Stop Struggling to Interact & Communicate!

Australia-wide social communication sessions for adults.

Voice Science provides online sessions so that you can access speech pathology sessions from anywhere in the world.

We’re one of the few speech pathology clinics that offers social communication sessions in Melbourne that are structureed for adults solely. This makes our clinic the perfect fit if you’d like to boost your confidence in social communication.

All of our approaches are geared to adults. You don’t want to visit a clinic with lots of toys, kids picture books and a paediatric focus if your goals are real life adult needs!

These sessions equip adults with strategies to improve their conversation skills and social language abilities.

Our priority is to tailor sessions to the goals that matter to you specifically. We take the time to understand which interactions you find challenging and work with you collaboratively to devise practical strategies that help you express yourself and celebrate your identity.

Social communication sessions at Voice Science focus on assisting you to:

• feel more at ease in communication scenarios
• understand the purpose and function of components of communication
• navigate challenging interactions
• advocate for your needs and preferences
• experience increased connection with the people around you

Depending on your goals and assessment, sessions may cover skills such as:

• Building and maintaining rapport,
• Establishing and maintaining relationships,
• Understanding non-literal and figurative language,
• Understanding others’ perspectives
• Participating socially or in the workplace

Social Skills for Adults

Social communication is both a complex and fulfilling part of being human. We learn and adapt our social skills as we experience different interactions and environments, which means that each and every one of us needs to develop and fine-tune these skills as we move through life. It’s true, however, that learning and applying these skills can prove to be harder for some people than others. Social communication with others follows a series of unwritten rules and norms based on what we want to say; do you ever feel like it’s hard to learn or follow these conventions? Is it confusing why we even need to use them in the first place?

Social communication difficulties can (but not always) be linked to a diagnosis of a communication disorder such as Autism. With or without a diagnosis, our Social Communication Assessment is the starting point to access support and strategies at Voice Science.

This session is the chance for you to share your global communication concerns with the speech pathologist who’ll identify core strategies to be addressed with you in ensuing social communication therapy sessions.

Our speech pathologists will investigate your social language strengths and challenges, then develop strategies to improve your communication participation. We will create speech therapy targets to help with communication in the workplace to better enhance your participation, outcomes and achievements. We can also help you with social skills and tips to help with your social life, family life or even during everyday activities in public.

Sessions are billed according to NDIS pricing.

We work with NDIS Self Managed and NDIS Plan Managed clients.

Please contact our clinic first for preparation of your service agreement prior to commencement.

Rebates may be available for these sessions.

We welcome referrals from allied health service providers and general practitioners for speech pathology treatment for adults with autism or social communication concern. Click here to read more about referrals.

If you are managed by the National Disability Insurance Scheme, please click the button below to learn more about how to commence your NDIS Speech Therapy sessions.

What the Assessment Investigates

This consultation is the perfect fit for clients who have concerns about some or all of the following:

• Creating small talk and conversation
• Building relationships, forming friendships & interpersonal relationships
• Uncertainty about how to behave socially &/or anxiety about how to interact with people
• Difficulties expressing or sharing your feelings or mood with the right words
• Confusion with why people think you are being inappropriate
• Uncertainty about why people misunderstand your comments & become offended or upset when you speak
• The feeling that making conversation is a total mystery or impossible
• Difficulties entering a group setting
• Pronounced social anxiety & lack of strategies to change your situation
• Difficulties with new environments & self-regulation
• Feedback that you are too “intense,” “aggressive” and/ or “inflexible” when speaking
• Concern that people perceive you in a way that isn’t a reflection of who you are
• Difficulties comprehending social-emotional details
• Problems turn-taking when having conversations
• Dominating the conversation with your opinions or not leaving space for the opinion of others
• Poor non-verbal communication skills ie. body language
• Concerns around eye contact when speaking
• Difficulty understanding gestures
• Lack of facial expression or understanding of the facial expression of other people
• Understanding the difference between fact/opinion & formal/informal manner when communicating
• Understanding others’ perspectives from their verbal & non-verbal communication

What happens after the Assessment?

Start Your Social Skills for Adults Sessions

Once your assessment session is completed you can proceed directly into your social communication training with our team.

We can’t wait to get you started!

The exact content of therapy sessions will vary significantly depending on what your goals are. We tailor our sessions to your needs so that you get the most out of our sessions. Goals in this area can take time to implement so it is important to us that we are targeting areas that you are motivated to improve in.

Our therapy sessions are conducted online. This allows you to have maximum control over your calendar and location and to find a time that suits you best.