Initial Assessment · From $590

Stuttering Assessment

A stuttering assessment is the first appointment for every family who works with Dr Lauren Crumlish (PhD), Certified Practising Speech Pathologist. It is held by video, it measures how your child stutters, and it ends with a recommendation: whether this is stuttering, and if so, whether to start treatment now or monitor.

For children and teenagers up to 18
By video, Australia wide
The first step, before any therapy starts

Apply Now See the fee

Dr Lauren Crumlish, a speech pathologist with long brown hair in a red top, talking to the camera as she would on a video call

What It Covers

What A Stuttering Assessment Measures

The assessment answers five questions about how your child talks, then checks what else may be going on. Speech pathologists also call it a fluency assessment. A speech pathologist is the professional who assesses and diagnoses stuttering, and you do not need a doctor's referral to apply.

When it started and who else stutters

Your account comes first: when the stuttering started, whether it came on gradually or suddenly, how it has changed since, and whether anyone in the family stutters or used to. Stuttering often runs in families, so family history is part of the picture.
How often your child stutters

A speech pathologist listens to your child talk and counts. A common measure is the percentage of syllables stuttered: the stuttered syllables set against all the syllables your child said.
What type of stuttering it is

Stuttering shows up as repetitions of sounds, syllables or words, as sounds that are stretched out, and as blocks where your child is stuck and no sound comes. Tension or extra movement in the face or body while a word is on its way is noted too.
How severe it is

How often and what type are brought together into a severity rating, from mild to severe. The Lidcombe Program scores severity from 0 (no stuttering) to 10 (extremely severe), and the speech pathologist later shows a parent how to use the same scale at home each day.
How your child feels about talking

Part of the picture is whether your child notices the stuttering, gets frustrated by it, avoids words or situations, or has been teased. For older children and teenagers that includes worry about speaking in class or with friends.
Speech sounds and language

Stuttering can sit alongside other communication difficulties, so how clearly your child says sounds and how they understand and use language are checked as well. Either can change which treatment suits your child.

Fee

Stuttering Assessment Fees

The first step is an initial assessment, from $590, by video, before any therapy starts. Which length applies is confirmed with you before you book.

Assessment

Stuttering Assessment

Short Assessment $590. Which length applies is confirmed with you before you book

From $590

Also available

$890

Mid-Length Assessment

A longer initial assessment
$1,290

Long Assessment

The longest initial assessment
$193

Treatment Session

One hour of service: 45 minutes of therapy and 15 minutes of preparation and notes

Medicare rebates are available with a doctor's referral. The practice is not NDIS registered: self-managed and plan-managed participants are welcome; NDIA-managed funding cannot be used. See full pricing

After The Assessment

What Happens After A Stuttering Assessment

You get a recommendation

The assessment ends with a recommendation: whether what you are hearing is stuttering, and if so, whether treatment should start now or it is reasonable to keep watching and check again. You hear which applies to your child and why.
You hear which treatment is suggested, and the reason

For children under 6, the Lidcombe Program has the strongest research evidence, according to the Australian Stuttering Research Centre. For school-aged children and teenagers the evidence is thinner, so the suggestion rests on what studies support at your child's age.
You hear how therapy would run

Dr Lauren leads the therapy: she sets the goals, runs the sessions, measures progress and adjusts the plan. With a young child, the family's part is a short daily practice that she shows you step by step and checks each week. With a school-aged child or a teenager, she works with them directly. You know which applies before therapy starts.
You decide whether to go ahead

If therapy follows, sessions are $193 each and are held by video. How often they happen depends on the treatment and the stage it has reached.

Dr Lauren Crumlish smiling in front of hexagonal shelves with toys and decor; wearing a sleeveless polka dot blouse.

Your Clinician

Dr Lauren Crumlish, Certified Practising Speech Pathologist

Dr Lauren Crumlish is a Certified Practising Speech Pathologist with a PhD from The University of Queensland. She treats stuttering in children and teenagers and uses the Lidcombe Program. Dr Lauren is a speech pathologist, not a medical doctor. She works with a small number of families and has limited availability. Read more about Dr Lauren and her published research.

PhD in Speech Pathology, The University of Queensland (UQ)
2024 Dean’s Award for Outstanding Higher Degree by Research Theses
Certified Practising Speech Pathologist (CPSP)

About Dr Lauren

A smiling mother sitting on the floor at home, holding her laughing toddler on her lap

Questions Parents Ask

Stuttering Assessment Questions, Answered

How is stuttering diagnosed in a child?

A stuttering diagnosis is made by a speech pathologist, who listens to the child talk and asks about their history. Healthdirect describes the assessment as questions about family history and symptoms, and testing speech in different situations. A doctor's referral is not needed to see a speech pathologist about stuttering.

Does my child have a stutter?

Whether a child has a stutter is the question a stuttering assessment answers. A speech pathologist listens for the features of stuttering (repeated sounds and syllables, stretched sounds, and blocks where no sound comes) and tells you whether what you are hearing is stuttering.

What should I record at home before a stuttering assessment?

Stuttering comes and goes, and a child who stutters can speak smoothly on the day of an assessment. Before the appointment, note when the stuttering started, when it is at its worst and its best, and anything your child has said about it. Two or three short videos of your child talking at home on ordinary days show what a single appointment may miss.

How does a stuttering assessment work by video with a young child?

A preschool stuttering assessment by video happens with a parent and child together at home. The speech pathologist watches and listens through the screen while the two of them talk and play, and guides what happens on the call. The Australian Stuttering Research Centre notes that the treatment that may follow for a young child, the Lidcombe Program, can also be delivered by video telehealth.

Are there tests for stuttering?

There is no single pass or fail test for stuttering. A speech pathologist measures stuttering from a sample of the child's talking: how often it happens, which types, and how severe it is. Speech pathologists also use published rating scales and questionnaires about how stuttering affects a child, chosen to suit the child's age.

Who carries out the assessment?

Dr Lauren Crumlish carries out every stuttering assessment herself, by video. She is a Certified Practising Speech Pathologist with a PhD from The University of Queensland, she treats stuttering in children and teenagers, and she uses the Lidcombe Program. Dr Lauren is a speech pathologist, not a medical doctor. She works with a small number of families and has limited availability.

Do I need a referral for a stuttering assessment?

No. A parent or guardian can apply for a stuttering assessment without a referral. Medicare rebates are available with a doctor's referral.

How much does a stuttering assessment cost?

The first step is an initial assessment, from $590 (the Short Assessment is $590, the Mid-Length $890 and the Long $1,290). Which length applies is confirmed with you before you book. If therapy follows, sessions are $193. Medicare rebates are available with a doctor's referral. The practice is not NDIS registered: self-managed and plan-managed participants are welcome; NDIA-managed funding cannot be used.