What to Expect
Your pathway through feeding, swallowing & mealtime support at THRIVE
Feeding and swallowing challenges can feel overwhelming — but your pathway at THRIVE is designed to be clear, supportive and collaborative.
1. Before your appointment
Once your booking is confirmed, you’ll receive:
This helps your clinician prepare thoroughly so your first session is meaningful and efficient.
If you’re an NDIS participant, we’ll also gather:
2. Initial Assessment
Your first appointment is a comprehensive assessment led by a Speech Pathologist.
Depending on age and needs, this may include:
Feeding Assessment
Swallowing (Dysphagia) Assessment
Infant Feeding Assessment
Telehealth Note
Some assessments can occur via telehealth, but swallowing assessments must be completed in person for safety.
3. Clear, practical recommendations
At the end of your assessment, you’ll receive:
4. Your Individualised Plan
If therapy is recommended, your clinician will create a plan that may include:
This plan is shared with you and, with consent, your broader team.
5. Therapy Sessions
Therapy is:
Depending on your needs, therapy may include:
A core part of the THRIVE model — empowering families with confidence and clarity.
6. Multidisciplinary Involvement
Your clinician may involve:
Occupational Therapy
(sensory, regulation, posture, participation)
Psychology
(anxiety, emotional factors, mealtime stress)
Behaviour Support
(routines, consistency, support‑worker training, mealtime participation)
7. Collaboration with your team
With your consent, we can collaborate with:
This ensures consistent, safe and effective support across environments.
8. Review & Progress
We regularly review:
Plans are updated as needed to ensure ongoing relevance and effectiveness.
9. Reports & Documentation
If required, we can provide:
All reports are clear, practical and aligned with your goals.
10. Future Pathways
If your needs change, we can support transitions to:
Ready to begin your feeding or swallowing journey?
We’re here to support you with clarity, confidence and evidence‑based care.
Frequently Asked Questions
We support infants, children, adolescents, adults, and older adults. Feeding and swallowing needs change across the lifespan, and our approach adapts to each stage.
A feeding or swallowing assessment explores what is happening during mealtimes, how feeding skills are developing, and whether any medical, developmental, sensory, or oral‑motor factors may be contributing to difficulties. It includes discussion, observation, and evidence‑based clinical reasoning to guide next steps.
Yes. Most feeding assessments include both Speech Pathology and Occupational Therapy.
Families often seek support when feeding feels stressful, effortful, or uncertain, or when mealtime routines are becoming difficult to manage. If you have concerns about safety, comfort, skill development, or mealtime confidence, an assessment can help clarify what’s happening.
Yes. We collaborate with GPs, paediatricians, lactation consultants, dietitians, OTs, and other clinicians to support coordinated, consistent care.
No. You can contact us directly to arrange an appointment. Referrals from GPs, paediatricians, or other health professionals are welcome but not required.
You’ll receive clear information about the findings, along with practical strategies and recommendations tailored to your goals and routines. If further support or collaboration with other health professionals is helpful, we will discuss this with you.
We are based in Newcastle, NSW, and support families across the Hunter region and Central Coast, including Lake Macquarie, Maitland, and Port Stephens.
Yes. Telehealth is available for feeding support across NSW. However, swallowing assessments must be completed in person for safety.
Yes — we support self‑managed, plan‑managed and NDIA‑managed participants through our parent company’s (EduCare) NDIS registration.
Yes. We support families with early feeding development, including challenges related to coordination, endurance, transitions to solids, and mealtime routines. We work alongside medical teams and other professionals involved in your infant’s care.
Yes — including neurological conditions, disability‑related dysphagia and age‑related swallowing changes.