIS applications.

Serving the Central Coast of NSW

Located at 22 Adelaide Street, Tumbi Umbi, I am proud to support families throughout the Central Coast.

FAQ

There are many reasons why your child may have difficulty talking. During the initial assessment, Leana will work with you to understand the underlying causes and provide appropriate strategies to support your child’s communication development.

By 18 months, children typically start using 25 to 50 words. By age 2, they often begin combining words into simple phrases. However, every child develops at their own pace, and Leana can help identify and support any delays or difficulties.

Diagnosing Autism or Apraxia of Speech involves a comprehensive assessment that includes parent observations, formal and informal assessment protocols, and collaboration with other professionals. Leana will guide you through this process and provide the necessary support.

There are many reasons why your child is throwing regular tantrums, not listening to you or your instructions, being defiant or just present with challenging behaviours.  During our initial intake session and with the in-depth parent questionnaire we aim to determine what some of those reasons might be, for example:

  • sensory processing difficulties,
  • play development,
  • feeding difficulties,
  • sleeping difficulties,
  • hearing (processing of speech),
  • communication difficulties,
  • connection and engagement etc

and/or which approaches and strategies will suit you and your child best to build relationship, improve communication and to minimise the challenging behaviours. 
The earlier we can determine the underlying reason/s for the behaviour, the sooner the caregiver can be provided with appropriate strategies and be empowered with knowledge to understand, manage and improve the challenging behaviours.  We offer a variety of approaches to treat each child, their family and their unique personalities and reasons for challenging behaviour/s. 

Our assessments are fun for your child, sensory-based and play-based to help your child to build trust, engage well and respond well to strategies we would like to implement.

Fussy eating can result from various factors such as sensory processing difficulties or low oral muscle tone. During the initial intake session, Leana will identify the reasons and provide strategies to improve your child’s eating habits.