I’ve been seeing a lot of comments lately about allied health providers, especially speech pathologists, charging too much or “taking advantage” of NDIS funding.
And to be honest, it’s been pretty disheartening to read.
So I just want to explain what it actually looks like from my side.
I’m a speech pathologist and I run my own small business. It’s just me, the therapist, the receptionist, the admin, the accountant… doing everything behind the scenes.
I didn’t get into this job to make money. I do it because I genuinely care about helping people communicate.
And the impact of that is something I see every single week.
It’s the child whose speech used to be so unclear that even their parents struggled to understand them, now walking up and clearly saying “I want water” or “my turn” instead of getting upset.
It’s the child who was practically non-speaking when they first came in, not engaging, not using words, who now is starting to communicate, whether that’s through speech, signs, or a device.
It’s the child who used to scream or cry because they couldn’t get their message across, now able to say “help,” “stop,” or “I don’t like that.”
It’s the child who would shut down in the classroom because they couldn’t follow instructions, who now understands things like “put your bag away, get your book, and sit on the mat” and can actually join in.
It’s the kids who didn’t want to engage with other people, who now are playing, interacting, and connecting.
It’s parents telling me that other relatives like grandparents, aunties and uncles are understanding them straight away.
That stuff matters. It changes a child’s confidence, independence, and everyday life.
But that’s not what people see.
People see an hourly rate and make assumptions.
So just to clear a few things up.
- I don’t charge NDIS clients more just because they have funding
- My private rate is actually higher than the NDIS rate
The NDIS price cap hasn’t really changed in about 7 years.
But in that time, everything else has gone up, rent, petrol, resources, insurance, electricity, all of it.
So that “high rate” people talk about hasn’t actually kept up with real costs.
At the same time, I understand that the NDIS is costing the government a lot of money, and there is a need for accountability and sustainability within the system.
But that doesn’t mean individual providers are overcharging or doing the wrong thing.
Running a business like this is expensive.
For example, when your child comes in for a language assessment, that booklet we use, I’m the one filling it out, writing down their responses, scoring it, and analysing it.
That booklet alone costs me around $11 to $14 each.
Then there’s:
- Four different types of insurance
- Workers comp
- Rent for the clinic
- Electricity and water
- Annual fire safety certification for the clinic
There’s also professional development.
We’re expected to be evidence-based, which means we constantly need to upskill. Courses can cost hundreds to thousands of dollars, but we still do them because we want to provide the best therapy possible.
Then there’s travel.
There is still a massive need for daycare and school visits. A lot of kids do better in their natural environment, that’s just the reality.
But petrol is expensive, and it’s not just petrol, it’s also wear and tear on the car.
Servicing, tyres, general maintenance, it all adds up.
Travel has always only been charged one way, and recently the rate for that was reduced by 50%.
So most of the time, I’m driving both ways, paying for everything, using my time, and only getting paid for half of that.
On top of that, some schools are now charging providers just to come on-site.
Another thing people don’t see is everything that happens outside the session.
Before the session, I’m planning and preparing.
After the session, I’m:
- Writing notes
- Sending emails
- Writing reports
- Writing referrals to other health professionals
- Communicating with teachers or other professionals
Yes, technically I can bill for some of that.
But in reality, I don’t always bill the actual time it takes.
Sometimes it doesn’t feel fair. Sometimes it’s quicker to just get it done. Sometimes it’s just part of making sure things run smoothly for that client.
Then there’s cancellations.
If someone cancels last minute, that’s usually an hour I can’t fill.
I’ve already set that time aside, prepared for the session, and turned away other clients.
That’s why I have a 2 business day cancellation policy.
It’s not to be difficult, it’s just to keep things running so I can continue to provide services.
I’ve worked really hard to build my business and I now have a waitlist, which I’m so grateful for.
I genuinely want to help more families, and I would love to grow and hire.
But with everything happening with the NDIS at the moment, it doesn’t feel stable or feasible to expand right now.
There’s also been a lot of discussion around NDIS registration.
While registration can be important in some contexts, it also comes with significant administrative burden, costs, and time commitments.
For smaller providers like myself, it doesn’t necessarily improve the quality of therapy we provide.
But it does take time and resources away from actually working with clients.
So when people say providers are “ripping people off,” it honestly doesn’t reflect the reality of what’s going on.
Most of us are just trying to keep our businesses going, provide a good service, and keep supporting the people who need us.
I completely understand that therapy is expensive. I really do.
But there’s a lot more behind that hourly rate than people realise.
So if you’ve been feeling frustrated about it, I get it.
But I ask that you approach this with a bit of understanding.
