Speech. Language. Literacy.
Speech pathology services for children and teens living on the Bellarine Peninsula.
About
Laura Howard is the founder of the Ocean Grove Learning Studio.
She is a Certified Practicing Speech Pathologist and Registered Teacher who helps children build confidence in their communication using evidence-based strategies.
Laura takes a kind and compassionate approach, tailoring supports to each child’s needs, and loves seeing children achieve their goals both at school and in everyday life. Laura is committed to ongoing learning and has a particular interest in speech sound and language intervention as well as literacy remediation.
Qualifications and training:
Master of Speech Pathology
Bachelor of Education (Primary)
Trained Dyslexia & Reading OG Specialist
Accredited Sounds-Write Teacher
Our Services
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Speech sound therapy helps children who have difficulty producing clear speech sounds, enabling them to communicate more effectively and be better understood by others.
Children participating in speech sound therapy will be provided with home practice resources to support progress between sessions. For best results, children are encouraged to engage in short practice sessions at least 3 times weekly.
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Language therapy supports children who have difficulty understanding or using words. This includes following instructions, building sentences, and expressing their ideas. It can support children with language disorders, including Developmental Language Disorder (DLD).
Recommendations and resources may be provided to families to support children participating in language therapy. Regular opportunities to practice and reinforce skills at home can significantly enhance language development, as repeated exposure and practice are key to developing strong language skills and achieving the best possible outcomes.
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Literacy remediation helps children who are finding reading and writing difficult. Sessions rely on evidence-based approaches, including direct, explicit instruction with a structured and systematic scope and sequence, to build skills in reading, spelling and understanding what is read. The instruction is suitable for all children, specifically those with Specific Learning Disorders (dyslexia and dysgraphia).
Children participating in literacy intervention require frequent repetition and practice to consolidate new skills. Home practice activities targeting the spelling patterns and literacy concepts currently being taught in therapy will be provided.
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All children accessing our services begin with at least one initial assessment session.
The Ocean Grove Learning Studio also offers one-off speech, language, and literacy assessments and/or screenings. Reports and summaries can be provided on request, along with recommendations to guide ongoing support and learning.
Fees and Funding
The Ocean Grove Learning Studio charges are informed by the 2026-2027 NDIS guidelines.
The standard session fees include routine planning, resource preparation, clinical note writing, and follow-up related to your child's therapy session.
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$160 per 35-minute session
$119 per session with Therapy Assistant
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$160 per 35-minute session
$208 per 45-minute session
$240 per 50-minute session (standard NDIS session)
Families may like to discuss the opportunity to engage the services of a Therapy Assistant. Fees are calculated at $86.00 per hour.
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$110 per 55-minute session
$75 per 30-minute session (spelling only)
Literacy sessions are priced much lower than other speech pathology services, so upfront term payments are required.
The initial assessment session runs for 25 minutes, with the remaining time allocated to analysis and interpretation of data and remediation planning.
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$192 per hour
Assessment includes time spent gathering your child’s case history, face-to-face administration of assessments with your child, analysis and interpretation of assessment and communication of assessment results.
Formal reports can be prepared on request - please allow two weeks notice.
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$192 per hour with speech pathologist
$86.79 per hour with allied health assistant
Additional non-face-to-face services requested by families or other professionals may incur a separate fee. These services include communication with schools, teachers, therapists or other professionals, attendance at meetings, report writing, preparation of additional therapy resources, or other tasks completed outside of scheduled therapy sessions. Where possible, families will be advised of any applicable fees before these services are provided.
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$97 per hour for speech pathologist + $1.00 per km
$43.40 per hour for allied health assistant + $1.00 per km
Therapy and remediation services are available at the studio in Ocean Grove or in the community, such as at home, school, kinder or daycare.
Inquire Today
The Ocean Grove Learning Studio does not keep a waitlist and accepts referrals only as spaces arise. If we’re unable to provide supports at the time of inquiry, we will happily provide you with the details of other trusted service providers.