Speech Pathology Week 2026 – Communication creates possibility

This Speech Pathology Week, we celebrate the flexibility, connection and opportunities for virtual care can provide for children and families across Western Australia.

Each day of Speech Pathology Week focuses on how effective communication can help people connect, learn, grow, belong, choose, participate, and thrive.

Virtual speech pathology plays a pivotal role in helping children and families access communication support, no matter where they live, and the Child Development Service (CDS) Virtual Team, along with the local teams, are the ones making it all happen.

For families living in regional and remote areas of Western Australia, the CDS bridges the gap by bringing support directly to them.

Through virtual care, families can access a range of programs designed to support children’s communication development, to give parents and carers practical strategies for everyday life.

By delivering various group workshops, the Virtual Speech Pathology team focus on early development – how to create longer and more complex sentences, develop narrative and improving overall language skills. 

These workshops act as an opportunity to learn alongside other parents and carers, providing a forum to share experiences, build confidence and support the child’s communication development.

Individual virtual appointments are available for families living in areas with limited access to speech pathology services, allowing them to participate without needing to travel long distances, or take time away from work, school or other commitments for appointments. 

By way of highlighting virtual care strengths and the “do anywhere” nature of the service, a dad was recently able to attend a workshop session while working from his harvester.

Flexible care that removes practical barriers from face-to-face services also allowed a family to attend their group workshop while on holiday in Bali; bringing their virtual care closer to home, wherever ‘home’ was on that day.

With virtual care possibilities continuing to grow, the Speech Pathology team is currently preparing to pilot a virtual drop-in clinic, and an advice clinic.

These new services will strengthen pathways for families to access timely advice and support in innovative ways.

Click here to learn more about this year’s Speech Pathology Week.

Visit the CDS webpage and HealthyWA for more information on the services.