Early Start Australia - Deakin

Did not have a great experience here. Having been on various waiting lists for speech pathology for my son, was finally offered an initial assessment appointment - meaning I would not be offered regular appointments straight away, but after the assessment they would put together an 'at home' program which I could buy, to tide me over. Great, I thought! Better than nothing.Had the initial assessment done, paid $300 ($200 or so for the appointment itself, and $100 for the case notes, according to the invoice). During the assessment we discussed various options for materials that could be developed at home. I was interested in a few things and walked out expecting a follow up email with the options or a quote for what I could buy from them.No contact until more than 2 weeks later, when I received a bill for $100 for support materials that had been developed. I was confused as I hadn't seen a quote or agreed to anything in writing, let alone received any materials! Upon raising this I finally received an email from the therapist with two PDFs attached - a fairly generic visual chart with various pictures on it and a set of instructions on how to use it.I wrote back and indicated I hadn't agreed to pay for this material and didn't intend to pay $100 for it.A day later, I received an email from the principal of the practice, advising me that all 'requests for fee waivers' had to come through her (noting this wasn't a request for a fee waiver - I was declining to pay for something that I hadn't been given the chance to authorise in the first place). She suggested it my fault that I hadn't understood the internal billing practices, referring to the initial client agreement I signed, which included a rate card of various services etc. Nowhere in that agreement did it note that the practice could develop materials and bill me for them without my prior written agreement.I have no issue with paying people for work completed or their time. My issue is when it's done in the absence of a quote or scope of work, with the client given the opportunity to say yes/no ahead of the work being completed, which is standard business practice.I had also requested a copy of the assessment to provide to my child's paediatrician and was told I would have to pay extra for that, as the results had to be interpreted by a trained speech pathologist. Not sure what the $100 was for 'case notes' that I've already paid!Now I'm sitting here wondering what exactly I paid $300 for in the first place. I have nothing tangible to show for the appointment and am moving on to another speech pathologist instead.I'm sure there's no ill intent in this experience, but I do feel there was a greater focus on billing rather than care and communication, which is never good for stressed parents who are desperate to receive services.

OT was helpful, but we were charged a hefty fine for forgetting an appointment

My son was diagnosed with a medical condition four years ago and for which he spent four months in hospital. After he was discharged, he was still severely impacted in terms of his mobility and strength. His paediatrician recommended us to see Carolyn for physiotherapy and it was the start of a great journey to recovery.From the first encounter, it was evident that Carolyn was someone who truly cared for children and was very pleasant to deal with. Being the parent of a sick child is an extremely stressful experience but Carolyn is able ease that stress by thoroughly examining the condition and having a plan to take him to recovery.Throughout the treatment, Carolyn reassessed my son’s situation at each appointment to fine tune the exercises he needed to do, ensuring that he continued to push towards achieving his goal.My son recently had his final appointment with Carolyn because he is now fully recovered and has the abilities that are at or exceeding those of his age group. I can say with certainty that full recovery was hard to see four years ago and would not have been achieved without the care provided by Carolyn.One other thing to note about Carolyn is that she is extremely resilient. When we started seeing Carolyn she was renting space from another physiotherapy practice and then move into a permanent location where she hired staff and expanded her service offerings. An unexpected change in her lease saw her having to vacate and relocate to a new premise within a very short period of time. This, along with other changes to staff created what I saw to be a very chaotic and stressful period. However, at no time did I see her stressed or change way she provided her care for my son.If your child has any developmental issues, I would recommend you to see Carolyn and her team at Therapy 4 Kids. It will be the best investment of your time and money.

Do not recommend. Completely unscrupulous. Went back on their written word, clearly far more interested in fees than service. DO NOT USE

We had a fantastic experience with Lyndsay Currie at the Deakin practice. My 18 month old warmed to her so quickly and she was very thorough in her assessment while creating a fun space for him to play.Would highly recommend!